UFC to induct ‘Shogun’ Rua into Hall of Fame

The UFC will induct Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, one of the most lethal knockout artists of all time, into its Hall of Fame later this year.

Rua, of Curitiba, Brazil, holds a special place in combat history, having won titles in the UFC and Pride Fighting Championship. He rose to prominence as a member of the famed Chute Boxe Academy and won the 2005 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix over Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Alistair Overeem and Ricardo Arona.

Rua (27-14-1) moved to the UFC when it acquired Pride in 2007. A knockout win over Chuck Liddell in 2009 earned him a light heavyweight title shot against a seemingly invincible champion in Lyoto Machida. Rua ended up losing to Machida in a highly controversial decision at UFC 104. The UFC booked an immediate rematch and Rua knocked out Machida in the first round.

Rua, 42, continued to fight until January 2023, when he retired in the Octagon in Rio de Janeiro after a loss to Ihor Potieria.

He is already in the UFC Hall of Fame’s fight wing, thanks to his classic bout against Dan Henderson at UFC 139 in 2011. He will now enter the modern wing in 2024 along with Wanderlei Silva, Frankie Edgar and Joanna Jedrzejczyk.