SAO PAULO, Brazil — Mauricio Rua won’t be back in the Octagon any time soon because “injuries suck."
The former UFC and PRIDE champion was forced out of a light heavyweight rematch with Ovince Saint Preux in the main event of UFC Japan in September due to a left knee injury, and expects to be back in the Octagon around April or May.
Rua spoke with the media in Brazil, a day before UFC Sao Paulo, and explained that he was willing to face Saint Preux with an injured knee and only undergo surgery after the bout, but it got worse a week before the fight, so pulling out “was the only choice I had.