UFC News: Mauricio "Shogun" Rua Gets Homecoming Curtain Call with UFC HOF Reveal

The Brazilian MMA icon will get his day in the UFC HOF.

Zain Bando | May 5, 2024

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Shogun Rua will be inducted into the UFC HOF Pioneer Wing this summer. / Courtesy: UFC Corporate Communications

(Image via UFC Corporate Communications)

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua is the latest addition to the UFC's 2024 Hall of Fame class. Saturday night in Rio during UFC 301, headlined by a flyweight title bout between Alexandre Pantoja and Steve Erceg, Rua got his moment of glory.

Rua has been a long-time pioneer in the sport of MMA, as he will be inducted into that very wing in June in Las Vegas. To qualify, the fighter must have begun his or her professional career before November 17, 2000, and be at least 35 and a year removed from MMA. Rua, 42, fits all of those descriptions.

Rua was one of the key fighters signed to the UFC away from PRIDE FC when the promotion was purchased by Zuffa in 2007. Rua quickly established himself as one of the sport's best light heavyweights, eventually knocking out Chuck Liddell before facing Lyoto Machida in back-to-back outings and defeating the then-champion in their second encounter by KO.

While Rua did not successfully defend his light heavyweight title after earning it in May 2010, he wound up facing some of the most notable names in divisional history, including Dan Henderson (x2), Chael Sonnen, Forrest Griffin and Jon Jones to name a few.

In a promotional statement, UFC CEO Dana White said Rua's impact on the division won't ever be forgotten despite losing three of his final four Octagon appearances.

"Shogun Rua is one of the greatest Brazilian athletes in combat sports history,” White said. "Shogun had an incredible run in PRIDE andUFC, and he was fearless inside the Octagon. His fights against Mark Coleman, Chuck Liddell, Lyoto Machida, and Dan Henderson represent some of the most memorable moments in UFC history and helped put Brazilian MMA on the map. It will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer during International Fight Week.”

Rua finished his career with 42 fights under his belt with 37 of them under the UFC/PRIDE umbrella, making him arguably one of the last MMA fighters of that era to accomplish a similar feat.

The UFC HOF ceremony takes place Thursday, June 27, and will be streamed live on UFC Fight Pass.

With his induction, Rua also becomes the 20th member of the UFC's Pioneer Era Wing, already adding to an extensive list of extradionary achievements.

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Published May 5, 2024

ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of Fan Nation and the Sports Illustrated/The Arena Group umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99.