Background and career
Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐ̃ˈtoni.u ʁoˈdɾiɡu noˈɡejɾɐ, ɐ̃ˈtonju -]; born 2 June 1976), better known as Minotauro or Big Nog, is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist. He competed in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion. He is the twin brother of UFC fighter Antônio Rogério Nogueira. Nogueira rose to prominence in Japanese promotions Fighting Network RINGS where he won the 2000 RINGS King of Kings tournament, and later with Pride Fighting Championships, where he was the first Pride Heavyweight Champion from November 2001 to March 2003, as well as a 2004 PRIDE FC Heavyweight Grand Prix Finalist. He is one of only three men to have held championship titles in both Pride Fighting Championships and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (the others being Maurício Rua and Mark Coleman).
Born in the town of Vitória da Conquista, Brazil, Nogueira started training in judo at the age of 4, boxing at 14 and Brazilian jiu-jitsu at 18. At age 10, he was accidentally run over by a truck and fell into a four-day coma, losing a rib and part of his liver, and was hospitalized for eleven months. As a result of the accident, he has a large scar, including a noticeable indentation, on his lower back.
Nogueira made his mixed martial arts (MMA) debut in the World Extreme Fighting promotion, which often held events in southern parts of the United States. He won his first two fights by submission and then won the WEF Heavyweight Superfight Championship in his 5th pro fight against veteran Jeremy Horn. A few years after his MMA debut, Nogueira started training with the Brazilian Top Team.
Nogueira debuted in Fighting Network Rings by taking part in the King of Kings 1999 tournament. He quickly submitted Valentijn Overeem and Yuriy Kochkine before clashing with middle-aged sambo champion Andrei Kopylov. Nogueira avoided a kimura lock attempt through the first round and controlled Kopylov for some minutes, before switching to stand-up in the second round and landing punches for the split decision win. In the next match, however, Nogueira was eliminated by American wrestling champion Dan Henderson in a controversial fight, as it was believed that the Brazilian had controlled the match much more than Henderson.
Nogueira's next fight was against Japanese star Tsuyoshi "TK" Kohsaka. The bout was back and forth, with Nogueira repeatedly gaining dominant position and striking with short punches, only for his opponent to consistently reverse him, blocking the Brazilian's takedowns and striking as well when possible. After three rounds, the match was ruled a draw.
At King of Kings 2000, Nogueira was invited back to Rings. He submitted Achmed Labasanov before facing another Japanese name in the form of Kiyoshi Tamura. Nogueira was able to take him down and threaten him with submissions, but the Japanese fighter kept defending them and coming back at openings. Finally, the second round saw Nogueira win using an armbar. His third match in the tournament was against another sambo champion, Volk Han, who was almost twice Nogueira's age. Han proved difficult to submit, but Nogueira controlled most of the match. After a flying kimura attempt by the Russian, Nogueira countered with an omoplata/ankle hold combination, until the match went to the judges' decision. The unanimous decision was given to the Brazilian, who advanced to the next round to face Hiromitsu Kanehara. Noguiera won the fight by submission. His final opponent in the tournament was Valentijn Overeem. Nogueira made Overeem tap out quickly and won the King of Kings tournament.
