text and photos by Marcelo AlonsoAfter defeating the best fighters in his weight category while conquering the Pride Middleweight Grand Prix last year, Mauricio Shogun will face his first challenge in the heavyweight category, taking on Mark Coleman at the upcoming PRIDE 31. ‘Coleman is a very good and strong fighter with amazing take down techniques, but I’m very well trained and I’ll be weighing around 100kg by the day of the fight. I respect him a lot, but I’m very well trained to win this fight’, said Shogun last week after one of his training sessions in Chute Boxe.There are many who think that this fight against Coleman will make him a certain name for the upcoming Pride Open weight tournament, Shogun advises: ‘I’m not going to fight in Pride openweight tournament. I want to gain more experience in my weight category and maybe later naturally go up to the heavyweight’.Shogun left forJapan yesterday, monday at 6 pm together with Murilo Ninja, Wanderlei Silva, Nino Schiembri, Rudimar Fedrigo and Rafael Cordeiro.
