Mauricio is a young Brazilian phenom who has made an excellent repution for himself in Pride FC. He has wins over three top ten 20b lbers in Arona, Nogueira and "Rampage" Jackson. Not to mention two top 20 fighters in Kevin Randleman and Alistair Overeem.
"Shogun" is from Chute Boxe in Brazil which is known for it's kickboxing expertise and his stand-up game does not disappoint. Still, it is not overwhelming either. His greatest asset is pace. He has the means to pour it on and keep pouring it on until his opponent wilts. He looks more fluid than explosive.
But despite that it is his groundgame that really grabs ones attention. The kid is a wizard on the ground, usually working to better his position and achieve mount.
A good defensive technician could perhaps keep Rua on his feet and possibly ineffectual. Definitely anything but 'a sure thing'. A good wrestler who knows how to control his opponent and keep them on their back could also be dangerous to "Shogun". Not that he's helpless on his back, just that it's better than him being on yours. Ironically this skillset seems to be nearly perfectly embodied in the new LHW champ, Quinton Jackson. Well maybe not so much the control, which admittedly could be one of the most key parts, but the defense and takedowns are certainly areas that Jackson shines.
......but then again with Mauricio Rua having already beaten down the champ, that theory could be out the window.
Okay, so who else? Who else would Rua have to watch out for to avoid the almost cliche' seeming upset. Henderson certainly, Ortiz for sure.......maybe even Rashad Evans. Now, "Shogun" can beat any one of these guys I do not doubt but on any given night one of these guys could provide the roadblock.
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