Lil Nog doesn’t plan to retire for at least another two years.
When former Pride and UFC champion Antonio “Minotauro” Nogueira hung up his gloves last September after three losses in a row, one of the true MMA legends has left the sport. Fortunately, his twin brother Rogerio remains active and thoughts of retirement haven’t crossed his mind yet, despite his own series of two back-to-back losses against Anthony Johnson and Mauricio Rua.
In fact, the 39-year old Pride veteran plans to stay around for at least two more years.
“Even though last year I only fought once, I fought well in my last fight and I think that motivated me,” Nogueira explained at a recent UFC 198 press event. “I had a few injuries in the last three years that put me about a year and a half to the side, but I’m very motivated – I fought well.
“If I had really fought badly, I wouldn’t be as motivated. But I think I can fight better than last year. So the plans for retiring are not in my mind for at least the next two years.” (Transcription via MMA Fighting)
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira faces Patrick Cummins at UFC 198 on May 14 in Curitiba, Brazil. The event is headlined by a heavyweight title matchup between Fabricio Werdum and Stipe Miocic.