The Brazilian mixed martial arts legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira finally fought in Brazil for the first time in his career Saturday night, and he made the most of it with a first-round knockout of Brendan Schaub in front of a raucous Rio crowd at UFC 134.Nogueira, an aging star who hadn't fought in a year and a half, appeared to be slower than the Nogueira of old in the early going, and it was easy to see why so many people thought the powerful Schaub would knock him out. But Nogueira bided his time and waded in at just the right instant with a hard 1-2 punch combination that sent Schaub against the fence.
More Coverage: UFC 134 Results
From there Nogueira closed and landed another big left hand, sending Schaub face-first into the canvas, and a couple more punches on the ground were landed before referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop the fight.
"I was injured, I had surgery in both hips and my knee, but I sacrificed because I had never fought at home," Nogueira said afterward, gesturing to the Brazilian fans. "I wanted to fight for them."
Nogueira improved his professional MMA record to 33-6-1 and showed that he still has what it takes to compete in the UFC's heavyweight division. Schaub falls to 8-2.
Latest From MMA Warehouse
- Cain Velasquez UFC 160 Walkout Shirt
- Chael Sonnen UFC 159 Walkout Shirt
- Henderson UFC on FOX 7 Walkout Shirt
- Nate Diaz UFC on FOX 7 Walkout Shirt
- GSP UFC 158 Walkout Shirt
- Nick Diaz UFC 158 Walkout Shirt
- Nick Diaz UFC 158 Hoodie
- UFC Walkout Clothing
- More: MMA Clothing | MMA Gear | MMA Shorts | MMA Gloves | MMA Shirts
Latest From Our Partners
There are 0 Comments. Add Yours.
Shortcuts to mastering the comment thread. Use wisely.
C - Next Comment
X - Mark as Read
R - Reply
Z - Mark Read & Next
Shift + C - Previous
Shift + A - Mark All Read
Comment Settings
Live comment alert: Hide it!
Comments for this post are closed.