"Shogun" Rua (photo via UFC.com)

By FCF Staff

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua will not be short on fan support tonight, when he faces Corey Anderson at UFC 198, as the card will take place in his home city of Curitiba, Brazil.

The 34 year-old fighter made his MMA debut back in 2002, and since then Rua has gone on to become one of the greatest Brazilian fighters in history. In advance of his bout today with Anderson, the former light-heavyweight champ spoke with UFC.com. While reflecting ons his storied career, Rua stated the following:

“It’s very rewarding,” Rua said. “MMA is not an easy career, and to be a professional fighter is a lot of sacrifice. Really a lot, and most people don’t realize it. A lot of great fighters struggle a lot, have to work side jobs for all their careers, can’t recover well enough, get injured and still try hard to achieve their dream. It’s very fortunate to be able to get to the top, because it’s really hard and not all great fighters are fortunate enough to get to that position. I have a lot of respect for anyone that steps into a cage and puts themselves through all the years of sacrifice to do it. So to have the respect from other fighters, as well as opponents, feels great. I share the same respect for all of them, not only in the UFC, but in any gym and small show around the world.”

“You don’t really stop to think about those things too much when you are young,” Rua added. “I loved fighting, as I still love it, and I was pursuing my dream. I had great examples in my brother Ninja (Murilo Rua) and my friend Wanderlei Silva, and I wanted to achieve what they achieved…”

Rua (23-10) is coming off a decision win over fellow Brazilian star Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, after he was stopped by Dan Henderson and Ovince Saint Preux in consecutive fights.

Anderson (8-1), meanwhile, has won three straight fights.