UFC news 2017: Shogun says he's healthy and ready to face Gian Villante on March 11

Maurício "Shogun" Rua is back. The former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight champion and 2005 PRIDE middleweight grand prix champion hasn't fought in the octagon since May last year, but he'll finally get back in the cage when he faces Gian Villante on March 11, at UFC Fight Night 106.

In an interview with MMA Fighting, Shogun revealed that he was supposed to fight in Brasilia in September last year (UFC Fight Night 95), but he had to deal with tendinitis and it limited his training.

"It was no big deal, but it was a bit painful. They asked me if I could fight in Sao Paulo (on Nov. 19), but I couldn't either. I'm 100 percent now. I'm training well, and ready to go," he said.

The bout is going to be special for him because he's going to be fighting in front of his countrymen in Fortaleza, Brazil. Shogun also admitted that he doesn't know much about his opponent, Villante. But he said he's going to start studying the fighter he's going to face in two months' time. "I'll train hard to be prepared in all areas and don't get surprised, of course. I hope I can use my muay thai in this fight," he added.

Villante is a well-rounded fighter and Shogun thinks his opponent is going to look for the takedown. "I think he will strike to close the distance and take me down. For sure, he will try to take me down and stay on top, which is an advantage," he said.

That's a sound strategy because Shogun is a dangerous striker. Why would anyone trade punches with him if they could take him down? Of course, that's easier said than done. To take Shogun down, Villante will have to get near him first, and Shogun's one of the most dangerous strikers in mixed martial arts (MMA).

Shogun hasn't fought in a longtime, but he said he's prepared to win. This is going to be an interesting matchup between the two.