‘Shogun’ Rua Plans to Spend Entirety of Training Camp for Volkan Oezdemir in Brazil

Currently on a three-bout winning streak, Mauricio Rua will return to the Octagon to face former light heavyweight title challenger Volkan Oezdemir at UFC Fight Night 134 in Hamburg, Germany, on July 22.

The Brazilian has chosen to hold his entire training camp in Brazil, just as he did in his last few fights, under the remote supervision of Kings MMA leader Rafael Cordeiro.

"He is my head coach, he will continue to spend all the coordination of my training along with Eduardo [Alonso]. It was like that in the last two fights, so it's the way that makes me comfortable,” Rua said at a press conference. “I'm a person who cannot adapt outside [the country]. If I went outside, I would stay two months without my family, and I really cannot adapt outside without my family. So I opted for Brazil with the master supervising my training normally.”

“Shogun” is coming off successive triumphs over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Corey Anderson and Gian Villante. Currently No. 7 in the UFC.com light heavyweight rankings, Rua could find himself positioned for title contention with a victory over the second-ranked Oezdemir.