A key light heavyweight bout between former division champion Mauricio Shogun Rua and perennial contender Tyson Pedro served as the co-headliner of tonight’s UFC Adelaide event.
Shogun Rua was last seen in action at July’s UFC Fight Night 134 event, where he suffered a first-round knockout loss to surging division contender Anthony Smith.
Prior to the ugly setback, Shogun had put together a three-fight win streak which included victories over Gian Villante, Corey Anderson and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
Meanwhile, Tyson Pedro has not competed since suffering a submission loss to Ovince Saint Preux this past June in Singapore.
Tyson Pedro has gone 3-2 thus far in his UFC career, scoring wins over Paul Craig, Saparbek Safarov and Khalil Rountree Jr. in that time.
Round one begins and Shogun Rua quickly takes the center of the octagon and moves forward. Pedro circles along the fence. Rua misses with a high kick. Tyson Pedro continues to circle to his right. Shogun is utilizing his classic Muay Thai stance. Pedro comes at him with a flurry. Shogun gets clipped. He regains his footing and fires off punches of his own. The fighters clinch and wind up against the fence. Shogun breaks free and fires off another combination. Pedro circles out in an attempt to find some space. He leaps in with a combination that lands flush. Rua counters with a nice right hand. He follows that up with a low kick. This fight is getting good. Shogun Rua with a right hand over the top. Pedro fires off a body kick and then an uppercut. Pedro catches him with an uppercut and then a knee. Shogun is rocked. Pedro charges after him with a plethora of punches. Shogun survives and forces the clinch. They break and then clinch up again. Pedro with body shots. Rua responds with a knee. A nice knee from Tyson Pedro now. Shogun looks for a trip takedown but cannot finish it the first time around. He attempts it again and this time is successful. Shogun is in side control and lands a nice elbow before the horn sounds to end round one.
Pedro rocks Shogun!#UFCAdelaide pic.twitter.com/8ryCXL3Bcg
— UFC (@ufc) December 2, 2018
Round two begins and Shogun Rua lands a right hand over the top to start. He forces Pedro against the cage and begins working some knees. Rua is definitely looking for another trip takedown here. He takes the back of Tyson and drags him to the floor. Pedro immediately begins working for a kimura. Shogun eventually slips out and winds up in side control. Just under three minutes remain in the round. Shogun Rua begins landing some ground and pound. He lands some shoulder strikes. The Brazilian switches to left hands. None of these strikes are very hard but he is keeping busy. Tyson Pedro scrambles and is able to get back his feet. Rua drags him right back down to the canvas. He begins working some ground and pound. Pedro is busted up. The horn sounds to end round two.
Round three begins and Shogun Rua presses forward with a low kick. Tyson Pedro circles along the fence. Shogun lands a right hand that drops Pedro. He follows him to the ground and begins unloading ground and pound strikes. This one is all over! WOW!
SHOGUN!#UFCAdelaide pic.twitter.com/edIh5002ck
— UFC (@ufc) December 2, 2018