Antonio Rogerio Nogueira To Retire After Trilogy With Shogun Rua
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira will be taking on Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, in a trilogy bout. Win or lose in this fight, he says it will be his last.
Nogueira is a legitimate legend in the sport of MMA. Having competed since 2001, he has fought everywhere from Pride, to the UFC, and even Affliction. Although he has only fought four times in four years, going 2-2, he is still a fan favorite with an unbelievable resume.
Now it seems that Nogueira will be hanging up his gloves, after his next fight, against Shogun Rua. Speaking in a recent interview, he made the announcement, and explained why he wanted Shogun for his final fight.
“This fight will probably be the last fight of my career, my farewell fight,” Nogueira said, “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.”
As he explains, Nogueira and Shogun have fought twice prior; at Pride Critical Countdown, and UFC 191. Although he lost both matches, Lil Nog performed well in both, with their second being a closer decision. Since then, he has been calling for a third fight with his fellow Brazilian.
It seems that he gets his wish, as Antonio Rogerio Nogueira faces Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, at UFC 250. If this is his final fight, it is the end of a long and storied career. On the other hand, everyone knows how retirements in MMA usually go.
