After Bellator 180, both Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Wanderlei Silva will have something new in common as both men would have fought Chael Sonnen.
Since Rua has experience battling Sonnen, the Brazilian MMA legend has some advice for Silva.
"Don’t be nervous,” Rua said at a UFC 212 media scrum. "When I fought Sonnen, I made a mistake. I should have waited for the first round to be over, but I wanted to reverse the position with 10 seconds left. You have to be patient. Sonnen has good takedowns, and if he takes you down, be patient.”
Sonnen defeated Rua by guillotine choke in 2013, which was the main event of the UFC’s first ever live event on Fox Sports 1.
Rua also believes that Silva has the advantage against Sonnen because the rivalry has lit a fire in the Brazilian.
"I think that’s good for Wanderlei because he loves rivalries. He seeks that,” Rua said. "I don’t know if Sonnen can handle this pressure. Wanderlei is f***ing great. Wanderlei is a guy that brings this rivalry to the cage."
Bellator 180 takes place on Saturday, June 24 from Madison Square Garden in New York, New York with Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow the next day.
