Antonio “Big Nog” Nogueira is back in training following surgery to a broken arm he sustained when he locked horns with Frank Mir in the co-main event of UFC 140. Initially, it was thought he’d be out of action for a longer period of time.
Nogueira’s translated quote, according to MMAMania:
I felt very good, I missed being able to train. I was only supposed to do ‘shadow’ training, but I couldn’t (hold myself).
I still need another three weeks of physical therapy to sharpen my boxing, and after that I will call Master De La Riva and start training jiu-jitsu. I believe I’ll be back in a month’s time.
Soon Junior dos Santos will be coming here to train for his fight against Alistair Overeem and thereafter it will be Big Foot and Anderson Silva coming to train. I need to be 100% to train with these guys because they’re tough.
Nogueira’s injury occurred in the third round, when the former UFC heavyweight champion locked in a kimura, and with the jiu-jitsu master refusing to tap, Mir (16-5 MMA, 14-5 UFC) continued to apply the pressure, resulting in the breakage, as well as injuries to his shoulder.
The Brazilian has been widely regarded as one the foremost practitioners in the art of submission, but in Mir, Nogueira was up against a fellow black-belt exponent, who, prior to their meet, had already amassed eight victories via submission in 15 career wins.
Conversely, Big Nog (33-7-1-1NC MMA, 4-3 UFC), a former UFC interim heavyweight titlist, has compiled a record of 20 submissions.
Though to date, he has only one kimura execution on his submissions résumé, and that took place on his professional debut back in June of 2009.
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