Mauricio "Shogun" Rua isn't leaving anytime soon.
The legendary Brazilian light heavyweight picked up an emotional win on Saturday with a third-round TKO of Gian Villante in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 106 in Fortaleza, Brazil.
Peso-meio-pesado: (6º)Maurício Shogun🇧🇷 arrasador detona (12º)Gian Villante🇺🇸 - #BelfortNoCombate Valeu Shogum!!! pic.twitter.com/hzmOIiLzRG
— Raimundo de Andrade (@andraderaimundo) March 12, 2017
It was Shogun's 20th career knockout and his first since December 2013. Following recent wins over Corey Anderson and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, the 35-year-old now finds himself on his first three-fight win streak since joining the UFC almost a decade ago.
His record inside the Octagon improved to 9-8.
The former UFC champion tapped into his former brilliance throughout the bout, consistently beating the younger Villante to the punch with sharp counters and combinations. Villante was staggered on multiple occasions and showed plenty of heart throughout the first two rounds, but found himself unable to fire back with his own heavy hands.
Rua's experience shined in this contest, as he refused to overextend for a finish even when he had Villante on wobbly legs. That patience paid off 59 seconds into Round 3, when he found the perfect moment to put Villante away for good.
Villante lost by KO for the fourth time in his career, and has now alternated wins and losses over his past six outings.
