'Minotauro' Nogueira healthy and ready for Randy Couture at UFC 102

by MMAmania.com on Apr 28, 2009 4:41 AM EDT Comment 21 comments

nogueira ufc

Quoteworthy:

"I wasn’t getting to take the fight to the floor. I had an injury two weeks before the fight when I went to USA. I had my knee hurt and tore my meniscus and it messed up my standing training and takedowns. My knee displaced many times during the fight. I wasn’t well at all. I wasn’t 100%. Now it’s time to train harder and face Randy."

Staph infection wasn't the only malady the plagued former UFC interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira during his losing title defense against Frank Mir at UFC 92: "The Ultimate 2008" back in December. The Brazilian indicates that he was also nursing a knee injury, which required surgery to repair after the lopsided beating. He was apparently seriously messed up, which might help better explain his most recent outing -- he was finished for the first time ever in his illustrious career via technical knockout in the second round. It was a feat that Fedor Emelianenko, Josh Barnett, Mirko Cro Cop and even "The Beast" Bob Sapp have been unable to accomplish. Perhaps most surprising is that Mir — a Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt — schooled Nogueira in the stand up — an aspect that Nogueria appeared to have the advantage heading into the fight. That was certainly not the case. Now healthy, Nogueira is set to face another former champion and legend of the sport, Randy Couture, at UFC 102 on August 28. With his health issues seemingly resolved, can he climb back to the top of the division heap or have his brutal days in PRIDE taken their toll on his body and career?

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Maybe,now some will realise that Mir is not a top stiker!I don’t know who take for this one though?It’s a even match up to my point of view.

by Alpha Male 360 on Apr 28, 2009 7:21 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Couture FTW, as long as he doesn’t look his age in this fight; he’ll take it to Nog. It’ll be interesting to see how the stand up goes, if Couture wins the exchanges then he wins the fight. But if Nog gets the better of the striking… I think Couture’s good enough to take him to the ground avoid the subs and pound out a decision. Either way tho, I’ve been waiting for this match up for a long time. So sick of hearing about how “Randy Couture is ducking Nog” BS.

by O damn he got caught on Apr 28, 2009 8:15 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Alpha: THank YOu! So sick of hearing about what a great striker Mir is becoming! What a joke. If you told me that NOgueira would have looked like that the night he fought Mir, I would seriously have stepped in and took the fight against NOg….lol…..I mean was that really Nog? Anyone else ever see him look like that? I sure as hell didnt recognize that version of NOg!

As for this match up:

If NOg comes into this fight healthy, I dont think Couture can beat him. Since 2004, I always thought Nog was head over shoulders better then Couture! look at Randy’s career…win a fight, lose a fight, win a fight, lose a fight….nOG flat out beat everyone they put in front of him except Fedor, and he is 1-1 against Barnett. I dont think Couture could have ever taken the beating that Nog took from Fedor and made it to a decision. i dont think couture could EVER beat Josh Barnett (roids or not).

If we see couture healthy, at the top of his game vs. Nog healthy at the top of his game….I dont see Nog losing the fight. Nog has an advantage standing, although randy’s striking has improved recently…No way in hell Randy feels comfortable enough to take NOg down…I honestly dont think Randy can survive on the ground with NOg..then again, not to many people that arent named Fedor, Can, so its really not a knock on Randy…its just real talk.

IMO, Randy’s gameplan will have to be based around his clinch game….that is were he is at an advantage in this match up. Problem is, if Randy clinches, it will close the distance and allow NOg the opportuinity to go for the takedown, or just pull guard. and Believe me when i tell you, that there isnt an American Heavyweight on earth that wants to be on the ground with Nog. Any of you guys see how Nog outclassed Werdum on the ground…sweeping him and just controlling the ground fight? NO way in hell randy could have dominated Werdum like that on the ground.

Should be a great fight, I just wish it would have happened back in 2004, instead of 2009!

by john on Apr 28, 2009 9:15 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Totally agree with you.

by attakdog on Apr 28, 2009 9:42 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

naah john this fight is better suited in the now09
rather then 2004..~

back in 2004 nog would have murdered randy..

at least this way the fight will be competetive..

i am definitely looking forward to this fight~ should be a good one!

by stinky~fingers on Apr 28, 2009 9:46 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I was very impressed with how Randy was dictating the fight against Brock until he caught a redneck right to the chops.

I refused to believe Nog’s defeat at the hands of Mir. This was the same Mir that got blasted by a chubby Vera. So I don’t buy the Mir standup hype, either.

I think Nog returns back to form and submits Randy.

No doubt.

by OJR on Apr 28, 2009 10:09 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I guess you are right stink! THis will probably be way more competitive now then it would have been in 2004, because back then Nog might have seriously Murdered Randy!

by john on Apr 28, 2009 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Definitely murder in 04. I still think Nog has it in him. He has always been about the battle not all the bs. Big Nog has wanted this fight since 2000 and will pull it out. Couture finally took this fight coz he thinks he’s got a shot now after Nog’s last performance. There is only one true legend in this fight and he will return to glory.

by NameNotRequired on Apr 28, 2009 6:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree O damn

And Alpha, I’m not sure anyone thinks Mir is a top striker. I think he’s a smart fighter that cn do well on his feet agaisnt non-strikers, but he hasn’t proven his striking is top tier by any means.

by Punch You in the Ovaries on Apr 28, 2009 9:19 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Tell that to Joe Rogan then!!

by Alpha Male 360 on Apr 28, 2009 9:52 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, I suppose he has fans that give him a little too much credit for his combo’s aginst Nog.

I think Mir has a great brain for the sport. I’m not sure his physical ability matches up to his knowlege, but I’ll give him credit for his striking being smart. We’ll see soon enough if he has to the talent to pull it all together.

by Punch You in the Ovaries on Apr 28, 2009 10:30 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

HAha

by Alpha Male 360 on Apr 28, 2009 10:36 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Gee I wonder how much Couture has left in him. If he wins will he go out on a high?

I like both these guys and don’t like seeing either of them lose. I can’t see Couture getting subbed, can’t see Nog getting KO’d, so I think it will either be a TKO or decision for Nog or a decision for Couture.

But who knows. Nog’s last fight was so surprising and disappointing, anything could happen. But the sickness excuse seems legit, i guess.

by Johnny Farnham on Apr 28, 2009 9:24 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I can not wait for these next few fights .. Big Nog has been making these excuses, and although they may be valid, I think he may be passed it. Hopefully not, and we can see him getting back in the win column and show us all what he is capable of in the octagon.

by DownUnder on Apr 28, 2009 8:00 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

If Nogueira comes in healthy, I have a feeling he might be just too much for Couture. Nogueira can’t just pushed around with GnP like some others. Couture can’t dominate him striking. The only way I see Randy winning this is by decision by keeping Nogueira at the cage and using dirty boxing. But I doubt you can do that for three rounds though.

by aman on Apr 28, 2009 8:18 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Couture by UD for sure.

Though it will be close, I think the abuse Nog has taken over the years has finally caught up with him and I dont see where he could take the fight to have a distinct advantage.

by WB on Apr 28, 2009 9:20 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Why did the article say “and even Bob Sapp(couldn’t finish him?)” Like Bob Sapp is amazing or something and a more feared MMA practitioner than Fedor, Barnett and Cro Cop! Strange wording.

by attakdog on Apr 28, 2009 9:26 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Its going to be one of those fights when Nog gets the crap kicked out of him. Randy will G and P him for 3rds..Randy by UD

by robbyc on Apr 28, 2009 9:37 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I think it’s a bit too soon to say that ‘Nog’ or "Randy’ is coming in healthy to this fight. Doesn’t the article then say he injured himself two weeks before his last one? When is UFC 102?
Nog on a healthy day = UFC Heavyweight Champ!

by poyb on Apr 28, 2009 10:20 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Nog is a warrior. Injured like that and didn’t cave like anyone else would have.

I like Nog & Mir, so I had a hard time routing for either fighter. But I have to say, I did want Mir vs Brock, just to prove that the first match wasn’t a fluke.

by UFC Champ on Apr 28, 2009 11:22 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

nog is goin 2 sub couture, i think couture is over rated and the only way he will win is by holdin nog up against the cage for 3 rounds.Randy wont finish him.

by andrewb on Apr 28, 2009 12:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs