50 MMA Fights You Must Watch Before You Die
10. Shogun Rua Vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira - Pride Critical Countdown 2005
Shogun Rua's quick rise to prominence inside Pride's 205lb division was due to an incredible year where he he beat a murderers' row of talent. The Chute Boxe product defeated the likes of Hiromitsu Kanehara, Rampage Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Alistair Overeem and Ricardo Arona in the space of 12 months.
This incredible run led to him being crowned the 2005 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix champion. Although all the wins were extremely impressive, his win over Nogueira was really his standout victory.
There was already plenty at stake as both men were in the quarterfinals of the Grand Prix, there was the added fact that both fighters represented rival Brazilian MMA teams - Chute Boxe and Brazilian Top Team. This was at the height of their feud within Pride and had two of their best representatives competing against each other.
During the early portion of the fight, Nogueira showed why so many labelled him as one of the best fighters out of Brazilian Top Team. Lil Nog dropped Shogun with a sensational punch that shocked those in attendance and watching. However, Shogun battled his way back into the fight, landing a plethora of combinations that killed Nogueira's momentum, but also helped him earn a hard-fought points win against his rival.