Shogun has only fought twice in the last two years. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
Without fighting for eight months, when he defeated Corey anderson at UFC 198, in Curitiba Mauritius Shogun, finally, his return to the octagon was announced. With a fight scheduled for UFC Fortaleza, when will he face Gian Villante, in a duel valid for the light heavyweight category, the Brazilian explained the reason why he remained in the Ultimate ‘fridge’. According to him, tendonitis prevented him from returning faster.
See too
“My focus was to fight in Brasília in September, but I had tendonitis that made it impossible for me to train hard. It wasn't a big deal, but it was painful. They asked me if I could fight in São Paulo (in November) but I couldn't either. Now I'm 100%. I’m training well and ready to fight”, he stated, in an interview with the website ‘MMA Fighting’ (USA).
In a good phase, Shogun is coming off two consecutive victories, something that hasn't happened since 2009, when he had his first fights in the organization. However, the good moment does not make the former light heavyweight champion aim for a title shot at the moment.
“I'm number seven in the rankings, but to tell you the truth, I don't focus much on the ranking or the belt. My focus is on the opponent in front of me. I can't think about someone else while I have someone hard in front of me. My focus is on him (Villante). I’m 100% focused on this fight and everything else is a consequence,” he concluded.
At 35 years old, Shogun, despite having won the light heavyweight belt in 2010, when he knocked out his compatriot Lyoto Machida, has had a history of ups and downs in the UFC. In total, there are 16 fights, with eight wins and eight losses.
Comments