UFC 139: Keys to Success for Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua looks to make it two wins in a row when he takes on Dan Henderson in the main event at UFC 139.

Rua bounced back nicely from an ugly defeat at the hands of Jon Jones by defeating Forrest Griffin at UFC 134.

Rua looked like his old self as he used his patented striking to finish Griffin in the first round.

Henderson will be an entirely different animal at UFC 139, but Rua has the tools to beat the Strikeforce champion.

5. Use Kicks To Keep the Distance

When Rua came to the UFC, many considered him to be one of the best and diverse strikers in the light heavyweight division.

Unfortunately, outside of the Lyoto Machida fight, we haven't seen him use his muay thai to his fullest potential. In PRIDE, Rua was one of the best at mixing kicks with his punches.

If he wants to keep Henderson at bay, he will have to use his impressive array of leg and body kicks to control the distance.

4. Circle Away from the Power Hand

One of the first things a fighter is taught to do as far as striking goes, is to not circle to an opponent's power hand.

For some odd reason, Henderson's opponents seem to forget that and circle straight into the "H-Bomb."

Rua will need to use movement and work angles to avoid Hendo's right hand. Henderson isn't known for putting combinations together so avoiding his right hand will be Rua's main threat while standing.

3. Switch Up the Ground Tactics

In his title fight against Jon Jones, we saw Rua repeatedly try for a half guard sweep and fail multiple times.

Rua may be talented on the ground, but his best chance at winning is when he's on his feet, not his back.

"Shogun" needs to work on getting back to his feet instead of playing the submission game or attempting a sweep that isn't working.

The "go for broke" submissions we saw him attempt against Jones also need to go. Just because he can drop for a kneebar doesn't mean he should.

2. Weather Henderson's Early Storm

Hendo is likely to come out strong and put everything behind his shots. Whether it's his punches or with takedowns, the first round is when Hendo is at his strongest.

Rua will need to weather the storm early on and outwork Hendo after the initial flurries.

We've seen Henderson tire later in rounds and that could be the case here if he can't knock "Shogun" out in the opening frame.

Jon Jones was able to put the pressure on Rua early and often so Rua should plan on Henderson doing the same. Hendo doesn't have anywhere near the same cardio or ability at striking as Jones, but "Shogun" will need to not crack under the pressure.

1. Discipline

Other than his recent finish of Forrest Griffin, the last time we saw Rua at his best were the two bouts against Lyoto Machida.

In their two meetings, Rua was able to control his aggression and become more strategic with his striking.

He will need to control his aggression again as he faces a guy who has serious one-punch knockout power.

Limiting the openings for Hendo by keeping himself under control will be the single, most important aspect for a "Shogun" victory.