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6. Mauricio Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Pride “Critical Countdown 2005”
June 26, 2005 | Saitama, Japan

Two of the best Brazilians to ever compete in MMA, “Shogun” and “Minotouro” waged a terrific war of attrition over three rounds at the Saitama Super Arena. Rua forced Nogueira to trade serious leather with him throughout their encounter, and whenever the fight went to the ground, an awesome mixture of submission attempts, defense and brutal ground-and-pound ensued.

Their bout in the 2005 Pride middleweight grand prix quarterfinals took place at a time when Rua was destroying virtually everyone in his path. “Shogun” landed by far the heavier strikes and controlled the action for a majority of their 20-minute battle. Rua rocked his fellow Brazilian on several occasions and had to absorb plenty of punishment in the process. However, “Shogun” was busier and inflicted far more damage en route to a unanimous decision.

Number 5 » Gomi vs. Kawajiri