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It was almost a sad sight for those who've been watching the sports of mixed martial arts for over a decade.. someone like me in fact. Shogun looked for in the first few exchanges even tagging Smith with a big shot before eating a few of his own. Youth and strength seemed to be the x factors here...
...because Shogun's heart and willingness to fight was still fully intact. Although Mauricio Rua (nicknamed Shogun) is closer to the beginning of his 30s than he end of them, and even though he was just on a 3 fight win streak, I believe that with this devastating knockout...
...and the damage he can incur in a few more fights, it may be better that he just lay the gloves down for good. Retirement is always the hardest thing for a fighter, because for them it is truly in their blood. It is a sad day for the old era, but a new type of fighter has stepped into the light.
We will see just how far LionHeart Smith can go in his light heavyweight tenure, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him get stopped by any of the top 15. He is having one of the easiest roads to a title with his dismantling of Rashad and Shogun, two men way past their primes.
I regret even watching the event with such fervor this morning as sometimes I put my eggs into the wrong basket based off of nostalgia. Shogun was always a stellar fighter and handled pure strikers like Smith well, but to be perfectly honest, I did know he was past his prime.
It is a necsesary venture to retire once you have conquered so many mountains. Whether it be boxing or mma, these legends just don't know how to quit because they never have, but it is truly ok in the end. They will always be remembered, and thank you for the memories Shogun!
