‘Shogun’ Rua Ponders Change in Weight Class Following Loss to Ovince St. Preux

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Mauricio Rua’s loss to Ovince St. Preux has the former UFC light heavyweight king contemplating a significant change in his fighting career.

“Shogun” recently posted a message on his Facebook page thanking fans for their support after the fight. St. Preux knocked Rua out with a counter left hook and follow-up punches 34 seconds into their headlining clash at UFC Fight Night in Uberlandia, Brazil. It was a stunning and disappointing ending for Rua, a beloved figure among fight fans who has now lost four of his last five Octagon appearances.

“Losing is always very bad, hurts a lot, but what's hurting more is to lose without being able to show what I trained, and what I know,” he wrote. “Fighting is fighting, and I know very well that in this weight class any punch that connects early on can cost a huge price. For many times in my career I was in the happy side and unfortunately this time I faced the sad side of this story. I know a lot of people will unload harsh words, some will make constructive criticism and others will take the chance to throw all sorts of jokes and offensive words as possible.

“Unfortunately this is all part of being in the spotlights, and it's something that we as professional athletes, and mostly in Brazil, have to be always used to deal with.”

The Universidade Da Luta leader said he had a strong camp in preparation for St. Preux and was especially disappointed that he was unable to have much of a chance to showcase the fruits of his labor.

“As much as some will doubt it, I prepared myself a lot for this fight and was well trained, and this is what hurts the most about losing this way, without being able to show what I trained,” Rua wrote. “Those who followed it, trained with me, or saw some of my training knows this. When you lose fighting some rounds, or even some minutes, in some ways it's less of a suffering [because] you were able to show what you got and what you prepared, and it wasn't enough. But losing this way, it's certainly very frustrating.”

Rua, who is 6-8 in the UFC, will next coach opposite Anderson Silva on Season 4 of “The Ultimate Fighter Brazil.” Rua and Silva will not fight at the end of the season. When Rua does return to the Octagon, he hinted that it could be in a new division.

“I made a technical mistake, maybe due to anxiety and a big will to get this win in Brazil in such an important moment of my career, and I paid the price. Props to St. Preux. It's part of the game, and he deserved the win,” Rua wrote. “Now I will rest, enjoy my family and then think about my next steps. ‘TUF Brazil,’ maybe a weight class change, but I'll keep on going [because] winning is easy, but [to] keep on battling and overcome the obstacles is what makes a true fighter. Thank you all for the support.”