‘Shogun’ Rua still has UFC title aspirations, brushes off retirement talk

Mauricio Rua was the last fighter to hold the UFC light heavyweight title before the dominant reign of current champion Jon Jones. If all goes according to plan, he’ll also be the next after “Bones.”

Despite the fact “Shogun” has lost three of his past four fights and hasn’t put together consecutive victories since 2009, he’s still motivated to reclaim his former glory as a UFC champion.

Rua (22-9 MMA, 6-7 UFC) knows there’s a lot of ground between him and the top of the division. However, he hopes to start closing the gap by defeating UFC Fight Night 56 opponent Jimi Manuwa (14-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC).

“My great dream is to become UFC champion again,” Rua told MMAjunkie through an interpreter. “I know it’s worthless to be thinking about that right now. My main objective is my next fight, as it should be. You’ve got to take it one fight at a time and win your fights. That’s where I focus, is on the next challenge ahead.”

Rua and Manuwa collide Nov. 8 at Ginasio Municipal Tancredo Nevas in Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The main card, including the Rua vs. Manuwa, airs on FOX Sports 1 following prelims on the same channel and UFC Fight Pass.

Manuwa is a dangerous striker who’s earned all but one of his career victories by knockout. If history has proven anything, though, it’s that Rua feeds off of fighters with Manuwa’s style.

The majority of Rua’s 19 career knockout wins have come against fighters who are aggressive on the feet. If Manuwa implements that strategy, Rua believes it could lead to another quick and successful night of work.

“He’s a dangerous fighter, and his muay Thai is very good, but this is a good matchup for me.” Rua said. “His game is good for my muay Thai. We both go for the knockout. The sooner the better.”

The 32-year-old is in high spirits ahead of his eighth UFC main event. Rua’s highlight-reel loss to Dan Henderson in March raised concerns about his future, but he’s still here.

Rua’s nose was broken by the fight-ending punch from Henderson, and the Brazilian was forced to undergo surgery. During the procedure, Rua said his deviated septum was corrected, and he’s now able to breath much better.

The broken nose is one of many injuries that have stacked up for Rua over the years. The loss to Henderson was so brutal, in fact, that Rua’s family members encouraged him to retire.

Rua has been a pro fighter since 2002 and has accomplished some unforgettable feats, from his brilliant run to win the 2005 PRIDE grand prix to his reign as UFC champion. Few will come close to matching the resume Rua has put together, and though some may want him to stop competing, he said his passion for MMA is still strong and he has no intentions of retirement until he’s physically incapable.

“My mother and my wife care about me a lot obviously, but they don’t really understand much about fighting,” Rua said. “They think fighting is more dangerous and aggressive than it really is. They are concerned with my physical integrity and my health overall, which is normal.

“I’m a very aware guy, and I’ve been fighting for a long time. I know how fighting is and how aggressive it is and the risks. It’s not as dangerous as they think it is. I love fighting, and I’m going to continue to fight as long as my body feels well and reacts well. The day my body cannot train and perform at this level, then it will be the time to retire.”

Rua signed a new multi-fight agreement with the UFC in September (via Instagram). He said he intends to complete the deal and will reevaluate his mental and physical state afterward.

His goal of a second UFC title reign may be a bit out of reach now, but Rua wants to show what he’s still capable of against Manuwa. He said he hasn’t given up on his ultimate goal.

“I just signed the contract, and my intent is to do all those fights and fulfill this contract,” Rua said. “After the contract is done, then I’ll think about what I want to do if I want to continue fighting or not. I still want to be champion.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 56, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.