UFC Fight Night 56 results: No-gun Rua needs middleweight makeover

That was tough to watch.

Mauricio Rua, one of the scariest strikers to ever lace up the gloves in PRIDE Fighting Championship, has now slipped to 6-8 under the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) banner after going down in flames against Ovince St. Preux in the UFC Fight Night 56 main event.

And if you're going to start with the "Yeah, but he slipped and ..." then there is nothing I can say from this point on that will register.

This man has no business at 205 pounds.

Let's not pretend the Brazilian was in cruise control over the past couple of years and then suddenly hit a cold streak. Right before he stepped into the cage and airmailed James Te Huna to 185 pounds, UFC President Dana White was asking "Shogun" to consider a middleweight makeover, at best.

Or retirement, at worst.

Rua came out on top, only to follow up the Te Huna win with an involuntary nose job courtesy of Dr. Henderson. Against St. Preux in the FOX Sports 1 headliner last Sat. night (Nov. 8, 2014) in Uberlandia, Brazil, the hometown hero was finished for the seventh time in his career.

In addition, he looked clumsy and out of sorts.

The former grand prix deity hasn't won back-to-back fights since beating geriatric gladiators Chuck Liddell and Mark Coleman over five years ago. He also looked a lot smaller than "OSP" and turns 33 in just a few days. True, that's not over the hill, even in the fight game, but there are a lot of miles on those tires.

Rua also has a history of knee problems.

Looking up and down the list of top 15 light heavyweight fighters (see it here), it's difficult to find a suitable pairing. Perhaps a knock down, drag out fight with Fabio Maldonado? We may be grasping at straws at this point and I believe a lighter, faster "Shogun" at 185 pounds would be a chance to start fresh in a division more suited for his frame.

I hear Michael Bisping is looking for an opponent.