• UFC 134

Shogun ready for 'crazy' UFC 134 event in Rio

Mauricio Shogun Rua has told UFC fans to get ready for the "crazy" people of Brazil, insisting UFC 134 in Rio will produce an awesome atmosphere.

Shogun fights Forrest Griffin in one of the major fights of the card, which is headlined by Anderson Silva's middleweight title clash with Yushin Okami.

Griffin and Shogun have fought once before, on Rua's UFC debut, and the Brazilian lost via third-round submission. The result was a shock back then but Rua insists he has no complaints over the loss, despite the fact he had knee surgery soon after.

"I respect Forrest Griffin, Forrest is a good opponent, and I'll be very happy to fight in Brazil. I'm also very focused because I have my trainer Rafael Cordeiro back with me now," Shogun told ESPN.

"Rafael is very important because he has good experience and he knows my game. He's very important for me.

"Forrest Griffin is a very good fighter, and it's not his problem if I had any problems the last time we fought. He won the fight."

Commenting on his Brazilian heritage, Shogun admits he is a big lover of soccer and the former light-heavyweight champion believes his home crowd will help him reach an even higher performance level.

"Brazil is very similar to the USA. The people are crazy," he laughed. "In Japan, nobody talks and everybody's quiet, but in London, Brazil, USA and Canada, people are crazy for fights!

"I love soccer; many times I go to the stadium to watch my team Coritiba Foot Ball Club. I love soccer. I love sports [in general], I played soccer many years ago! At 20 years of age, I decided only to fight. Soccer is very dangerous!

"I'm very motivated for this fight because I fight in my home country. I will fight close to my friends, close to my family, I have fans all over the world but this time I will be in front of my family. Everybody will come to see my fight!"

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.