‘Minotauro’ Nogueira: I still have what it takes to fight

RIO DE JANEIRO — Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is on the shelf again, and he won’t think about fighting before recovering from another right knee surgery.

“Minotauro” tore his ACL days before fighting Roy Nelson at the main event of UFC Fight Night 39 in Abu Dhabi in April, and he’s not cleared to train yet.

“I had surgery four weeks ago, and I’m doing fine now,” Nogueira told MMAFighting.com. “ACL surgery takes at least five months to return to fighting. I’m doing physical therapy now. I know the limits of my body. I won’t get myself injured again. I can do other things. I ride bikes and work out every day, but I can’t train yet.”

The former PRIDE and UFC heavyweight champion has gone 5-5 inside the Octagon since 2007, being finished in his past couple fights, but he’s not ready to step aside.

“I don’t know yet,” he said of how many fights he has left in him, “but I still have what it takes. I will return next year. I have plans to be in shape and fight again, for sure. I want to recover first, and then I will see how I feel.”

RIO DE JANEIRO — Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is on the shelf again, and he won’t think about fighting before recovering from another right knee surgery.

“Minotauro” tore his ACL days before fighting Roy Nelson at the main event of UFC Fight Night 39 in Abu Dhabi in April, and he’s not cleared to train yet.

“I had surgery four weeks ago, and I’m doing fine now,” Nogueira told MMAFighting.com. “ACL surgery takes at least five months to return to fighting. I’m doing physical therapy now. I know the limits of my body. I won’t get myself injured again. I can do other things. I ride bikes and work out every day, but I can’t train yet.”

The former PRIDE and UFC heavyweight champion has gone 5-5 inside the Octagon since 2007, being finished in his past couple fights, but he’s not ready to step aside.

“I don’t know yet,” he said of how many fights he has left in him, “but I still have what it takes. I will return next year. I have plans to be in shape and fight again, for sure. I want to recover first, and then I will see how I feel.”