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from: http://mmajunkie.com/2007/09/19/repo...rigo-nogueira/
With a win over Antoni Hardonk last month at UFC 74, one-time UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir (10-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) will reportedly get a step up in competition and face Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (30-4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) in his next fight.
TAGG Radio, a daily MMA Internet show hosted by Frank Trigg, made the announcement on today’s program, reports MMAjunkie.com contributor and fiveouncesofpain.com editor Sam Caplan.
No date for the fight was given, though a Dec. 29 UFC 79 event in Las Vegas has long been rumored as a possibility for Nogueira’s return to the Octagon.
Nogueira, a former PRIDE champion and top-ranked heavyweight contender, made his UFC debut back in July at UFC 73. Facing Heath Herring, Nogueira suffered a head kick that floored the Brazilian fighter. Inexplicably, Herring allowed his opponent to return to his feet and regain his composure, and Nogueira rebounded for a unanimous-decision victory.
The submission specialist was considered an immediate contender when he signed on with the UFC earlier this year, and it stands to reason that if he does indeed take on Mir and pull out a victory, he could be a line for a title shot in mid-2008.
His reported opponent Mir was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident three months after winning the UFC’s heavyweight belt in 2004. He broke his femur bone in two places and tore numerous tendons in and around his knee when a car T-boned him. Mir didn’t fight for 16 months while he nursed his injuries, and his return to the Octagon has been a mixed bag thus far.
He returned to action in February 2006 and suffered a TKO loss to Marcio Cruz. In his next bout, he had gained noticeable weight and won a sluggish and lackluster unanimous decision over Dan Christison at UFC 61. He suffered a quick first-round TKO loss to Brandon Vera at UFC 65 but defeated Hardonk with a quick submission last month.
In an emotional post-fight interview, Mir said he had his priorities in order and was looking forward to regaining his championship form.
With a win over Antoni Hardonk last month at UFC 74, one-time UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir (10-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) will reportedly get a step up in competition and face Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (30-4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) in his next fight.
TAGG Radio, a daily MMA Internet show hosted by Frank Trigg, made the announcement on today’s program, reports MMAjunkie.com contributor and fiveouncesofpain.com editor Sam Caplan.
No date for the fight was given, though a Dec. 29 UFC 79 event in Las Vegas has long been rumored as a possibility for Nogueira’s return to the Octagon.
Nogueira, a former PRIDE champion and top-ranked heavyweight contender, made his UFC debut back in July at UFC 73. Facing Heath Herring, Nogueira suffered a head kick that floored the Brazilian fighter. Inexplicably, Herring allowed his opponent to return to his feet and regain his composure, and Nogueira rebounded for a unanimous-decision victory.
The submission specialist was considered an immediate contender when he signed on with the UFC earlier this year, and it stands to reason that if he does indeed take on Mir and pull out a victory, he could be a line for a title shot in mid-2008.
His reported opponent Mir was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident three months after winning the UFC’s heavyweight belt in 2004. He broke his femur bone in two places and tore numerous tendons in and around his knee when a car T-boned him. Mir didn’t fight for 16 months while he nursed his injuries, and his return to the Octagon has been a mixed bag thus far.
He returned to action in February 2006 and suffered a TKO loss to Marcio Cruz. In his next bout, he had gained noticeable weight and won a sluggish and lackluster unanimous decision over Dan Christison at UFC 61. He suffered a quick first-round TKO loss to Brandon Vera at UFC 65 but defeated Hardonk with a quick submission last month.
In an emotional post-fight interview, Mir said he had his priorities in order and was looking forward to regaining his championship form.
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