Machida is known to be a counter-striker, and Rua is known to be very aggressive in his fights. Rua was asked if he was going to change his approach to adjust for Machida, and Rua pretty much said he's not changing anything. Check it:
I don’t think anyone changes their game after 10 years of fighting, not me nor him. So I think I’ll maintain the same fundamentals as always, which is to go on the attack and look for the knockout.
Shogun went on to talk about the difference between fighting in the ring and the cage. He said that the biggest difference was the size of the octagon relative to the cage. He now has a cage the same exact size as the UFC octagon to train in at his facility, and now the cage is like his second home. He even went so far as to say that he doesn't even know what it's like to fight in a ring anymore.
Shogun is a pretty big underdog in this one with odds makers having him at +375 the last time I checked. Tito Ortiz, Thiago Silva and Rashad Evans all tried their hand at aggressive standup with Machida, only to get destroyed. However, Rua does possess the most dynamic stand up technique out of all of those fighters mentioned, and could quite possibly be the most aggressive. I wonder if his aggressiveness will pay dividends against Machida?
HT: Graciemag
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