Shogun not ready to surrender the belt
I think Jon Jones is rightfully the number one contender right now, he said. He has been coming off a…
I think Jon Jones is rightfully the number one contender right now, he said. He has been coming off a series of solid wins, and he is a very talented fighter. He is a complete fighter with skills in all areas, and a fight is a fight. Any time you step inside the Octagon to fight there can be many difficulties and you just never know, so that’s why you’ve got to be prepared for all possible situations.
Rua has seen all possible situations. He’s been through the worst pains of injury and defeat, he’s had the highest highs as a UFC and PRIDE Grand Prix champion, and he’s fought every conceivable style, from lanky strikers and world-class wrestlers to jiu-jitsu savants and one-strike knockout artists. He’s even been the young gun, the phenom, the fighter the world embraced as the next big thing. Yet through it all, he kept things in perspective, and he still does.
I never thought I was invincible, said Rua. There’s no such thing as an invincible fighter. Every fighter can lose if a good punch connects, or if your opponent is having a better day. I was always very confident in my skills because my coaches always built my confidence and got me to believe in myself. Mindset is a very important aspect of a fighter’s game, and so is respecting your opponents. The more you respect your opponents, the more you are going to work hard and develop yourself and use your confidence in the right way.
Underdog? You don’t know Shogun Rua.
A fight is a fight and many things can happen, he said. You only know as the fight starts. I worked on a game plan with my team, but you have to be prepared for many different situations that can happen in a fight. As always, the only pressure I put on myself is to do my best, the rest is a consequence.