UFC
James Te Huna dropping to middleweight after December loss to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
Jan 10, 2014 - 10:30:30 PM James Te Huna dropping to middleweight after December loss to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

James Te Huna had a chance to close out 2013 on a major high note in December, as he was given a matchup against the sliding Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC Fight Night 33 in Australia. The New Zealand native and Australian resident had a partisan crowd cheering him on, and he entered the night as the betting favorite, but the fight unfortunately ended with him flattened out by a left hook early in the first round.

With the bout going the exact opposite of what he'd hoped, he's beginning 2014 by looking to a new challenge: a drop to middleweight. In an interview with TheMMACorner.com, Te Huna expressed his desire to move down and discussed his goals in doing making that drop.

"It was a pretty embarrassing loss, and last year was a pretty bad year for me," Te Huna admitted. "I had a lot of issues going into my fight in London, and we tried to work some things out in my time off between fights. And then there was that embarrassing knockout to finish the year off. This year, I am excited to take on a new challenge and take on a drop to middleweight."

"It's about making a fresh new start and taking on a new challenge, and I know I'll be able to make middleweight," he continued. "Middleweight is probably a bit more of a natural weight for me. Right now, I am always eating so that I can stay up at light heavyweight. I'm one of the lightest guys at light heavyweight, so I know that if I eat normally I'll be able to hit middleweight. I've been fighting at light heavyweight for my whole career, but I think that this challenge is the right move."

"I'll do a couple of practice cuts to make sure I can make the weight and it doesn't affect me. So, I definitely don't see myself fighting within the next three months. I just need to make sure I can do it and I can fight at the weight. I think it's the right thing for my career, and I'm looking forward to what the new challenge is going to bring."

Penick's Analysis: Te Huna might be able to translate well to middleweight, but that shift in weight classes doesn't always breed the results fighters hope for. He's still a good fighter, though, he just ran up against a vicious right hand against Shogun that took him out, and he needs a spark to get him back on track. For his sake hopefully this is what he needs to get back in the win column.