Mauricio Rua Brazilian mixed martial artist competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship Date of Birth: 25.11.1981 Country: Brazil

Biography of Mauricio Rua

Mauricio Rua, also known as "Shogun," is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He previously fought in the PRIDE Fighting Championships, where he was the Middleweight Grand Prix Champion. Rua practices Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and holds a black belt in the latter. He is ranked second in the light heavyweight division by the Sherdog portal.

Early Life:
Mauricio Rua was born in Curitiba, Brazil. His father was a successful businessman, and his mother was a serious marathon runner. He has two brothers, Murilo "Ninja" Rua and Marcos "Shaolin." All three brothers are mixed martial artists, with Marcos still competing at the amateur level. Mauricio followed in his older brother's footsteps and joined the Chute Boxe Academy to pursue a career in mixed martial arts. He began training in Muay Thai at the age of 15 and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at 17. Before becoming a fighter, Mauricio worked as a model.

Career:
In 2002, Rua made his professional mixed martial arts debut. He quickly gained a reputation as an aggressive fighter, winning his first three fights in Brazil by first-round knockout. In 2003, he received an invitation to the International Fighting Championship in Denver, where he defeated Erik Wanderlei by technical knockout in the quarterfinals but controversially lost to Renato Sobral in the semifinals. Rua then went on to compete in PRIDE Fighting Championships in Japan.

In PRIDE, Rua had a series of successful fights, including victories over Hironitsu Kaneshara and Alistair Overeem. He won the Middleweight Grand Prix and earned the opportunity to fight Quinton Jackson for the title. Rua dominated the fight and defeated Jackson in the first round by knockout. He then faced Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, defeating him by unanimous decision and advancing to the tournament's final.

On August 28, 2005, Rua defeated Alistair Overeem by technical knockout in the semifinals and won the championship title by defeating Ricardo Arona on the same day. However, in his first fight after winning the title, Rua suffered a broken arm in a bout against Mark Coleman in February 2006. He took time off to recover from the injury and returned to the ring in September 2006, winning his next four fights.

After PRIDE was acquired by the UFC, Rua signed a contract with the organization. His debut fight took place at UFC 76 against Forrest Griffin. Despite suffering a knee injury before the fight, Rua lost by submission in the third round. He underwent surgery on his knee and did not compete again until January 2009. Rua defeated Mark Coleman, the same opponent who broke his arm, by technical knockout in the third round.

In April 2009, Rua defeated Chuck Liddell by knockout in the first round, earning him a shot at the light heavyweight title. He faced Lyoto Machida in October 2009 but controversially lost by unanimous decision. A rematch was scheduled in May 2010, and Rua avenged his previous loss by knocking out Machida in the first round, becoming the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.

Rua defended his title against Jon Jones but was defeated by technical knockout in the third round. He continued to compete in the UFC, facing top-ranked opponents and achieving notable victories. Rua is known for his powerful strikes, with a punching force of 532 kg and a kicking force of 1247 kg.

Personal Life:
In September 2007, Rua married Renata Ribeiro, a physiotherapist. They have a daughter named Maria Eduarda, born in January 2010. Rua has been romantically linked to famous models such as Adriana Lima and Gisele Bundchen.