When Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua enters the octagon on Saturday at UFC 274, it will be his 41st professional fight. However, in fight years, it is more like his 700th fight. The Brazilian has been in countless wars over his career and taken so much damage that most fighters would have called it a career.
After his last fight against Paul Craig, most MMA fans figured it was his last fight because the legend tapped to strikes, something that is not like Shogun. So, when it was announced he was rematching Ovince Saint Preux, people raised their eyebrows – rightfully so.
Two more fights
Not so fast, though. Shogun wants two more fights before calling it a career.
“I put in my mind that I want to do this fight plus one more, so two last fights. This is my motativation, it is what drives me. It’s like I’m focused on finishing the last two fights the best I can,” Shogun said during The MMA Hour on Wednesday through his long time manager and translator. “I thought about it a lot and I think this is the right moment. If I would have retired previously, a while ago, I would possibly regret it. I would have kept thinking about it and it would be good for me. Now I think it is the right time and I have come to terms, matured. It is the right moment.”
Motivated
Shogun rematches OSP at UFC 274. In their first matchup, OSP knocked Shogun out in 34 seconds back in 2014, in his home country of Brazil. He wants to avenge his loss.
I know it’s a tough fight but I know that I can overcome the result. That is an extra personal motatvation for sure,” Shogun said.
Shogun vs. OSP II goes down this weekend at UFC 274 and will be there on-site for all of the coverage.
