Sherdog’s Top 10: Light Heavyweights of All-Time

4. Mauricio Rua

Pride Fighting Championships was a spectacle of sensational violence, and “Shogun” was right in the middle of it. Fans of the Japanese promotion waged chatroom wars with their UFC counterparts, but the reality was Pride often delivered the more memorable and entertaining fights. Its roster was loaded with thrilling fighters, and Rua ranked among its very best. The Chute Boxe superstar stormed into the ring and quickly seized control of the 205-pound division. He torched opponents like Akihiro Gono, Quinton Jackson, Alistair Overeem and Ricardo Arona, a historic run in the 2005 Pride middleweight grand prix his crowning achievement. Though injuries have taken their toll as the miles have piled up, Rua captured the UFC light heavyweight championship with a first-round knockout of Lyoto Machida in May 2010 to cement his place as one of the all-time greats at 205 pounds. He has enjoyed a late-career resurgence inside the Octagon, with consecutive victories over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Corey Anderson and Gian Villante.

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