Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira looked terrible against Frank Mir
However, eight months after the Mir debacle, Nogueira looked like one of the
top mixed martial artists on the planet in dominating Randy Couture.
Nogueira won a clear-cut unanimous decision against the UFC legend.
So which “Big Nog” can we expect to see in the future?
The answer will be revealed very shortly at UFC 110 on Saturday, February
20. Nogueira is set to step into the cage against an undefeated fighter many
observers feel is a huge part of the heavyweight future, Cain Velasquez.
Velasquez, the two-time All-American wrestler at Arizona State University,
has ripped off seven straight victories to start his career. Of the seven
wins, only one man (Cheick Kongo) even made it to the scorecards. The other
six fighters all fell by TKO.
But none of the men Velasquez defeated have anything close to the career
accolades of Nogueira. Besides Kongo, Velasquez’s biggest win was against
former IFL star Ben Rothwell.
On the other hand, Nogueira is the only man to hold heavyweight
championships in both Pride FC and the UFC. He’s beaten proven MMA stars
like Mirko Cro Cop, Josh Barnett, and Dan Henderson.
The match-up between Nogueira and Velasquez will be a true test of where
each fighter stands today and for the future.
“I’m very excited for the fight,” Nogueira said about the upcoming match-up.
“Wherever it goes, I’ll be ready.”
Nogueira is widely known for being one of the best submissions fighters in
the history of the sport. With Velasquez being a top-level wrestler,
Nogueira could find himself on his back early on.
“If he takes me down, we’re going for submissions,” Nogueira said. “My
jiu-jitsu will be 100 percent.”
The Brazilian star understands that takedowns are a big part of Velasquez’s
skill set. To prepare, Nogueira has enlisted the help of two All-American
wrestlers-Strikeforce light heavyweight Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal and UFC
middleweight Mark Munoz.
“King Mo is one the best wrestlers in America,” Nogueira said. “We do a lot
of single leg and double leg defense. I have a very good camp here.”
Should Nogueira defeat Velasquez, he’ll likely be in line for another shot
at the heavyweight title. With the Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin winner slated
to face Brock Lesnar sometime this summer, Nogueira would likely have to
wait until fall of 2010 to receive the chance.
Nogueira is highly interested in fighting for the title, but he has not
forgotten about his poor performance against Mir. Mir laid a two round
beating on the former champion in December 2008. Nogueira also does not like
Mir’s constant trash-talking.
“If I fight against Mir, it will be different. I’ll be in better shape and
no injuries,” Nogueira said, alluding to the rumor that he had a staph
infection just prior to the fight.
“I don’t like how Mir talks. I come from jiu-jitsu. I come from martial
arts. I train hard, and I respect my opponent. I will never say anything bad
about my opponent. My opponent works hard so that’s my way. I don’t think he
shows respect.”
Another man in the heavyweight title picture is Nogueira’s teammate Junior
Dos Santos.
As a top prospect in the UFC, Dos Santos is even more accomplished than
Velasquez. He has won 10 of 11 fights, and he defeated MMA stars Mirko Cro
Cop, Gilbert Yvel, and Fabricio Werdum along the way.
“Never,” Nogueira said, when asked if he would ever fight Dos Santos. “To
me, that would be like fighting my brother (current UFC fighter Antonio
Rogerio Nogueira). No money would be worth it to fight one of my best
friends.”
While Nogueira battles at heavyweight, his identical twin brother campaigns
in the light heavyweight division. Nogueira gives a simple explanation as to
why.
“I don’t want to be competitive with my brother,” Nogueira said. “I was
always a little bigger than him-maybe 12 pounds. He can make 205.”
Prior to joining the UFC, Nogueira had a very successful stint in Pride FC
over in Japan. However, one man Nogueira could not defeat in three attempts
was consensus top heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko. Over the past few years,
Emelianenko was heavily rumored to be joining the UFC, but no deal ever came
to fruition.
“That’s his choice,” Nogueira said about Emelianenko’s decision to sign with
Strikeforce. “He doesn’t want to come and join the UFC show? Some other guy
will. The UFC has the best heavyweights. If he comes to the UFC, he’s going
to face the best guys.”
Nogueira and Emelianenko last fought almost five years ago when Nogueira was
28. Now 33 and a veteran of 38 fights, Nogueira has dismissed any talk of
retirement.
“I think I could fight until 37,” Nogueira said. “I’m in really good shape.
I’ll fight until my body tells me I can’t.”
The upcoming fight will go a long way in showing Nogueira exactly where his
body is. Is he the fighter that was dominated by Mir? Or is he the warrior
that took apart Couture?
Nogueira will certainly find out the answers against Velasquez at UFC 110.
In predicting the fight, Nogueira stopped short of declaring victory, but he
did promise a memorable match-up.
“I feel good,” he said. “I’m going to do the best show possible.”