Mauricio "Shogun" Rua Opens Up About Why He Turned Down the Jon Jones Fight

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua will return to the Octagon this December to face rising prospect Alexander Gustafsson at UFC On Fox: Henderson Vs. Diaz.

During a conference call on Tuesday, Rua was asked about his decision to turn down a fight with UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones earlier this year. Rua was coming off a victory over Brandon Vera just a few weeks prior to the planned Jones bout.

"I was totally off when the UFC offered me the Jones fight," Rua said. "I didn't have enough time, just two weeks; that wasn't enough time for good preparation."

Instead, Rua will need to have a winning performance vs. Gustafsson to remain in title contention. The 31-year-old improved to 21-6 with his victory over Vera, which made him 3-3 in his last six.

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