UFC 113 – Shogun Slays the Dragon, But Can He Break the The Iceman Curse?

UFC 113 has come and gone. It was a bitter-sweet evening of fights for me. I correctly predicted every fight winner on the main card up to the main event. Then Mauricio “Shogun” Rua caught the champion – and my favorite fighter – Lyoto Machida flush on the temple. For the first time ever, The Dragon was seriously hurt. After dropping the champion and following with a flurry of punches, the fight was over quick as you could blink. And now we have a new Light Heavyweight Champion in the UFC.

I was impressed with Shogun a long time ago when he dominated the ranks in Pride FC. But when he lost his first UFC fight to Griffin had me extremely puzzled. Was Maricio "Shogun" Rua more hype than substance? Could it be that the best 205 pound fighter from Pride FC was really this unimpressive? That would mean that Pride FC's 205 pound equivalent division was just vastly inferior to the UFC all along! Were all their amazing Light Heavyweight fighters just mediocre at best?

I'm glad that Shogun is back and a lot of those doubts are dispelled from my mind. I was sold on him after Machida vs Shogun 1. But on Saturday, after he knocked out Lyoto Machida in the first round, I was absolutely speechless! Very impressive Mr. Rua!

But can Shogun break a long-standing curse?

Lets look back in time for a moment. The date was May 26, 2007. Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell, one of the most dominant Light Heavyweight champions in UFC history, fought Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in his fifth title defense. Just one minute and 53 seconds into the first round, Rampage Jackson had dropped The Iceman, took his title and ended the Liddell era.

Chuck Liddell was a continuation of a noteworthy legacy in the UFC's 205 lbs divsion. The very first Light Heavyweight Champion, Frank Shamrock defended the title four times and only lost the title by leaving the UFC and having it stripped. Tito Ortiz succeeded Shamrock, and tallied an impressive reign of five title defenses. With four successful title defenses, Chuck Liddell was the continuation of a proud line of dominance at 205 pounds. He was also the last one.

After taking the title from Chuck Liddell, Rampage chalked up a mediocre five round decision win over Dan Henderson in his first title defense. Jackson went on to lose his title in his next fight against Forrest Griffin.

Forrest lost the title in his very first defense to Rashad Evans by technical knock out.

Rashad Evans got knocked out by Lyoto Machida in his very first title defense.

Lyoto Machida was handed a judges decision win over Shogun in their first fight -- a decision win that should have been a loss. And on Saturday, he was knocked out by Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 113.

As it stands right now, the UFC Light Heavyweight Title seems to be cursed. Maybe we can call it “The Iceman Curse.” Whether you’re superstition or not, it’s a simple fact that nobody seems to be able to hold onto that belt for very long.

In the next few days, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua will no doubt be lauded as the greatest 205 pound champion in UFC history. People will sound off about how Shogun will defend the title ten times and then retire. It seems to be standard procedure for a new champion who takes the title in such stunning fashion.

But let’s not forget, many people (myself included) also believed that Lyoto Machida would be first dominant champion since Chuck Liddell. Obviously, we couldn’t have been more wrong.

Shogun is an amazing fighter with an iron chin, incredible striking ability, a relentless pace and a strong ground game. He’s also only 28 years old, with plenty of fights left in him. He has all the attributes to break the curse and dominate the division.

Shogun is also the new champion of a division of scary fighters. I think he’ll handle the winner of Rashad vs. Rampage without much trouble, but both men are skilled enough to make a good fight of it. Neither man is going to give Shogun an easy win.

And after that, there are a lot of other dangerous guys moving into the title picture. Jonny “Bones” Jones, Forrest Griffin, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Thiago Silva, Ryan Bader and Randy Couture are all lurking about looking for a title shot.

And probably most significant of all, Anderson Silva might come calling for shot at Shogun’s title.

Can Shogun hang onto the most slippery belt in the UFC today? I think he’s the man to do it, but until he defends his title a couple times, you’ve got to wonder if The Iceman Curse is still in effect.