UFC President Dana White has confirmed the signing of Rua during a pre-UFC 71 conference call with the media on 5/24.
The UFC light-heavyweight division has added Mauricio "Shogun" Rua to its already star-studded lineup according to ChuteBox.com.
At 16-2 and just 25 years of age, Shogun has made a name for himself by terrorizing the PRIDE middleweight division since his successful debut at Bushido 1 back in 2003.
While some fans have not been impressed with the legacy of PRIDE (especially after the brutal KO of Mirko Cro Cop to Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 70), let me assure you that with 13 of his 16 wins coming by (T)KO, Shogun Rua is a force to be reckoned with.
Just ask Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.
Rampage was on the receiving end of a bona fide beatdown courtesy of the Brazilian superstar, and aside from his freak accident against Mark Coleman at PRIDE 31, Rua has been nearly perfect.
And don't expect to wait around for Shogun to make his presence known. He's scheduled to be at UFC 72 in some form or capacity. It may be just an announcement ala Minotauro Nogueira, but just the site of him in the Octagon is enough to kick my fantasy matchmaking into high gear.
While no formal announcement has yet to be made, I think it's safe to say that Chuck Liddell has been officially put on notice.
Thanks to UFCmaniac "MoreThanUFC" for lookin' out.
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