• UFC 128

Shogun's UFC days aren't over, vows Rua's manager

Mauricio Shogun Rua was totally outclassed by Jon Jones © Getty Images

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Mauricio Shogun Rua's manager, Eduardo Alonso, has assured UFC fans that they have not seen the last of the Brazilian, insisting Shogun will return a better fighter.

Alonso has penned an extremely graceful letter on the Underground forum, praising Jon Jones and the Greg Jackson camp for producing the unbelievable performance that led to victory at UFC 128.

Shogun now faces a rebuilding period, when he returns from an enforced medical suspension, and Alonso likens it to his lacklustre showing against Mark Coleman at UFC 93. Shogun reacted by knocking out Chuck Liddell and Lyoto Machida to claim the title, and his manager predicts a similar response.

"I want to thank the support from so many fans to Shogun and our team, before, during and after the fight at UFC 128," wrote Alonso. "I want also to thank a lot to all the critics, being constructive or not, directed to the fighter and all of us. After UFC 93, I went on the Brazilian forum of Portaldovt and made a similar statement, even bigger, and what we saw after that was an ever improving Shogun from fight to fight, in a route that led him to the belt of what is probably the toughest weight class and in the promotion.

"Excuses won't fit here, not ifs, not maybes or nothing like that. Work was done in the better way it was decided to be done, and in a team everybody signs the results, both when winning or losing. Always, anything in life can be better, and certainly some things can be improved. Analysis regarding that will stay as an internal issue, and this happens both in winning and losing, but it's down to every professional to use defeat as a learning tool to learn valuable lessons and keep evolving. It won't be any different with Shogun, with team UDL, and of course, with myself.

"Even thought he lost the fight and his belt, Shogun Rua showed courage, heart and tried his best in the Octagon. He has all our respect for that, and will always have, making us proud for all that he already did in the past, keeps doing and will certainly do in the future. I'm absolutely certain he will make a comeback to the top, because he has more than enough talent, intelligence and youth to do it. Hard work and dedication on his part, and on all of us, won't be lacking at all."

Turning focus to Jones, Alonso wrote: "All the credit in the world and all merits goes to Jon Jones and his team. If before the fight he was a prospect, now he is more than a reality, he is the champion. He was better that night, leaving no doubts and deserved the win. There are no excuses. Now what's left is to work hard and start again the way towards the top. To those who found ways to criticize some statements from our team to the press, Jon Jones himself spoke to me in the hotel on the night after the fight, and expresses his admiration for Shogun and apologised for any hype created before the fight that could have offended us, as it was simply part of his thing pre-fight.

"Once again, hats off to his team, they worked very hard and conquered their result deservingly so."

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