After defeating Lyoto Machida to win the light heavyweight championship at UFC 113 in May, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua underwent reconstructive surgery to repair ligament damage in his left knee.
“Everything is going very well,” said Rua, who knocked out Machida in the first round of their ballyhooed rematch. “I went to Los Angeles to meet with the doctor who operated on me, and everything is great. I went there just for medical consultation. The doctor wanted to see how my surgery went, and I was told that it’s OK. The surgery was actually a success. I’m very happy.”
Rua -- the 2005 Pride Fighting Championships middleweight grand prix winner -- has defeated some of the world’s most accomplished fighters, including Brazilian stalwart Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, former UFC light heavyweight kingpin Quinton Jackson, one-time UFC heavyweight titleholder Kevin Randleman, reigning Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem and UFC hall of famers Chuck Liddell and Mark Coleman. A devastating finisher, Rua has delivered 16 of his 19 career victories by knockout or technical knockout.
Back in Brazil, Rua plans to continue with rehabilitating the knee for another month before he returns to training.
“I will wait another month,” he said. “I will continue my rehabilitation, which has changed a bit now. I already do most of the leg, swimming, running. After a month, I think I’ll be back to train. I’m very motivated to get back to doing what I like best, which is fighting.”
A date for his return to the UFC, which figures to come in a high-profile matchup with former champion Rashad Evans, has not yet been announced. Shogun expects to be back inside the Octagon sometime in early 2011.
“I must return at the beginning of next year, but I still don’t know who it’s going to be against,” Rua said. “Let’s see how my rehab goes. Hopefully, I’ll be back early next year. First, I want to take care of my knee and get back to 100 percent.”