Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is ready to retire to MMA after he can fight two more times. The idea of retirement is probably for the better, especially after UFC President Dana White encouraged Shogun to do so.
Shogun faced Paul Craig in a rematch during UFC 255. During their first encounter at UFC on ESPN+ 22, both men fought an extremely close fight, resulting in a draw. However, during the rematch, Craig was able to dismantle Rua easily. Craig could get his revenge by way of a TKO victory in the second round with Shogun tapping to strikes.
Shogun on Retiring from MMA
Nonetheless, Rua would like to fight two more times before he decides to end his MMA career. Speaking with AG Fight, Shogun detailed the plans for the rest of his career.
“I must do two more fights and stop. That’s my goal. Do one or two more (fights),” said Shogun to the publication.
“And the moment I stop, I will be happy with myself and thankful to God. I’m an accomplished guy with my career. My only fear is to stop and then regret that I stopped a little early. But if I do two more (fights), I won’t have this problem.”
On a Steep Decline
Shogun Rua is currently 39 years old. While the Brazillian isn’t on a losing streak, his performance during his last fight raised concern for Dana and fans. White was able to inspect the performance closely and compare it to all of Shogun’s versions over the previous 18 years.
Tapping to strikes was uncharacteristic of Shogun. While the UFC seems to want him to retire, the decision to keep fighting is ultimately up to Shogun.
Even if the UFC plans on never booking Shogun again, other promotions will use his name on a marquee to generate some income. At least for two more fights, as he wishes.