As GRACIEMAG.com reported in March, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua has been training with world-renowned boxing trainer Freddie Roach in Hollywood, Calif.

In the video above, the UFC video team brings you an inside look at the training sessions between the former UFC champ and boxing’s famed cornerman. Also, check out the fight card for UFC Fight Night 26, where Shogun will face Chael Sonnen in the main event on Aug. 17.

UFC Fight Night 26
Shogun vs. Sonnen
Date: August 17, 2013
Venue: TD Garden
Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Main Card:
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (21-7) vs. Chael Sonnen (27-13-1)
Alistair Overeem (36-12-1) vs. Travis Browne (14-1-1)
Urijah Faber (28-6) vs. Yuri Alcantara (28-4)
Matt Brown (17-11) vs. Mike Pyle (25-8-1)
Uriah Hall (7-3) vs. John Howard (20-8)
Joe Lauzon (22-8) vs. Michael Johnson (12-8)

Prelims:
Brad Pickett (23-7) vs. Michael McDonald (15-2)
Conor McGregor (13-2) vs. Max Holloway (7-2)
Mike Brown (26-8) vs. Steven Siler (22-10)
Diego Brandao (17-8) vs. Daniel Pineda (18-9)

Prelims on Facebook:
Manny Gamburyan (12-7) vs. Cole Miller (19-7)
Cody Donovan (8-2) vs. Ovince St. Preux (13-5)
Ramsey Nijem (8-3) vs. James Vick (4-0)

Rumors of UFC middleweight Michael Bisping being knocked out while sparring at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Boxing gym were denied by the fighter and boxing trainer today and yesterday.

Bisping and Roach took to Twitter to clarify that at no time did the fighter spar with one of Roach’s professional boxers and get knocked unconscious.

“I have never been ko’d sparring at wildcard gym, or in sparring ever,” Bisping tweeted.

Roach, in answering a fan on Twitter, had a much shorter explanation when addressing the rumor that one of his boxers knocked out Bisping.

“Not true,” he wrote.

Bisping added that he has been recovering from eye surgery and hasn’t sparred in a while, further shooting down rumors of his recent knockout.

Rumors began when a blog post by MiddleEasy.com said that Bisping came into the boxing gym and became too aggressive with his sparring partner. Roach, according to the post, then paired Bisping with an unnamed professional boxer. The boxer then knocked Bisping out.

“The Count” is currently scheduled to take on Mark Munoz at an upcoming UFC event in October. Munoz told GRACIEMAG.com’s Choke MMA Show that  he felt Bisping would be a good fit for him as a next opponent, and the fight was reportedly booked for Manchester, England days later.

According to world-class boxing trainer Freddie Roach, Nick Diaz’s boxing isn’t the best in the UFC. Roach referred to his ability as just “okay.” (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Boxing trainer Freddie Roach has cornered world champion boxers throughout his career. Being in his position, Roach has dissected what many call “the sweet science” with a watchful eye, and been able to point out advantages and flaws by fighters for years. As much experience as he has, Roach’s opinion on technique is widely respected by many of the sport’s aficionados.

Roach has also worked with MMA fighters, such as UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. St-Pierre defends his title against Nick Diaz this Saturday at UFC 158, and Roach told GracieMag.com that he and GSP have devised a game plan to counter whatever Diaz throws.

“For the hands, we’ve already set a good game plan and we know how we’re going to fight with Diaz’s so-called best [boxing] in UFC,” Roach recently said at his gym, Wild Card Boxing. “To make an adjustment to fight Diaz is not hard.”

Diaz, a Cesar Gracie black belt, is known not only for his Jiu-Jitsu, but also his stand-up game. His boxing is regarded by many in the MMA community as being some of the best in the UFC. However, when asked of what he thinks of Diaz’s boxing prowess, Roach was quick to shoot down any notion that he has the best hands in the UFC.

Famed boxing trainer Freddie Roach (pictured) isn’t impressed with Nick Diaz’s boxing ability. (Photo by Landry Major/Getty Images)

“Bulls**t. I know it’s bulls**t,” Roach said. “He fires arm punches … walks forward and crosses his legs, his balance is off. I’m not impressed.”

Diaz is durable and tough, he added, but the thought that Diaz has the best boxing in MMA is something Roach doesn’t believe. He was equally as critical, however, about Rua and St-Pierre when the MMA fighters first arrived at Wild Card.

“When Georges St-Pierre first came here his technique wasn’t that good, but it’s getting better and better now,” he explained. “The thing is that most of the guys in MMA or the UFC have history in the ground game and so on, so it’s more new to them. A lot of times they’ve never been taught on how to do it correctly.”

Now Roach says GSP is more than ready to counter Diaz’s striking when the two face off Saturday in Montreal. Also, Roach said Rua is already getting wowed by his coaching, saying that the fighter is pivoting the right way and punching off the correct foot.

But as far as Diaz goes, Roach has no impression that the fighter’s boxing is world-class.

“He’s very durable, got a lot of balls,” he said of Diaz. “But the thing is his boxing ability — It’s okay.”

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (pictured) is working with famed boxing trainer Freddie Roach ahead of his UFC 161 with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is working with famed boxing trainer Freddie Roach ahead of the fighter’s UFC 161 bout with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

Known for training boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, Roach recently told GracieMag.com he’s on a “special assignment” to help Rua in the striking department for the June 15 fight.

“I was studying a lot of tape on him to get an idea of how he fights,” Roach recently said of Rua.

Rua joins the likes of UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre as MMA fighters who enlist the help of the boxing cornerman ahead of their fights.

Roach explained that he’s been working with Shogun to improve the fighter’s punching power and mechanics. Rua’s stand-up technique, according to the trainer, wasn’t all that impressive when he stepped into Roach’s gym, Wild Card Boxing, a few weeks ago.

“He didn’t know how to transfer his weight too well, and he wasn’t a very big puncher at first,” Roach said, reflecting on Rua’s first three sessions with him. “Once we got him pivoting and punching off the right foot, keeping his boxing stance, he punched really, really hard when he did it correctly.

“I don’t think he was ever taught how to do it correctly.”

Freddie Roach (left) regularly trains world champion boxer Manny Pacquiao (right). Roach is now working with Shogun Rua in preparation for the fighter’s UFC 161 bout. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Roach added that Rua is already improving on his technique, saying that minor adjustments over the short time span since coming to the Southern California gym have wowed the fighter.

One of Shogun’s biggest criticisms of recent years has been his cardio, which has led many to question whether he can perform well in the later rounds of his fights. Roach addressed the issue, saying that he plans on working with Rua on his cardiovascular strength once the fighter takes care of an issue he’s having with his knee.

“[Shogun] has a little problem with his knee,” Roach said. “I haven’t started working on his cardio yet, but he and my strength coach have gotten together … I think we have to take care of that first before we start getting into the cardio more.”

Roach added that Rua’s rehab is taking place at a location in Orange County, Calif.

When contacted by GracieMag.com, representatives for Rua denied the fighter having any problems with his knee. Requests for further comment from the fighter went unanswered.