Mauricio Shogun Rua has had a bad streak of results recently but one particular person still believes that can be changed.
One of the mentors of the former UFC Light Heavyweight champion, Rafael Cordeiro, offered a public invitation to his pupil so they can train together again. Interviewed by Globo, the leader of Kings MMA is convinced that Shogun can once again be a force in his division.
“I would like a lot to have Shogun training with me again. Because I like this kid a lot. I can’t say that I’ll be his savior, but I know very well his style of fighting and I care a lot about him. He likes Brazil a lot. He has this need of being close of his mother, his wife and friends. I can’t visualize myself giving a full camp in Brazil because I have obligations in America. But I sincerely hope to work with him again and help him to be between the top fighters once more, the place that he deserves to be.”
Cordeiro runs Kings MMA in Huntington Beach, while Shogun lives in his hometown, Curitiba, and completes training camps in Sao Paulo. They worked together for the last time before Shogun’s KO win against Forrest Griffin at UFC 134, which happened on August of 2011.
For Cordeiro, the fighter’s age isn’t an issue.
“He’s a young kid, he’s only 33 yet. Fabricio Werdum is 37, Vitor Belfort is 38 and is in the top of his career. Shogun has a lot of time to train yet. Time enough to let him awesome. The day that he wants to train with me, I’ll receive him as a son. With no problem. It’s hard for me to talk but I think that he lacks of motivation. But he has heart, the most important thing.”
During the time that they worked together at Chute Boxe, Shogun won the 2005 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix. Currently, the most accomplished fighters at Kings MMA are Rafael dos Anjos, who is scheduled to challenge for the Lightweight title on March 14, and interim Heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum.