Te Huna reveals that he has already tied Shogun, his opponent at UFC Fight Night 33

Te Huna (photo) has a great idol in Shogun. Photo: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC

James Te Huna will face his great idol at UFC Fight Night 33, this weekend, in Brisbane, Australia. The New Zealand fighter will measure strength with Mauritius Shogun, a fighter whom he has admired since his beginnings in martial arts.

And this is not just about courtesy between opponents. Te Huna stated that he already teamed up with the Brazilian fighter in 2006, during PRIDE 31, in Japan. That day, Shogun faced Mark Coleman, and Mark Hunt entered the ring soon after.

Te Huna, one of Hunt's sparring partners at the time, said he put his shyness aside and told the Brazilian about his admiration. “When I started fighting, I watched PRIDE fights. I was lucky enough to train with Mark Hunt and he took me to Japan when he fought Fedor [Emelianenko] and a Japanese boxer [Yosuke Nishijima]. Shogun fought at the same event and we stayed at the same hotel,” he said.

“I'm a quiet, shy guy, and I find it difficult to approach people. When Shogun arrived in the lobby, I said 'screw it'. He was one of my favorite fighters. I went up to him, asked how the training went and, at the end, I wished him good luck and took a photo with him. I still have that photo and I'm still a big fan, so it's an honor for me to be able to step into the octagon with a legend and test my skills against him”, praised the New Zealander, who has a record of 16 wins and six losses.

The confrontation between Te Huna and Shogun will be the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 33, which will highlight the meeting between Mark Hunt and Antônio “Pezão” Silva.

Fatal change? Makhachev ignores warning and could end tragically at welterweight!