‘The Great General’ Mauricio Shogun (41, Brazil) is one of the most well-known foreign fighters in Korea, along with Mirco Cro Cop of ‘Flame High Kick’, Fyodor Emilianenko of ‘Ice Emperor’, and Vanderray Silva of ‘Axe Killer’. Because he was a player who was very active during the Pride days when martial arts craze blew in Korea, based on such familiarity, he received a lot of support even after moving to the UFC.

The infrastructure of martial arts itself can be said to be better now, but many domestic fans still cannot forget the pride of the ‘romantic days’ full of oriental emotions. In the meantime, with the retirement of Shogun, it is no longer possible to find a player with a strong sense of pride. This is why many fans are even more heartbroken over Shogun’s retirement.

Shogun was defeated by Ihor Porteria (26, Ukraine) in 4 minutes and 5 seconds of the first round at the UFC 283 event held at Jiunis Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on the 22nd. The energy-filled body movements, as well as the strong tenacity that had not been shaken for a while, were now gone. As if he had no regrets anymore, Shogun said, “I wanted to decorate the end with a victory, but this seems to be the limit. I’m sorry and thankful to the fans who have supported me so far.”

It is true that the total record of 27 wins, 14 losses and 1 draw is somewhat disappointing to say that it is a record left by the Shogun. There were times when he was good enough to allow only one loss in 13 games in the early part of his career, but as the number of losses increased in the later years, it became regrettable compared to what he showed. He hasn’t built a winning streak, most recently suffering three straight losses. However, as evidenced by the fact that 21 out of 27 victories were won by knockout (78%), his fighting style itself was hot to the end and because of that, he received unwavering support from fans.

Stand tall as a Pride signboard star! A hot-tempered young fighter

Based on his fighting spirit, Shogun, who enjoys an all-out war against any opponent, was a graduate of the Stubokse Academy, which was called ‘the den of evil’, and did not give in to any other player in terms of grit and attack instinct. He even made players who were technically superior to him tired of him with his fighting spirit and stamina. At first glance, he looked rough, but he was overflowing with the temperament of a fighter more than anyone else.

During the Pride days, Shogun was the de facto leader in the same weight class. Even when he just entered Pride, he was highly evaluated as an unfinished, unfinished stand-by, but as if to ridicule such harsh criticism, he beat top-notch fighters with different fighting styles, such as Quinton Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, and Ricardo Arona. The scene where the proud Quinton couldn’t stand the baptism of soccer kicks and slapped his hands made me shudder.

Even after that, through various interviews, Quinton shook his head, saying, “You don’t know how scary and great a player Shogun is.” Shogun was the Grand Prix Champion at the time, and if it weren’t for the situation where Vanderrey Silva, who was like a sworn brother, had the title, he would have even taken the middleweight (light heavyweight) belt.

Shogun’s greatest strength is his outstanding adaptability. During his Pride days when he had just entered his heyday, it was unfortunate to say that he was top-notch in both hitting and ground. Rather, in the case of blows, he was beaten by Kazuhiro Nakamura, a former judoka, in a punch match, and suffered harsh criticism for being a water fist. However, Shogun knew how to defeat his opponent, and he was a player who used the group rules better than anyone else.

Hitting, grappling, clinching, etc., attacked the opponent’s weak points, or ate them with momentum and stamina. Like recent UFC fighters, he felt more like instinctively starting a winning manual during a fight rather than strategically and meticulously planning it in advance and putting it into action. He was like a beast that had not been tamed.

In addition, he was the best performer of ´Stamping Kick´ and ´Soccer Kick´ in MMA history. He used it to inflict critical hits on opponents or use them for finishing, but he also often used them to tie up steps or fake moves for the next move. He would often harass opponents with a variety of repertoire once they lay on their backs on the floor. As he was lying down, his feet flew mercilessly, so his opponent could not help but feel great fear. 먹튀검증

Instinctive fighter, trying various changes to survive To

such a Shogun, entering the UFC was a considerable adventure. This is because stamping and soccer kicks were banned under UFC rules, and elbow attacks, which were unfamiliar to Pride players, were permitted instead. It was like a Muay Thai player entering the boxing stage with tea, potte, and even a hump. In this case, careful strategic changes were needed to adapt, but the majority of voices of concern were, ‘How much can the instinctive fighter Shogun change?’

These concerns seemed to become reality until he lost his UFC debut to future Hall of Fame inductee Forest Griffin. Unlike Griffin, who was comfortable with his superior physical condition on the stage he was familiar with, everything was unfamiliar to Shogun. Shogun got tired as time went by, and he couldn’t find the usual murderous look in his eyes.

However, Shogun’s ability to adapt was extraordinary. Unable to use his long-term ground strike, Shogun put special attention to strengthening his strike. In particular, he put a lot of effort into the punch counter, which had the destructive power of one shot rather than repeated hits. The Shogun’s efforts quickly yielded results. Against Chuck Liddell, whom he expected to be inferior to, he scored a surprise counter and won by TKO.

In terms of boxing, it seemed like an infighter had become a slugger. This transformation of the Shogun was evident in the second match against Griffin. Contrary to expectations that it would be tight, Shogun punched Griffin too lightly in the beginning of the first round. It’s like, ‘The first game is because I couldn’t adapt to the rules. You are not my opponent’, as if protesting.

Even in the fight against Lyoto Machida, Shogun tries another transformation. As is well known, Machida is a kick master. He is a player who is good at kicking the game from a certain distance, and it was a perfect match for puncher-style opponents. When the game actually unfolded, fans and officials couldn’t help but be surprised.

He kicked Machida with a Muay Thai-style guard and took the upper hand. When Machida tried to get into a street fight, the constant pressure broke his flow. Embarrassed, it was difficult for Machida to play the game as usual, and in the end, he had no choice but to hand over the championship belt to Shogun with a decision victory in the first game and a knockout loss in the second game.

Unfortunately, that was the last heyday of the Shogun. It has been competitive for a long time, but it had to come down from the top. After giving up the belt by defeating the greatest monster in the history of the weight class, Jon Jones, he exchanged wins and losses with various strong players and continued his career as a ‘player who plays interesting matches’. Shogun, who made his official debut in 2002, has been fighting for over 20 years until 2023. He will disappear into history, but will live on in the hearts of many fans as ‘a man whose blood was hotter than anyone else’.