On Saturday night, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira defeated Tito Ortiz via first-round TKO due to body shots on the ground.It was an impressive win for Nogueira, but he is still incredibly overrated.In the UFC, Nogueira is an underwhelming 3-2, which cou…
On Saturday night, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira defeated Tito Ortiz via first-round TKO due to body shots on the ground.
It was an impressive win for Nogueira, but he is still incredibly overrated.
In the UFC, Nogueira is an underwhelming 3-2, which could easily be 2-3, had the judges seen his fight against Jason Brilz the other way—as many thought it should have been.
So, first, let’s just take a look at Nogueira’s three wins.
He beat Luiz Cane in his debut. It was definitely an impressive victory, but Cane is not even close to a top-10 light heavyweight, and he is dropping to middleweight, where he is also not a top-10 fighter.
Then he beat Brilz via highly controversial split decision. Many say the fight should have gone to Brilz. Unfortunately, Brilz is not a quality opponent, as after the decision loss to Nogueira, he was knocked out—twice—in a combined 1:37.
He has since been released from the UFC.
Then, Nogueira beat Ortiz. Ortiz has become a fan favorite as of late, but if you honestly just look at his recent performance, he is 1-6-1 in his last eight fights.
If that was nearly anyone else, they would have been out of a job a long time ago.
Ortiz will always have a place in the UFC, but his fights are just getting worse and worse for him.
Nogueira has defeated three mediocre fighters, and has lost to the only top-10 fighters he faced—Phil Davis and Ryan Bader—and he lost to both by unanimous decision.
Nogueira got an impressive win, but he also got way too much credit to begin with.
Tim McTiernan is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. For the latest news on everything MMA, follow Tim on Twitter @tmt2393.
In Antonio “Big Nog” Nogueira’s rematch for redemption against Frank Mir last night at UFC 140, the former UFC and Pride champion suffered the worst loss of his storied career by losing on the ground to a vicious arm-breaking kimura. …
In Antonio “Big Nog” Nogueira’s rematch for redemption against Frank Mir last night at UFC 140, the former UFC and Pride champion suffered the worst loss of his storied career by losing on the ground to a vicious arm-breaking kimura. If you were lucky enough to see Mir’s handy work on a big screen, let that brutal replay sink in and allow the significance to stew.
The quick answer to the headline’s question is a hospital, loads of painkillers, a sport’s psychiatrist and a long, tough period of reflection to see where his career can go after such a disappointing loss.
There really seems to be no contentious room at heavyweight for Nogueira anymore or any true reason to continue his fight career, considering everything this living legend has done for the sport, fans and himself.
Guys like Chuck Lidell, Tito Ortiz and Wanderlei Silva, who have accomplished the same past accolades and status as Nogueira, never want to let go of former glory when the time is right. Unfortunately, as history as taught us, a turbulent ending is—in most cases—an inevitable part of being a legendary fighter in mixed martial arts.
Most fighters lack the lasting durability and competitiveness of the Randy Coutures of the world, who continued to be a legitimate force while extending his prime well past what makes biological sense. But, the same strong desires and passion to step in the Octagon against the best in the world is both a gift and a curse, blinding their ability to call it quits on a high note before going out on their shields.
Even Couture’s exit from the sport wasn’t bulletproof. Though he maintained very well in the lasting days of his career, he still retired on a devastating front snap-kick knockout by a younger, quicker, stronger Lyoto Machida.
Liddell was finally forced to retire after winning only one out of his last six fights and being on the wrong end of a knockout highlight reel four out of those five loses.
Silva has yet to retire, coming off a recent win over Cung Le that is sparking a small amount of hope in fans that the “Axe Murderer” may be able to finish up his career in a fashion that somewhat resembles his former self.
Despite being an adored fan favorite, like all the previously mentioned fighters, Nogueira’s submission loss to Mir should mark the end of his career—it certainly marks the end of his relevancy in the division, beyond selling tickets. He not only lost an important rematch, he lost his status as the greatest heavyweight ground specialist in the world, a title that Mir no longer covets because he possesses it.
Nogueira got beat in the most decisive way possible at his own game. There is nothing left for him to prove. The unpleasant reality of getting older is a hard pill to swallow in day-to-day life, let alone in the most competitive combat sport on the planet. If Big Nog’s skills have demised to the point of no return, he has no reason to continue and risk marring the final act of a grand career.
Will he retire? Probably not; his pride has been cut deep and his heart will burn for one more chance to go out on top. Difficult decisions are usually the smartest, not the easiest.
Nogueira has exceeded expectations throughout his time in the cage, but the odds are stacked against him, smart money says he won’t be the expectation to the rule in this case.
If he plans on continuing to fight until his wheels fall off, a Pride legend vs. Pride legend match could be made against Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (this fight would be intriguing enough for him to come back for). It would be a win-win for Pride fans and it would give each fighter a chance to do what most in their situation have failed to do in the past: write a winning final chapter with a meaningful and decisive victory.
Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 140. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the December 10 fight card, from pre-fight predictions to in-fight coverage, results and post-fight analysis.
Last night, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira added another feather to his cap as he finished off former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz, inside of the first no less.His impressive striking arsenal was on display as Nogueira caught Ortiz early with a …
Last night, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira added another feather to his cap as he finished off former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz, inside of the first no less.
His impressive striking arsenal was on display as Nogueira caught Ortiz early with a few flush strikes before delivering his own vast array of ground and pound blows, which cinched the TKO finish for the Brazilian.
The victory brings Nogueira into rarefied air, being only one of three men who have been able to stop “The People’s Champion”—who has been known for being able to withstand punishment—with strikes.
With the victory snapping a two-fight skid, where does Nogueira go from here?
Former UFC champions Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira will meet again in the Octagon at UFC 140.The first meeting between the two allowed the winner, Mir, to advance into a title shot while the loser, Nogueira was forced down the rankings.The out…
Former UFC champions Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira will meet again in the Octagon at UFC 140.
The first meeting between the two allowed the winner, Mir, to advance into a title shot while the loser, Nogueira was forced down the rankings.
The outcome of their rematch could drastically alter the UFC heavyweight rankings again.
With a win, Mir likely positions himself in line for another title shot or at the very least, a matchup with the loser of the next heavyweight title match.
A Mir victory would also likely spell the end of Shane Carwin’s title hopes, as he would be shoved back even further by sitting on the sidelines.
To me, it’s not so much if Mir wins, but how he wins.
If Mir pulls off a convincing victory, like another KO or a submission victory, look for him to be move up the rankings significantly.
Of course, if you consider Mir a top five heavyweight (like myself), there’s only so much farther he can move. You could swap Brock Lesnar or Alistair Overeem at No. three and No. four, and Cain Velasquez is sitting firmly at No. two.
Mir needs the convincing win I mentioned earlier (and in another piece) to solidify his claim for a UFC title shot. He also needs it to please his boss.
It’s no secret Dana White was very annoyed with Mir’s performance at UFC 119 against Mirco “Cro Cop” and White effectively buried the former champion after that fight.
But Mir rebounded nicely with a convincing victory over Roy Nelson who’s notorious for being hard to finish.
A decisive victory over “Big Nog” would mean Mir’s name needs to be next on the list for title challengers after the winner of Lesnar-Overeem.
Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 140. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the December 10 fight card, from pre-fight predictions toin-fight coverage, results and post-fight analysis.
At UFC 140, former heavyweight champion Frank Mir will square off against Antônio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira for the second time.For Mir, who has worked his way back into title contention, Big Nog is another crucial step tow…
As far as title contention goes, losing to Minotauro Nogueira would deal the final deathblow to his hopes to get a title shot. If Mir ever wants to fight for the title again, he can’t lose this fight.
In the broader scheme of things, losing a fight to Big Nog isn’t all that bad. Nogueira is the consensus second-best heavyweight in mixed martial arts history. If you’ve got to lose a fight, losing to a living legend that you’ve already beaten once isn’t the end of the world.
So who would Mir fight next?
How about fighting Big Nog for a third time?
Nogueira needs more than two wins in a row to break back into the heavyweight title picture. His name isn’t Brock Lesnar after all. And Mir would also need to erase the loss to Big Nog if he wanted to get back on track.
It’s unlikely that Nogueira would get a title shot for beating Mir, so if he wins the fight at UFC 140 I think we could expect him to be available for a rubber match against Mir in the early part of next year.
Also, because Nogueira lost the first fight by knockout, he would have to beat Mir twice if he wanted to erase the memory of that devastating loss at UFC 92.
There are also plenty of other fights Mir could take after a loss at UFC 140. A matchup with Fabricio Werdum would be a great fight. And Mir would be the perfect opponent for the loser of Brock Lesnar vs Alistair Overeem.
For years I’ve wanted to see Mir fight Josh Barnett. It might not be possible if Dana White doesn’t let Barnett back into the UFC, but that would be an epic fight.
There’s another possibility too. After losing to Big Nog, Mir might actually want to start thinking about retirement.
Sounds crazy, right? Here’s why it might be most the sensible thing to do.
Ever since losing his title to a horrific motorcycle accident, Mir has staged failed comeback after failed comeback. Each time he has put together another run at regaining his heavyweight title, he’s been thwarted and frustrated.
Márcio Cruz knocked him out in the first round in his very first fight after the crash, and Brandon Vera knocked him out in the first round two fights later.
On the next run, he got all the way to a title shot but lost the fight against Lesnar via TKO and complete domination.
On his fourth run of trying to reclaim his long-lost 12 pounds of UFC gold, Mir’s dream of a rematch against Lesnar got mauled to death by Shane Carwin.
With a loss to Big Nog, Mir will have tallied a whopping five failed campaigns for reclaiming the title belt. At that point, he will need to ask himself, “Why am I still fighting in the UFC?”
If his only goal is to get his belt back, he might want to call it a career and take a job calling fights for the UFC or Strikeforce. Mir is one of the most gifted fight callers in all of MMA, and with more and more UFC events on the calendar, Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg can’t make it to all of them.
If he’s willing to be the next Matt Hughes and just keep fighting for the love of fighting, then by all means, keep on truckin’ Frank.
But he’s got to face the increased unlikelihood that he will ever be champion again. There are just too many sharks in the heavyweight division today.
If Mir can’t beat Nogueira in the twilight of of his career, what are his chances against Junior dos Santos, Shane Carwin, Brock Lesnar, Alistair Overeem or Cain Velasquez?
Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 140. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the December 10 fight card, from pre-fight predictions to in-fight coverage, results and post-fight analysis.
The little hype around UFC 140 has centered on two puzzles: Jon Jones and Lyoto Machida. Jones and Machida are two of the most unique fighters in the entire UFC. What may be flying under the radar is the other main event, a rematch of heavyweights, Fra…
The little hype around UFC 140 has centered on two puzzles: Jon Jones and Lyoto Machida. Jones and Machida are two of the most unique fighters in the entire UFC.
What may be flying under the radar is the other main event, a rematch of heavyweights, Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
Despite the rankings, Mir is a top five heavyweight and is riding a two-fight win streak since the debacle against Shane Carwin.
Nogueira, meanwhile, has us all saying, “He’s back!” for the 1,000th time in his career after a knockout victory against Brendan Schaub.
Their first match was nothing short of a squash match as Mir showed his improved boxing skills and floored Nogueira. It was later revealed that Nogueira was suffering from a severe staph infection, something Mir believes had no part in the final outcome.
The brash heavyweight will have a chance to prove that correct if he can defeat the legendary Nogueira at UFC 140.
While all eyes will be focused on the spectacle of styles in the main event, it could be Mir and Nogueira who end up stealing the show.
As the old saying goes, “Styles make fights.” In the case of Jones and Machida, though, styles don’t make fights.
Machida is known to be one of the most elusive fighters in the UFC. Like Chuck Liddell of old, he lures his opponents into his web of traps and pounces on them with lightning-quick agility.
Just when his opponents feel like they’re in range to tag him, Machida quickly bounces out.
Jones has shown to be particularly methodical in his approach lately. He won’t rush in. Greg Jackson has likely told the young champion to resist the urge to chase Machida around the cage.
This could lead to a virtual stalemate that would be the equivalent of trench warfare—neither side will want to make a move.
Mir and Nogueira will not suffer from the inability to confront each other. Mir will be confident in his striking now that he knows he has bested “Minotauro” once before on the feet.
Nogueira will likely want to squash any confidence Mir has and prove his striking is superior. “Big Nog” has never been known to be scared of standing in the pocket as well.
Finally, I think this fight will outshine Jones vs. Machida based on the possible outcomes.
The majority of fans will celebrate like it’s New Years if their hero, Nogueira, floors Mir with a powerful punch. Even an ugly decision will be treated like the second coming due to the fact fans hate Mir so much.
What would be even more impressive is if one man manages to tap the other out. Both have esteemed credentials as far as Brazilian jiu-jitsu goes and are dangerous in any position on the mats.
If Mir proves the first bout was no fluke, then the fans still win. Another heavyweight title challenger will emerge to follow in the footsteps of Brock Lesnar or Alistair Overeem.
On Saturday night, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira defeated Tito Ortiz via first-round TKO due to body shots on the ground.