'Minotauro' Nogueira done fighting in UFC, could stay with company
Stefan Struve may have put Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira out to pasture.
Struve defeated "Minotauro" by unanimous decision at UFC 190 on Saturday, handing the 39-year-old Brazilian his third consecutive loss. At such an advanced age, with 46 professional fights on his bout sheet, and with a 3-6 record since December 2008, Nogueira, aka "Big Nog," is likely at the end of his in-Octagon career.
"I love 'Big Nog' and I think everybody loves 'Big Nog,'" UFC president Dana White said Saturday. "He is such a good guy. He's respected by everybody. He and I actually talked tonight and I'm done. I don't want to see him fight anymore ... He doesn't disagree."
White suggested that Nogueira could transition into a different role for the promotion, similar to what Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin did when they were no longer competitive fighters. As a fixture of the Brazilian mixed martial arts community, Nogueira would almost surely have value as a South American ambassador for the company.
Nogueira said earlier this week that he wasn't contemplating retirement, but a 5-6 mark in the UFC, a lack of interesting potential fights, and a steady gig with the promotion could convince him otherwise.
One of the pioneers of MMA, Nogueira was atop the game right as the sport boomed about a decade ago.
After losing in the semifinals of the 1999 King of Kings tournament, Nogueira returned to win the 2000 version before transitioning to Pride. He became the inaugural Pride heavyweight champion in 2001 and held the title for more than a year before dropping it to Fedor Emelianenko. He'd win the interim title against Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic late in 2003, and then drew Emelianenko with the titles on the line in the 2004 Pride Heavyweight Grand Prix final.
Their second encounter ended in a no contest, but Emelianenko would win their third bout, and Nogueira never got the Pride title back.
He transitioned stateside in 2007, winning the interim UFC heavyweight championship in 2008, in just his second fight for the promotion. He lost the championship to Frank Mir later that year and never again worked his way into title contention.
Should Nogueira retire, he'll do so with a 34-10-1 (1) record, championships in four MMA promotions, black belts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and judo, and a 2002 Fighter of the Year award.