Manager: "Shogun" Rua did not turn down Glover Teixeira fight at UFC 149

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

News broke on Friday that Thiago Silva had suffered an injury and was out of his fight with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 149. With the injury, UFC President Dana White said he wanted to set up a bout between Shogun and Glover Teixeira for the card, though he claimed Shogun's camp was "adamantly refusing" the bout.

However, Shogun's manager says that's not the case at all, and indeed said they hadn't been approached with any replacement fight yet to turn down.

"I just sent a message to the UFC. I'm waiting for their call," Shogun's manager Julio Heller said in a brief interview with Tatame.com. "It's not true at all."

"We have to wait for the names they'll offer, and then we'll see what we do."

Penick's Analysis: It would have made sense if Shogun's team did in fact refuse the fight, because there is little to no upside in that bout for the former Champion. It would be a great step up and opportunity for Teixeira after a successful UFC debut last week, but as he's not a well-known name outside of the hardcore fanbase, it's not the type of fight Shogun should necessarily entertain. A loss to an unknown name sends Shogun crashing down the rankings, but it may yet be the fight that happens.

[Mauricio "Shogun" Rua art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

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