Dana White, UFC 229, Brandan Loughnane, Justin Bieber

Dana White wants Shogun Rua to retire after UFC 255 loss

Dana White isn’t afraid to tell you what’s on his mind.

Last night following UFC 255, White spoke to reporters at his post-fight press conference and when he was asked about UFC legend Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, he didn’t hold back his feelings about Shogun’s future.

“I hope that tonight was his last night,” White said at his press conference. “I would like to see him retire.”

Rua opened up the UFC 255 in a rematch with Paul Craig. In the fight Craig kept taking Rua down and in the second-round, Craig was able to secure a takedown and flatten out Rua on his stomach and land strike after strike before Rua tapped out from strikes.

Paul Craig finishes Shogun Rua in round two of rematch at UFC 255
<em><strong>Paul Craig throws a kick at Shogun Rua in their UFC 255 fight Craig won the fight by a second round submission due to strikes<strong><em>

“[Paul Craig] looked good and not to take anything away from him at all, he came in and did what he had to do tonight, but just being honest, Shogun didn’t look like Shogun to me tonight,” White said. “Shogun looked old and looked like a shell of his former self tonight. Yeah, I’d like to see him hang it up hopefully.”

While White wants him him to retire, Shogun still has fights on his UFC contract and he’ll have the final say as to wear or no he hangs up the gloves.

“I think he has two fights left on his deal,” White said about Rua’s UFC contract. “But yeah, I’d like to see him retire.”

Despite the loss last night, for the most part Rua hasn’t been out of league for the most part. He’s posted a 5-2-1 record since 2015.

Rua made his MMA debut in 2002 and climbed up through the ranks and captured the PRIDE middleweight championship in 2005 and in 2010 he defeated Lyoto Machida for the UFC light heavyweight title. He dropped the UFC championship in his first title defense against Jon Jones.

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John Eric Poli