Will Antonio Rogerio Nogueira retire soon?
The UFC Light Heavyweight is scheduled to fight Mauricio Rua at UFC 250 for the third time; however, Nogueira reveals on
MMA Fighting that the bout may end up being the final time that he steps inside of the octagon:
“This fight will probably be the last fight of my career, my farewell fight,” Nogueira said to MMA Fighting. “So being able to have this rematch with ‘Shogun’ is both challenging and motivating. I thank ‘Shogun’ for giving me this opportunity. I’m sure we’ll put on a great fight again.”
Should the 43-year-old call it quits after his fight at UFC 250, then it will wrap a professional career that spans nearly 20 years. Nogueira first became a name under Pride Fighting Championships where he defeated future UFC talents such as Alistair Overeem and Dan Henderson in spectacular fashion. The Brazil native also had his first fight against Mauricio Rua at Pride Critical Countdown 2005. Nogueira would end up losing the first encounter via unanimous decision.
Nogueira then made his way to the UFC in 2009 and had impressive showings against Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champions Tito Ortiz and Rashad Evans, though his second bout against Rua ended with another loss for the MMA veteran.
While Nogueira never won any titles within the promotion, the light heavyweight always had the ability to electrify fans whenever he’s inside the octagon. His possible final fight against Rua will surely be another unforgettable bout, one that Nogueira hopes to walk away victorious from:
“I was looking for a fight that made sense for me,” he said, “and this fight with ‘Shogun’ makes lot of sense for me because we started it in 2005 with one of the most memorable fights in MMA history, one of the best in PRIDE history. That fight in 2005 was very, very close. I believe I had the advantage, but they gave it to him. But the fight we did in 2015, I’m fully aware that I won the first two rounds. He took me down in the third round, but that fight was mine. I contested that decision a lot and Dana White even promised me a rematch. Five years later, I have the opportunity to fight him again. It’s the fight that makes sense for me to come back.”
UFC 250 takes place on Saturday, May 9 from the Ibirapueroa Gymnasium in Sao Paulo, Brazil with Henry Cejudo and Jose Aldo headlining.