Mauricio Rua Believes He Deserves A Shot At Daniel Cormier

In an interview with MMA Fighting, Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua said that he deserves a light heavyweight title shot at Daniel Cormier after his fight with Anthony Smith. Here are highlights:

On getting a title shot: ”I think Cormier is a great athlete, a compete fighter. Winning this fight I absolutely deserve this chance because of my history and my career in MMA.”

On Cormier’s win: ”It was no surprise to me. Cormier is used to fighting big guys at heavyweight and beat Miocic decisively. I had no favorites in this fight, anyone could win.”

On getting prepared to fight Cormier: ”It’s tough because he’s well-rounded, is good standing and on the ground, has one of the best wrestling in the UFC. It’s tough because you have to train everything for him. It’s a big challenge, but you become a target when you have the belt because that’s what everyone dreams with. But I’m actually not thinking about the belt now because I have a good opponent ahead of me and I can’t think about it. The belt is my dream, of course, but I have to go step by step. I know that I will be closer if I win this fight.”