Antonio Rogerio Nogueira is back, but not in a MMA cage.
The former PRIDE light heavyweight and UFC lightweight champion has announced that he will compete in boxing against Leonardo Guimaraes, an octagon veteran. This professional bout takes place in Brazil on Sunday night. Speaking on this week’s episode of MMA Fighting’s Portuguese-language podcast Trocacao Franca, he detailed the process of coming back on a different stage.
“Boxing has its own uniqueness, but it’s something that I enjoy doing. Nogueira stated that he had boxed in the past and knows what it was like to compete in an amateur match. “But this time it’s a professional match, it’s my debut at age 45. “I consider myself an experienced man and love to get in a box .”
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Nogueira competed in boxing in the final moments of his PRIDE career, qualifying for the 2007 Pan-American Games and winning a bronze medal in Rio de Janeiro. He said that returning to MMA can be “more challenging” because it includes other arts such as wrestling and jiu jitsu. This could result in more injuries for him at his old age. Boxing, however, felt easier.
“I have retired from MMA, and I am starting a new career in boxing.” he stated. I’m starting over and want to embrace the opportunity. It doesn’t matter if I win, but I want to fight for every knockout. I’ll turn 46 this year and you don’t have the same condition, so I’ll have to use my experience.”
If all goes as planned, Minotouro said that he “wants more” for the future.
“Vitor Benfort was a good fighter, Anderson Silva puts on a great show,” Nogueira stated. fought Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in a hard fight. Then, defeated Tito Ortiz. Who knows… I have the same age. All is well. I hope my star shines brightly and that the left hand touches down on Sunday [laughs].”
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Nogueira loves being back in boxing his homeland, but he doesn’t rule it out of competing in the United States. Minotouro actually has a list of potential boxing matches he’d love to do, which includes boxing stars and YouTube personalities.
” We can fight some amazing opponents,” he stated. “Someone like Roy Jones Jr., for example, a former champion. Maybe a fight against Mike Tyson We have to dream big, right? You see Jake Paul and Logan Paul, who are doing great and are knocking people out. They’re fast. These YouTubers are also athletes. There are four amazing options right there.
“Or a former champion of the UFC, such as Chuck Liddell. It’s not my current situation. You have to see their age. But I think these are opportunities people have to see a former UFC champion in action boxing someone with my level of boxing. It would be entertaining.”
Minotouro was excited to be asked if Rua, Mauricio’s partner in PRIDE and UFC would consider the possibility. The Bahia native lost close decisions in all three fights, including his retirement bout in Abu Dhabi in 2020, and invites Rua, who’s still under contract with the UFC, to run it back.
“It would be nice, huh?” Nogueira said with a smile. “Would he do it? He would accept the challenge. We can do this, “Shogun.” It’d be an amazing fight. This would be an exciting show according to boxing rules .”
No matter who he faces in the future, Nogueira is just happy to end his combat sports career in the squared circle after a legendary 19-year career in MMA with wins over the likes of Dan Henderson, Alistair Overeem, Kazushi Sakuraba, Rashad Evans and Tito Ortiz.
“I would be ending [my career] with a flourish,” he said. He said, “To go back and finish my career with boxing matches. Maybe there’s no better way to end a career .
