Mauricio “Shogun” Rua issues statement following split draw against Paul Craig at UFC Sao Paulo

UFC light heavyweight legend Mauricio “Shogun” Rua has issued a statement following a split draw against Paul Craig at UFC Sao Paulo.

Rua and Craig went toe-to-toe for 15 minutes and put on a great fight for the fans. At the end of three rounds, the judges scored the fight 29-28 Rua, 28-29 Craig and 28-28 for a rare split draw. It was a very close fight that could have gone either way.

Following the event, Rua took to his social media to share a message with his fans. Here’s what the legend wrote on his Instagram (translated from Portuguese to English).

https://www.instagram.com/p/B496us2hGlc/

“I always say that our only obligation is to do our best, and try to the end, always! This goes for the fighter, like me, and for anyone regardless of profession. That’s what I did yesterday in Sao Paulo, coming back from a long time without a fight, due to injuries and surgery. I am not happy, because I do not agree with the decision of the jury, I honestly think I lost the first round, but I won the remaining two rounds. I can only thank God, my family, my team and all of you for the cheering, the kindness and the many messages I received in support of this tie decision in yesterday’s fight. Thank you guys, you are my biggest motivation.”

This was actually the fight draw of Rua’s legendary MMA career, and his professional record now stands at 26-11-1. His record inside the UFC Octagon, however, is just 10-9-1. Rua has won four of his last six fights, but at age 37 you have to wonder how much time he has left in the sport as he’s taken a ton of damage throughout his Hall of Famer fighting career.

What do you think is next for Mauricio “Shogun” Rua following his split draw against Paul Craig at UFC Sao Paulo?