Shogun preaches respect to Gian Villante and says: 'It's going to be a war'

M. Shogun greets G. Villante (Photo by Buda Mendes/UFC)

*By Laerte Viana, in Fortaleza (CE)

In addition to being a former light heavyweight champion, Mauricio Shogun is currently number 6 in the category ranking. At UFC Fortaleza this Saturday (11), he faces only 12th place, Gian Villante. Despite the difference in status between the two athletes, the Brazilian preached respect for his next opponent and said that there is no easy fight in the UFC, the “MMA World Cup”.

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“Villante is a guy who deserves respect, he has been growing within the event. And I know that, on Saturday, this fight will be a war. But I will be prepared. In the UFC, there are no fools, it’s the “MMA World Cup”. Everyone in the UFC is good, they're tough, and I know what I'm going to face on Saturday,” he told SUPER FIGHTS.

Even though he has had few fights in recent years (he only saw action once in 2015 and once in 2016), Shogun will have his fifth consecutive fight in Brazil. Despite admitting that he does not ask to fight in his country, the light heavyweight guarantees that he is happy to return to the Octagon again in his homeland, having even done his training in São Paulo.

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“It’s not my request (to fight in Brazil). But it's a combination of both things. I want to fight here and the UFC wants me to fight here. Fighting at home is always better, I really like it. It’s more comfortable”, he guaranteed.

If Villante wins, Shogun could return to the top 5 in the category. However, the former champion guarantees that he does not exhaust himself thinking about returning to a title fight and leaves it to his manager to do the job.

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“After the fight, I first want to rest with my family, without thinking about MMA. Our time is very exhausting. Regarding my next step, I leave that to my manager, Eduardo Alonso. I don’t get tired of it, he’s the one who gets tired of it”, he concluded.