Shogun celebrates fight in Curitiba: 'Pressure that motivates'

Shogun (photo) has his first fight in Curitiba since 2003. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC

There are times when bad news can have good consequences. This could be the definition of what happened recently with Mauritius Shogun, who saw an unwanted injury be a decisive factor in defining his participation in the UFC's first visit to his hometown, Curitiba, in what promises to be the biggest event produced by the organization in the country.

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Former light heavyweight champion, Shogun would also face former title holder Rashad evans in April, in UFC Tampa (USA). However, the Curitiba native suffered knee inflammation and had to be removed from the fight. Thus, the possibility of Shogun being selected for UFC 198, in May, when he will face Corey anderson in Curitiba.

Even denying that it was an “evil that came for good”, Shogun admitted that he was happy with how the events unfolded. “It's never for the better, because I was in the United States with my family, moving, and I had to come back. But of course there is the good side of fighting in my city. The bad side came first and then the good side. But when I got hurt, I put it in God's hands and everything worked out. I was very happy to be on this card, really historic for Brazil and, for sure, it will be a joy to be on this card, fighting for my fans, family and friends”, analyzed the fighter, in an interview with the “Combate” channel website. .

Fighting in his homeland, in front of approximately 40 thousand fans expected at the Arena da Baixada stadium, Shogun admits that the pressure will be great on his shoulders. However, he believes this is a positive thing. “I think it really is a lot of pressure, it will be a big event, but this pressure increases motivation rather than becoming pressure against it. But of course this support helps the athlete a lot, since I will be in my city and with my fans. This fight had a huge impact. I didn't imagine it would be so much, I'm very happy with it. I hope to get better soon and fight 100%. I thank the UFC for putting me on this card, and the fans for caring about me”, he added.

The fight against Anderson will be Shogun's first in Curitiba since his participation in Meca 8, in 2003, when he knocked out Angelo Antônio in less than a minute. That was his second fight in professional MMA.