UFC 140: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira—Does Big Nog Have Another Title Run in Him?

Some level of journalistic integrity is always important when sitting down to analyze something you’ve been assigned to cover. It’s hard to be credible when showing favoritism and beating the drum for a guy or a team or whatever else, especially when it’s obvious to anyone reading that the writer is delusional with his or her own slant.

Perhaps as much as anything, mixed martial arts tests a writer’s mettle in that area. There may not be anything more raw in sports than one-on-one combat, and it’s that rawness that captures fans and makes writers write. And in reality, most writers—especially in sport—were fans long before they picked up the pen.

Looking at UFC 140, my own personal bias is being put to the test in the main event. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, the legendary Minotauro, will finally get his shot at redemption against Frank Mir, a man who beat him at UFC 92 for the heavyweight title.

And, to put it mildly, I am a fan of "Big Nog."

The man is the epitome of a martial artist. To call him a great jiu-jitsu practitioner understates his credentials, and to say he’s one of the most humble men in professional sports is an equivalent understatement.

He blends the will of a warrior with the simplicity of a life devoted to martial arts in a way that, frankly, is dying with every kid who thinks the sport is Tapout shirts and tribal tattoos—instead of hours in the gym and respecting an opponent.

In Rio, Nogueira firmly planted himself back in the heavyweight mix by taking some big shots from up-and-comer Brendan Schaub before slaying him with some of his own. It was a storybook moment, a legend of Brazil plying his trade and sending his hometown fans into a frenzy, and it was something that almost no MMA fan wasn’t satisfied by.

It also led him to Mir, and possibly onto bigger things from there.

Another good performance at UFC 140 could have Nog only a fight away from getting a shot at gold. The fact is that the heavyweight division isn’t deep, and a streak against Schaub, Mir, and another big heavyweight—let’s say, for argument sake, a Shane Carwin or possibly the loser of UFC 141’s main event between Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem—is the type of resume to warrant consideration.

But, even as a Nog fan on par with any other out there, that’s a tough argument for me to make.

Beating Mir isn’t a foregone conclusion, as the Las Vegas native gave Rodrigo fits in their first meeting, and has gotten grossly less robotic in his standup since that fight.

There’s also the reality that, while he ate some of Schaub’s best, seeing him get violently dropped by Cain Velasquez is still an image that’s hard to shake, and he’ll need to show his chin in at least one more fight before I’ll be sold for sure.

Then, even if he does beat Mir, there are other matchups that are problematic for him if he has to fight another time to get that title shot.

A fight with Carwin would be dangerous on the feet due to his power, but also potentially troublesome on the ground due to Carwin’s wrestling background.

Fighting either of Lesnar or Overeem isn’t great news either, as this isn’t Japan and submission attempts off of one’s back—where you will inevitably be against Lesnar—don’t score points under the unified rules of mixed martial arts.

If Overeem is the selected foil, you’re dealing with a K-1 champion and ADCC-experienced submission grappler who also happens to be roughly the size of a smallish dinosaur.

Neither of those is a fight that, sitting here today, I can say Nog would definitely win.

So what this comes down to is the fan in me fighting the journalist in me. The fan wants to believe that Minotauro Nogueira, at 35 years old, has another run at the title left in him. The journalist, though, sees an aging warrior that gave fans more in the ring than any could have ever asked of him, and just may not have enough left to keep giving.

At UFC 140, one of those clashing bipolarities will be proven right in Nog’s rematch with Frank Mir. From there, it’s anybody’s guess what’s in store.

Does Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira have one more title run left in him? We can’t know for sure. But both the fan and the journalist alike are sure hoping he does.