Post by PdW2kX on Sept 1, 2011 16:49:26 GMT -5
So, where to begin?
I've had a good relationship with all ya'll here, so I strive to be open and honest whenever I post articles here. To make a long story short, Fighters.com has decided to let me go after over a year working with them. It's nothing personal, just a bit of downsizing. It sucks, and it hurts, but I was so glad to be able to do what I did for as long as I did it that I'll remember nothing but the best memories from my job at fighters.
So, after trying to figure out what to do, and with the success I've had with both fighters and my Minecraft YouTube series, I pretty much decided to go for broke and open up my own website. I've got huge plans for it, and I sincerely hope that it catches on.
It's going to be focused on both MMA and video games, and I'll be writing articles on both. This is one of the first MMA-related articles I've written at the site. For any of you interested (and it would mean a lot to me if you checked it out), the site's address is www.fightgameblog.net.
So, without further ado, here's an article on "Big Nog", Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
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The Future For Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: Brock Lesnar, Frank Mir, And Japan
UFC 134 “Silva vs. Okami” was a night defined by Brazilian dominance: only one Brazilian fighter ended up losing during the UFC’s highly-touted return event to Brazil. One notable Brazilian, longtime veteran Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, basically took his career off of life support with a dominant, dramatic stoppage victory over top prospect Brendan Schaub. As both “Big Nog” and his fans look towards the future, Nogueira recently made it clear that he wants nothing but top-division talent, and called out both former UFC Heavyweight Champions Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir specifically. Here are all the details.
MMA Fighting brings us the video interview, while MMA Mania gives us a text recap. Here’s what Nogueira had to say: “I'd love to fight again for the Japanese fans. It would be exciting to fight over there in the Saitama Arena, Tokyo Dome -- those were the big shows with 50,000 people…. I'd like to fight Frank Mir… He's a tough opponent and a good guy… I'd like to fight Brock Lesnar, too. Two big guys that would be a big step in my career.”
I think it’s interesting to note that the three things Nogueira mentioned are all very different: fighting Frank Mir, fighting Brock Lesnar, and fighting in Japan again.
A fight with Frank Mir would be a very interesting bout, and a win over Mir would be a sure indicator that Nogueira is on a career rebirth. Before his loss to Frank Mir, Nogueira had fought over thirty times and never been stopped once. His impenetrable chin was legendary, and Frank Mir of all people (who was mostly known for his submissions) was the first to make it crumble. Many Nogueira fans point out that Nogueira had just recovered from a staph infection at the time of that original bout, and with that knowledge and with how good Nogueira looked at UFC 134, I’m definitely a fan of a potential rematch between these two. And let’s not forget, Frank Mir doesn’t really have any opponents lined up for him right now.
Brock Lesnar also doesn’t have any opponents lined up for his big return from another battle with diverticulitis, and I think Nogueira vs. Lesnar would be a huge test for both men. For Nogueira, he’ll have to deal with one of the most impressive physical specimens in the game, a world-class wrestler that won UFC gold thanks to his near-unstoppable, vicious Ground and Pound. For Lesnar, he’ll have to combat a fighter with smart boxing that’s coming off of a major TKO win, and if Lesnar tries to take this fight to where he’s most comfortable, he’ll have to deal with one of the best ground games in MMA history. This is another fight I’d love to see.
And in all honesty, I’m neither too excited nor too hopeful about the UFC returning to Japan. I just don't think they'll be able to duplicate the success they're now accustomed to. For the longest time the UFC has targeted a return to Japan, but right now I have to wonder if it’s still worth it. Japanese MMA is totally different now than it was back in the heyday of PRIDE. The only real top-level promotions in Japan, DREAM and Sengoku, continue to struggle under the burden of many financial problems. The term “dying” has been used more than once to describe the current Japanese MMA landscape.
In the end, I suppose I wouldn’t mind seeing the UFC return to Japan. I just have to wonder if their return to Japan would be in line with the unparalleled successes the UFC is used to. And when it comes to “Big Nog”, I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him.
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I've had a good relationship with all ya'll here, so I strive to be open and honest whenever I post articles here. To make a long story short, Fighters.com has decided to let me go after over a year working with them. It's nothing personal, just a bit of downsizing. It sucks, and it hurts, but I was so glad to be able to do what I did for as long as I did it that I'll remember nothing but the best memories from my job at fighters.
So, after trying to figure out what to do, and with the success I've had with both fighters and my Minecraft YouTube series, I pretty much decided to go for broke and open up my own website. I've got huge plans for it, and I sincerely hope that it catches on.
It's going to be focused on both MMA and video games, and I'll be writing articles on both. This is one of the first MMA-related articles I've written at the site. For any of you interested (and it would mean a lot to me if you checked it out), the site's address is www.fightgameblog.net.
So, without further ado, here's an article on "Big Nog", Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
-----
The Future For Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: Brock Lesnar, Frank Mir, And Japan
UFC 134 “Silva vs. Okami” was a night defined by Brazilian dominance: only one Brazilian fighter ended up losing during the UFC’s highly-touted return event to Brazil. One notable Brazilian, longtime veteran Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, basically took his career off of life support with a dominant, dramatic stoppage victory over top prospect Brendan Schaub. As both “Big Nog” and his fans look towards the future, Nogueira recently made it clear that he wants nothing but top-division talent, and called out both former UFC Heavyweight Champions Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir specifically. Here are all the details.
MMA Fighting brings us the video interview, while MMA Mania gives us a text recap. Here’s what Nogueira had to say: “I'd love to fight again for the Japanese fans. It would be exciting to fight over there in the Saitama Arena, Tokyo Dome -- those were the big shows with 50,000 people…. I'd like to fight Frank Mir… He's a tough opponent and a good guy… I'd like to fight Brock Lesnar, too. Two big guys that would be a big step in my career.”
I think it’s interesting to note that the three things Nogueira mentioned are all very different: fighting Frank Mir, fighting Brock Lesnar, and fighting in Japan again.
A fight with Frank Mir would be a very interesting bout, and a win over Mir would be a sure indicator that Nogueira is on a career rebirth. Before his loss to Frank Mir, Nogueira had fought over thirty times and never been stopped once. His impenetrable chin was legendary, and Frank Mir of all people (who was mostly known for his submissions) was the first to make it crumble. Many Nogueira fans point out that Nogueira had just recovered from a staph infection at the time of that original bout, and with that knowledge and with how good Nogueira looked at UFC 134, I’m definitely a fan of a potential rematch between these two. And let’s not forget, Frank Mir doesn’t really have any opponents lined up for him right now.
Brock Lesnar also doesn’t have any opponents lined up for his big return from another battle with diverticulitis, and I think Nogueira vs. Lesnar would be a huge test for both men. For Nogueira, he’ll have to deal with one of the most impressive physical specimens in the game, a world-class wrestler that won UFC gold thanks to his near-unstoppable, vicious Ground and Pound. For Lesnar, he’ll have to combat a fighter with smart boxing that’s coming off of a major TKO win, and if Lesnar tries to take this fight to where he’s most comfortable, he’ll have to deal with one of the best ground games in MMA history. This is another fight I’d love to see.
And in all honesty, I’m neither too excited nor too hopeful about the UFC returning to Japan. I just don't think they'll be able to duplicate the success they're now accustomed to. For the longest time the UFC has targeted a return to Japan, but right now I have to wonder if it’s still worth it. Japanese MMA is totally different now than it was back in the heyday of PRIDE. The only real top-level promotions in Japan, DREAM and Sengoku, continue to struggle under the burden of many financial problems. The term “dying” has been used more than once to describe the current Japanese MMA landscape.
In the end, I suppose I wouldn’t mind seeing the UFC return to Japan. I just have to wonder if their return to Japan would be in line with the unparalleled successes the UFC is used to. And when it comes to “Big Nog”, I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him.
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