Shogun Rua Would Fight Anderson Silva, But Not At UFC 212
Longtime former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is still searching for an opponent at May 13’s UFC 212 from Rio de Janeiro after his original foe Kelvin Gastelum was forced out of the bout due to a failed drug test.
“The Spider” recently proclaimed he would retire if the UFC didn’t grant him an interim title fight with top contender Yoel Romero on the card, but nothing has been made official as Silva waits in the wings. Potential opponents like Luke Rockhold and Vitor Belfort were teased but never officially signed, and now another former champion is expressing his interest at fighting Silva.
It just won’t be at UFC 212, however, as former lgith heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua told Tatame (via Bloody Elbow) that while he respects “The Spider” and would definitely fight him, the timeframe for UFC 212 is approaching too fast:
“”I would be thrilled to accept a fight against Anderson Silva, but not in Rio. There’s only a few weeks to go before UFC 212 and I’m not psychologically ready to do a fight camp right now. If I had two months to train, then yes, I would. I really respect Anderson as an athlete, he’s a guy who deserves my respect, but I’d fight him. I’m a professional, above all things.”
Thought to be done as a top UFC contender after a down run, Rua has quietly rebounded with three straight wins with his most recent an impressive stoppage of Gian Villante at March’s UFC Fight Night Fortaleza. With the streak in tow in arguably the most talent-starved division in MMA, Rua announced he’s looking to avenge his knockout loss to Ovince Saint Preux:
“I don’t have any specific names on my mind, but I have a loss against Ovince Saint Preux that’s been bugging me ever since. I think he’s a good fighter, an icon, and he deserves all my respect. He’s big for the division, but the way I lost against him left me very sad. I’m not saying I’m better or worse than him, I was sad with the way it was. So I would like a rematch against Saint Preux in the near future, yes.”
It’s a fight that could make sense to book as the division’s title picture (possibly) gets sorted between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones this summer, but the quick and devastating nature of Saint Preux’s win over Rua could hold back a rematch.
Still, Rua has momentum on his side, and Saint Preux only just rebounded from a disappointing three-fight slide that followed his win over the Brazilian MMA legend.
Should the former Pride Grand Prix bulldozer wait for Silva, or is Saint Preux a better avenue for him to take?
