‘Minotauro’ Nogueira to undergo knee surgery, plans to fight again in the UFC

RIO DE JANEIRO — Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira wants to fight again, but first he needs to go under the knife.

The former PRIDE and UFC heavyweight champion spoke with the media at the Arnold Classic, and revealed he fought Roy Nelson at UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi with a knee injury, and will have to undergo surgery.

“I just got my exams, and I unfortunately tore my ACL,” Nogueira said. “Three days before the fight, I was training wrestling and I twisted my right knee working on a single leg. I stopped training, and I felt it during the fight. I did the exams as soon as I returned to Brazil, and I found out this morning that I hurt the ACL and LCL.

“I’m going to need surgery. I had the same surgery on the left knee three years ago, and now it’s on the right knee.”

Nogueira’s manager suggested a rematch with Frank Mir, but “Minotauro” is not thinking about that yet.

“I want to recover and see what happens, but I want to fight,” he said. “I was feeling great, had a great training camp for this fight. I was fast, but I couldn’t perform. I have to recover and start it all over again.”

“Minotauro” wants another fight, but UFC president Dana White hopes that he retires from the sport.

“He thinks as the president of an organization,” “Minotauro” responded. “Maybe he likes me and says that thinking about my image, but I fought a good fighter with heavy hands. I don’t see (his statements) as a bad thing.”

RIO DE JANEIRO — Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira wants to fight again, but first he needs to go under the knife.

The former PRIDE and UFC heavyweight champion spoke with the media at the Arnold Classic, and revealed he fought Roy Nelson at UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi with a knee injury, and will have to undergo surgery.

“I just got my exams, and I unfortunately tore my ACL,” Nogueira said. “Three days before the fight, I was training wrestling and I twisted my right knee working on a single leg. I stopped training, and I felt it during the fight. I did the exams as soon as I returned to Brazil, and I found out this morning that I hurt the ACL and LCL.

“I’m going to need surgery. I had the same surgery on the left knee three years ago, and now it’s on the right knee.”

Nogueira’s manager suggested a rematch with Frank Mir, but “Minotauro” is not thinking about that yet.

“I want to recover and see what happens, but I want to fight,” he said. “I was feeling great, had a great training camp for this fight. I was fast, but I couldn’t perform. I have to recover and start it all over again.”

“Minotauro” wants another fight, but UFC president Dana White hopes that he retires from the sport.

“He thinks as the president of an organization,” “Minotauro” responded. “Maybe he likes me and says that thinking about my image, but I fought a good fighter with heavy hands. I don’t see (his statements) as a bad thing.”