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Rafael Cordeiro Says Shogun Rua Needs To Train Seriously To Be Successful Again

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua failed to walk away with his hand raised in victory against Dan Henderson at UFC 139, a fight many fans are considering one of the greatest bouts in UFC history.Prior to the bout, Rua opted to train in Brazil to prepare for his op…

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua failed to walk away with his hand raised in victory against Dan Henderson at UFC 139, a fight many fans are considering one of the greatest bouts in UFC history.

Prior to the bout, Rua opted to train in Brazil to prepare for his opponent as opposed to training with longtime mentor and trainer Rafael Cordeiro at Kings MMA in Huntington Beach, Calif. The Brazilian reunited with Cordeiro to prepare for Forrest Griffin at UFC 134 which saw Rua knock him out in the opening round.

And although Rua engaged in an exciting five-round matchup with Henderson, earning praise and respect from fans, Cordeiro wasn’t impressed in the performance of the former Chute Boxe standout.

In fact, Cordeiro suggested that Rua needs to take his training camp more seriously in order to become successful again.

“I don’t know about this fight because he didn’t train with us for this fight. What I can say, is that if he wants back to the top he needs to start training,” Cordeiro told MMAWeekly.com. “He needs to start training as much as he can. He needs to work hard it’s no joke; this sport is a hard sport.”

Rua has shown glimpses of brilliance, but he has failed to meet fans’ expectations since coming over from PRIDE FC in 2007; he currently stands at 4-4 inside the Octagon. Also, a history of cardio problems and recurring knee injuries have prevented “Shogun” from reaching his potential in the UFC, despite capturing the UFC light heavyweight title last year.

Cordeiro said Rua has the potential to regain the light heavyweight title and have a successful future in the UFC, but said the real success begins from incorporating a strong work ethic into the training camp, something Rua needs to learn.

“In my gym, I don’t have fighters, I have students there. My students work and my students learn martial arts, respect and discipline and it makes a difference,” he said. “UFC is a great show and for you to fight here you need to work hard and you need to work on your techniques and your cardio. He needs to put that in his head if he wants back to the top.”

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Shogun, Henderson and the 10-8 Round That Should’ve Been

Most are calling it iconic. Some are calling it a classic, and a few are calling it the greatest fight in UFC history.At UFC 139, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Dan Henderson put on a bout for the ages, but was the right fighter’s hand raised at the end of …

Most are calling it iconic. Some are calling it a classic, and a few are calling it the greatest fight in UFC history.

At UFC 139, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Dan Henderson put on a bout for the ages, but was the right fighter’s hand raised at the end of the fight?

The extra couple of rounds recently attached to non-title main event bouts did both Shogun and fans a great service. While fans got to watch 25-minutes of magic unfold between two MMA legends, Shogun was able to muster up a comeback in the final two rounds after being dominated by Henderson early on in the bout.

The fifth round in particular was a big round for Shogun. Henderson, who was clearly gassed , spent the entire round on his back in survival mode eating punch after punch from a fully mounted Shogun.

The night’s judges certainly weren’t stingy in handing down 10-8 rounds. In the first bout on the main card, Stephan Bonnar did significantly less from top position against Kyle Kingsbury, and judge Jackie Denkin awarded him a pair of 10-8 rounds.

Bare in mind, Denkin wasn’t one of the three judges calling the main event, but it still brings up the age-old question: What constitutes a 10-8 round?

The FightMetric stats are quite telling when comparing the bouts. Shogun’s offense over Henderson towers in comparison to Bonnar’s over Kingsbury.

The decision not to give Shogun the 10-8 round speaks volumes to the numerous gray areas in the world of MMA judging, and every judge seems to have his or her own criteria for certain aspects of the sport.

As MMA continues to grow, the judging will obviously improve, but it’s tough to see any fighter denied a just verdict after such a gutsy performance.

“Don’t let it go to the judges.”

This has always been the saying that has served as the scapegoat for those charged with the duties of actually watching fights and rendering a decision.

Along with fighters, the judges also have a job to do, and there is no excuse for botching a decision based on the mere principle of a fighter not finishing.

Judging an MMA bout isn’t an easy job. It should take years of training and a deep understanding of every aspect of fighting. Unfortunately, the sport has yet to take that leap, and some high profile bouts are delegated to judges with little to no MMA experience.

Luckily, the fact that Shogun and Henderson put on perhaps the greatest fight of all time somewhat shrouds the atrocity that occurred at the end of the bout, and fans are already clamoring for a rematch.

For Shogun and his camp, nothing can make up for the endless hours spent training and the blood and heart spilt to come out on top.

For them, UFC 139 will always represent the 10-8 round that should’ve been.

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Dana White Would Prefer Wanderlei Silva to Retire Following UFC 139

Following a victory over Cung Le, Wanderlei Silva has extended his UFC career for the foreseeable future. “The Axe Murderer” was under the proverbial microscope at UFC 139 after losing four of his last six bouts. And while Silva did record only hi…

Following a victory over Cung Le, Wanderlei Silva has extended his UFC career for the foreseeable future.

“The Axe Murderer” was under the proverbial microscope at UFC 139 after losing four of his last six bouts. And while Silva did record only his third win in five years, UFC President Dana White doesn’t believe the Brazilian is a contender any longer.

White told reporters during the post-fight press conference that he would rather see Silva finish his career than continue fighting.

“Wanderlei’s a warrior—he’s been around forever and people love him,” White said. “I love him—he’s been great to (the UFC) and to the sport, and I’m not going to have that stuff happen.”

White was forced in a similar position when his close friend and former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell was on the latter end of his career, losing the last four of his six bouts by knockout. Like Liddell, White has been vocal about Silva’s recent losses and expresses his concern regarding the former PRIDE champion’s long-term health.

“I just don’t want to see anyone hurt—that’s all I care about,” he said.

However, despite White’s best efforts to convince Silva to hang up his gloves, ultimately, the UFC boss said he will not force anyone into an uncomfortable position. In fact, White admits he’d be happy if Silva decided to end his career on his own terms.

“He looked good (Saturday). I’d be cool with (him walking away after the win), too. I would never try to talk somebody out of retirement,” he said.

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Dominick Cruz, Urijah Faber and 10 Other TUF Coaching Candidates

The Ultimate Fighter is a show that has become pretty boring and stale the last couple of seasons. Since The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights, the show has become almost unwatchable because nobody knows the fighters on the show and there are no good stor…

The early days of The Ultimate Fighter launched careers and many have become world champions in their respected weight classes. Now, the winner is usually someone who no one has ever heard of and honestly no one cares who wins the show.

The rumors are out that Dominick Cruz will go up against Urijah Faber on the next installment of TUF. The two men actually do not like each other so that may create a watchable show. But I do believe that there are better options out there.

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Cung Le on Silva Bout: "Ref Should Watch Those Shots to Back of the Head More"

Cung Le’s UFC debut didn’t go down exactly as planned at UFC 139.The former Strikeforce middleweight champion was stopped in the second round after having his face rearranged in vintage fashion by MMA legend Wanderlei Silva.Le recently uploaded a pictu…

Cung Le’s UFC debut didn’t go down exactly as planned at UFC 139.

The former Strikeforce middleweight champion was stopped in the second round after having his face rearranged in vintage fashion by MMA legend Wanderlei Silva.

Le recently uploaded a picture on his Facebook page to show off the results of Silva’s handiwork. His face may look like a mess, but Le admitted the majority of his pain comes from a few illegal shots to the back of the head that went unnoticed.

“The back of my head hurts worst than my face. The Ref needs to watch the strikes to the back of the head more,” Le posted.

After getting dropped by a knee in the clinch, Le reached out desperately for a single leg takedown. However, Silva instinctively sprawled out and began raining down hammer fists.

It was an awkward position for both fighters, but the shots from Silva seem to land towards the back of Le’s head. After three or four ground punches were thrown, the referee stepped in and immediately called a halt to the action.

Despite his initial comments, Le understands the punches were unintentional and he doesn’t want to make excuses for losing. Silva was simply the better man that night.

“After my fight I told Wandy that it was an honor to fight him. I have no excuse for my lost. My comment about the back of my head “hurts more than my face” is because I get hit in the face during training…so my face is more conditioned,” Le followed in another post.

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UFC 139 Salaries Released: Cung Le the Best-Paid Fighter on Card

UFC 139 featured the return of two-division Pride champion and former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson, who won a unanimous decision over former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.The five-round war left many calli…

The five-round war left many calling it one of the best fights ever to take place inside the Octagon.

In the co-main event, former Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le lost by TKO to “The Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva.

MMAjunkie.com released the salaries for each competitor at the San Jose event.

Dan Henderson: $250,000 (no win bonus) defeats Mauricio Rua: $165,000

Wanderlei Silva: $200,000 (no win bonus) defeats Cung Le: $350,000

Urijah Faber: $64,000 (includes $32,000 win bonus) defeats Brian Bowles: $19,000

Martin Kampmann: $58,000 (includes $29,000 win bonus) defeats Rick Story: $19,000

Stephan Bonnar: $68,000 (includes $34,000 win bonus) defeats Kyle Kingsbury: $10,000

Ryan Bader: $48,000 (includes $24,00 win bonus) defeats Jason Brilz: $13,000

Michael McDonald: $14,000 (includes $7,000 win bonus) defeats Alex Soto: $6,000

Chris Weidman: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus) defeats Tom Lawlor: $12,000

Gleison Tibau: $34,000 (includes $17,000 win bonus) defeats Rafael Dos Anjos: $16,000

Miguel Torres: $60,000 (includes $30,000 win bonus) defeats Nick Pace: $4,000

Seth Baczynski: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus) defeats Matt Brown: $12,000

Danny Castillo: $34,000 (includes $17,000 win bonus) defeats Shamar Bailey: $8,000

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