Mauricio Shogun Rua Faces Quinton Rampage Jackson TOTAL ELIMINATION 2005
The year 2005, the event, Pride FC – Total Elimination and the two fighters in the ring facing off, Mauricio Shogun Rua and Quinton Rampage Jackson. Shogun was a relative newcomer, not just to Pride as this was just his fifth fight for the promotion. But to the sport of mixed martial arts, being just his tenth fight as a professional.
This would be Quinton Jackson’s fifteenth time fighting for Pride and his twenty eight-fight as a professional. But going into their matchup, Jackson knew he would have his hands full. With the latest top-notch fighter to come out of the Chute Boxe academy under the tutelage of Rafael Cordeiro.
And in this all-time classic PRIDE fighting Championships matchup. Having won his previous four fights, Shogun came into this match undefeated in PRIDE. Rampage had defeated older brother Murilo Rua in his last fight and was looking to do the same to Shogun. However, it wasn’t going to be easy, as, in the younger Rua, he was facing the new generation of Brazilian superstars on the rise.
This was going to be Shoguns biggest test to date and boy did he deliver. While Rampage was already a rising star in the promotion. Rua was a fighter that many saw as the next big thing in mixed martial arts. With a professional record of 8 – 1 coming into the fight, Rua looked to continue his winning ways inside the Pride ring.
Shogun vs Rampage Round One
And from the beginning he set out his stall, landing some hard shots on Jackson. Clinching against the ropes, Shogun used his Thai clinch to land some powerful knees to the body, before attempting a spectacular switch kick to the head of Rampage. As the round progressed, we can see that Rampage is not himself and most likely already hurt.
Getting Rampage the wrestler to the ground, Shogun tried to get off some ground strikes. But Quinton soon escaped and got back to his feet. However, Shogun continued his assault landing some devastating knees to the head of Rampage. And as the pair separate, we can see Jackson whisper something to his corner and he is badly hurt.
Smelling blood, Shogun moves in for the kill and once again gets the Thai clinch. He continues to land knees to the body of Rampage who eventually slumps to the ground in agony. As the referee steps in to stop the fight, but not before Rua manages to lands more kicks to the head. Leaving rampage dazed, confused and badly injured in his corner.
In a fight, many believed the far more experienced Quinton Jackson would win. The fast-rising Shooto Boxe fighter showed why he is so highly regarded with great expectations for him to do big things in the future. And so the Rampage fight was a picture-perfect opportunity for Mauricio which he grabbed with both hands. Giving yet another win in the column for the new fast-rising star of MMA.