By
John Heinis on Thursday, September 12
th 2013
Two heavy-handed light heavyweights are set to slug it out on December 7 in Australia.
Mauricio Rua takes on James Te Huna in the main event of UFC Fight Night 33, as The Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday afternoon.
“Shogun,” a former UFC and Pride champion, seems to be on the downside of his career at 31-years-old, posting a paltry 3-5 record in his past eight fights.
The Brazilian brawler most recently tried to back in the win column against three-time UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen at UFC Fight Night 26 last month, only to shockingly tap out to a guillotine choke late in the first round.
Rua is now just 4-6 inside the Octagon, a far cry from his outstanding 12-1 mark inside the Pride ring.
His upcoming opponent, Te Huna, who is a native of Australia, was riding a four-fight win streak between September 2011 and February 2013, making him a dark horse contender at 205-pounds.
However, his momentum was halted by number 1 contender Glover Teixeira at UFC 160 in May, getting submitted by a guillotine choke in the first round.
Te Huna has fought in front of his home crowd three times since the UFC signed him in 2010, compiling a 2-1 record, with both wins coming by way of knockout.
He faces one of the biggest names of his career in Rua, who is obviously going to be hungry for a win given his recent track record.
eDraft previously reported that a heavyweight clash between Mark Hunt and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva could be the headliner for UFC Fight Night 33, but it appears likely that fight will now serve as the co-main event of the evening.