Shogun Rua: I’d fight Anderson Silva

UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva has flirted with the idea of challenging for the light-heavyweight title for some time now, but as long as his good friend Lyoto Machida wore the belt there was little chance of that taking place.

Fortunately, the landscape has changed.

With Mauricio “Shogun” Rua now sitting firmly at the top of the 205 lb. weight class after having knocked the previously undefeated Machida silly at UFC 113, it now appears as though a battle between UFC’s light-heavyweight and middleweight champions is becoming a very realistic possibility.

“We’ve always had a good relationship, but we were never close,” said Shogun in regards to Silva during a recent conversation with Tatame.com. “I’ve always admired Anderson on the gym, but we were never friends… If UFC wanted to, I’d confront Anderson.

“Anderson is a very good guy, had a good technique and conditioning, he’s one of the three best pound for pound, but I’m used to challenges. I’d be a tough fight, but I like tough challenges.”

Rua currently has to focus on rehabilitating from knee surgery that could potentially keep him out of action through October. Once the knee is properly healed Shogun is expected to face off with Rashad Evans for the light-heavyweight title.

the_king wrote:
With Mauricio “Shogun” Rua now sitting firmly at the top of the 205 lb. weight class

After no title defenses and going 1-1 with Machida? i don't think he's firmly at the top at all.

I'd much rather see Anderson-Shogun than Anderson-GSP superfight.

yeah personally id like to see shogun v silva than silva vs gsp.

Id also enjoy watching Shogun destroy Silva

you best break out your playstation so, because in a real fight Anderson wins that every time. Everything Shogun does, Silva does better.

If anderson moves weight for a super fight, he is clearly running scared of Bisping.....



leg kick, circle right, jab, circle right, jab, circle right, leg kick, circle right...

Michael_Bisping_Is_A_Cunt wrote:you best break out your playstation so, because in a real fight Anderson wins that every time. Everything Shogun does, Silva does better.

Anderson is shite under pressure, He hasnt been put under pressure so we have constantly seen him fighting guys who are shit scared of him making him look good.

Sonnen, a wrestler with 0 striking ability went in and dropped Anderson and battered him on the feet. The Shogun that Sparked MAchida is more than capible of matching Sonnen on the feet and Swarming Anderson.

Andersons opponents have made him look better than he is. Leites and for 90% of the fight Maia were just plain scared to get punched by him... feed Shogun a few punchbads and he would look equally good.

Also Anderons kicks arent as good as Shoguns, Shogun has better Leaping punches, like a Frazier style lead hook etc.. I understand Anderson will be favorite but after a Wrestler beating him on the feet like that id back Shogun all day.

Sonnen beat an INJURED Silva on the feet. And to be fair, he didn't beat him on the feet. When Silva decided to attack he was battering Sonnen. He just couldn't stop the takedown. It was boxing that Sonnen used. Sonnen has good boxing, was a solid amatuer boxer, comical to say he has zero stand-up. Name one person who's ever outstruck Sonnen. Shogun's boxing isn't anything special.

Silva has much better Muay Thai than Shogun. His leg kicks aren't as good but overall his kicks are much better. He's also got much better hands. "Leaping punches" are a recipe for disaster against Silva. Please don't try and compare Shogun's looping punches to Joe Fraziers picture perfect hooks.

I think they both have great striking, but the longer the fights moves on, i see the older Anderson slowing down more, and i think Shogun will be too strong for him in the latter rounds.


Shogun UD or a late tko would be my pick. Im assuming 5 round fight.

This is Shogun with the 3 knee reconstructions? he'll be the one pushing the pace late? Shogun was has gassed a number of times during his career? That Shogun.

Against a man who has never gassed and has far more experience fighting 5 rounds.

Compare Shogun at UFC 104 in round 4 and 5 to Anderson in Abu Dhabi in the latter rounds.....

cannot really compare silva in abu dhabi to anything i have ever seen.

Nontheless he still slowed down considerably, and looked tired. Shogun looked great at the end of 104, his knee surgery may affect the first fight he comes back from, as it did Coleman, but after that i dont think it will affect him.

either way id back shogun as he would not be affraid to attack silva, sonnen would be champ now if he had power in his punches.

Sonnen does have power in his punches, he was smacking Anderson around the octagon that night, but Anderson has shown he has a bloody good chin.

redmeanie77 wrote:Compare Shogun at UFC 104 in round 4 and 5 to Anderson in Abu Dhabi in the latter rounds.....

Anderson wasn't even slightly tired, he was openly mocking a top 10 MW. Shogun was tired, and losing a title fight.

And Silva has an amazing chin. He dropped his hands and let Sonnen hit him full force and never even flinched.

Michael_Bisping_Is_A_Cunt wrote:you best break out your playstation so, because in a real fight Anderson wins that every time. Everything Shogun does, Silva does better.

Shogun has much better takedowns and overall ground work i think. Silva has more submissions but Shogun is great transition and GnP.
plus he is stronger.

Shogun's takedowns are nothing special. He couldn't take Machida down. He wouldn't take Silva down. Silva never tries to take anyone down anyway so having better takedowns that him doesn't really mean much.

Not sure if I'd agree he's stronger either. In terms of what? Lifting weights or something? Not really going to matter in a striker contest. Except for Muay Thai clinching, and Silva's Muayy Thai clinch is the best in MMA. Shogun doesn't punch harder IMO.

I think we have a serial Anderson fan? My opinion is Shogun would win pruely because he would be the aggresser... Sonnon was agressive against Silva and Silva didn't like it one bit another minute or so and Anderson would be a contendor not champ... Anderson did gas in middle east, worse than ive seen in recent times Miaa started landing on him, if he had the balls to go after Silva he might have pushed him a little more.

Anyway who gives a shiney shit about this because BELFORT IS GUNA GIVE SILVA A PROPER HIDING!!! WHHHHHHHOOOOOO HAAAAAAAAR!

Belfort might not even make it into the cage.

Sonnen was aggressive and took Silva down. Shogun is not going to take him down so trying to use Sonnen as an example is a poor effort.

Another minute or so?? What do you mean?

Shogun has taken down Arona, Rampage, Coleman, Liddell, Overeem, Nakamura. His takedowns are some of the most under-rated in the division.

Anderson has been taken down by Franklin, Henderson, Lutter, Leites.

I do think it's funny that all this talk from Anderson about not wanting to step on Machida's toes went out the window once Shogun smashed the fuck out of him. He said he was staying at middleweight and he wants no part Shogun.

sunthunder wrote:Shogun has taken down Arona, Rampage, Coleman, Liddell, Overeem, Nakamura. His takedowns are some of the most under-rated in the division.

Anderson has been taken down by Franklin, Henderson, Lutter, Leites.

I do think it's funny that all this talk from Anderson about not wanting to step on Machida's toes went out the window once Shogun smashed the fuck out of him. He said he was staying at middleweight and he wants no part Shogun.

Smashed the fuck out of him?? Nonsense.

Silva said he was staying at MW to clean out the division.

Shogun's takedowns are over-rated and his takedowns of Arona, Rampage, Overeem and Nakamura were BEFORE he had THREE knee reconstructions. Taking down 40 years old men means nothing. He tried, and tried, and tried, to get Machida down. And what happened? He failed, miserably.

Henderson and Lutter both have much better grappling than Shogun. What happened when Franklin and Leites took Silva down??

Michael_Bisping_Is_A_Cunt wrote:

sunthunder wrote:Shogun has taken down Arona, Rampage, Coleman, Liddell, Overeem, Nakamura. His takedowns are some of the most under-rated in the division.

Anderson has been taken down by Franklin, Henderson, Lutter, Leites.

I do think it's funny that all this talk from Anderson about not wanting to step on Machida's toes went out the window once Shogun smashed the fuck out of him. He said he was staying at middleweight and he wants no part Shogun.

Smashed the fuck out of him?? Nonsense.

Silva said he was staying at MW to clean out the division.

Shogun's takedowns are over-rated and his takedowns of Arona, Rampage, Overeem and Nakamura were BEFORE he had THREE knee reconstructions. Taking down 40 years old men means nothing. He tried, and tried, and tried, to get Machida down. And what happened? He failed, miserably.

Henderson and Lutter both have much better grappling than Shogun. What happened when Franklin and Leites took Silva down??

Cunt, you really need to stop letting your Machida fetish cloud your judgement of a man who is clearly the best LHW out there atm.


Your the only one here who STILL thinks Machida won at UFC 104 and even when Shogun blew him away in the first round of the rematch you claim he was "struck behind the ear/was off balance" and all sorts of garbage.

well Machida has among the best takedown defense in MMA, and its the biggest hole in Andersons game...so you can't really use that as a basis to say Shogun could not take Anderson down. although you do make a good point about the knee surgeries.