Props: Sherdog.com
Quoteworthy:
"... I told him: Liddell is not Coleman. He is an aggressive guy, has heavy hands and does not give up. If he hits you on the chin, probably a KO. Shogun has a very aggressive style and has to be in very good shape, with much cardio, because he doesn’t stop. He goes with punches, kicks, knees and takedowns. With him there’s no asking to stop. So he has to give good attention to the cardio because his style requires much cardio. He is a very talented guy, but age comes for everyone, including him. Then with time he will realize that nowadays we … must have a higher preparation. The guys are always getting better here. Shogun is a guy who can win the belt soon. He is in the front of the line. I believe in him. I think he’ll have a great performance against Liddell. I would not be surprised if he knocks him out or submits him. If he gets a takedown, I think it ends in the second round by submission."
Wanderlei Silva has faith that his former Chute Box training partner and good friend, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, will finish former light heavyweight champion, Chuck Liddell, when the pair collide at UFC 97: "Redemption" from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on April 18. Shogun has battled injuries, as well as serious fatigue, in his two performances inside the Octagon since coming over from Pride FC to much fan fare in late 2007. He has certainly not lived up to the hype as the best 205-pound fighter in the world, losing to Forrest Griffin via submission in his debut and having trouble putting away what should have been a very overmatched Mark Coleman earlier this year. Rua needs to prove that he can hang with the big cats in the UFC. And an impressive win over "Iceman" would do just that.
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