TITO ORTIZ vs. ANTONIO ROGERIO NOGUEIRA
Round 1: Ortiz came out using a nasty clinch and dirty boxing to control Nogueira against the cage, but Rogerio’s precise striking was too much for Ortiz to overcome. It wasn’t the boxing that clinched the fight for Nogueira, though – it was knee directly to the rib of Ortiz that dropped him to the canvas. Rogerio assumed a top position and repeatedly elbowed the injured Ortiz in the same spot where the knee landed, hurting him badly enough that he couldn’t recover, and Yves Lavigne stopped the fight. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira d. Tito Ortiz via TKO, round 1
After the fight, Ortiz said he wasn’t retiring just yet, but he wanted to take some time off and spend time with his family. He said he has one fight left on his UFC contract and he hopes Dana White will allow him to finish it out. The fans were in support of this idea.
Nogueira: “I feel so great. It’s like a dream come true. Tito Ortiz is a legend of this sport, so I’m very, very happy. I wanted this win badly. I knew he was going to come out aggressive because in his last two fights he came out that way. Once we took it to the ground I got on top and gave it my all.”
Ortiz: “He caught me clean in the same place Rashad did. He is the true champ. I take my hat off to him. That body shot hurt me. My game plan was to get on top and do a ground-and-pound. I gave it my all. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. I’m going to take some time off and enjoy the holidays with my family. I have one more fight in my contract. I’m going to give the fans one more fight that is my best.”
FRANK MIR vs. ANTONIO RODRIGO NOGUEIRA
Round 1: Nog looks fired up and ready to kill someone. He comes out relaxed and gets in a few punches before clinching Mir against the cage. Mir uses his size to switch positions briefly and gets on top, but Nogueira gets back up and then drops Mir with punches. Mir was OUT. Nogueira goes for a choke, but Mir somehow rolls out and grabs a kimura. Nog rolls, but Mir rolls with him and suddenly rips the kimura, breaking Nogueira’s arm. Okay, that was disgusting. Frank Mir d. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira via submission, round 1
It takes the paramedics ten minutes or so to get Nogueira out of the cage. That was one nasty arm break.
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