UFC 140 Results: 5 Questions We Have About Big Nog

Despite Jon Jones and Lyoto Machida's fight-of-the-night performance, UFC 140's heavyweight clash between Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira may have been the craziest fight of the night.

Big Nog's career path was altered and possibly ended in mere seconds. Early in the fight it looked like Big Nog was well on his way to a late career resurgence. He was able to pin Mir against the cage, popped right back up after Mir got a takedown and then floored Mir with a solid combination. At one point it appeared Mir was out.

The ref could have stopped the fight, and no one would have argued.

Then the unthinkable happened.

While Nogueira went for the choke instead of the TKO victory, Mir got a hold on Nogeuira's arm and sunk in a nifty Kimura that literally broke Nogueira's arm.

In a matter of seconds the fight completely turned and now we have many questions about Big Nog's future.

Will He Retire?

Obviously, given Nogueira's age and track record the possibility of retirement is the first question that needs to be asked.

From the sounds of the post-fight press conference that may be what Dana White has in mind. Nogueira has had an incredible career and he's taken a lot of punishment over the years. No one would look down on him, as he has little left to prove in the sport.

Nogueira has no interest in fighting for the title as long as Junior dos Santos holds the belt (dos Santos trains under Nogueira) so he has no illusions of winning the title. At this point he's fighting for himself so if it's up to him if he wants to fight again, but he only has one or two fights left in him at this point.

He showed in his fight with Mir that he still has something left, but he's definitely lost a step or two.

Whether it is Dana White's choice or if he walks away from fighting on his own accord, the number one question is the question of retirement.

How Long Will He Take To Heal?

Should Big Nog decide he wants to take another fight, he could be out for a while. Mir's kimura left his arm broken and it could need surgery to repair.

Looking at the x-ray, the injury looks pretty severe.

On top of letting his wound heal, it'll be a while before he can return to training. Once he starts training it'll be a while before he gains back all of the functionality of the arm. To put it simply, he could be out for a long time.

Big Nog is no stranger to long layoffs, as he's fought four times in the last four years, but one has to wonder how much longer he wants to fight ring rust and his opponent.

Should Nog decide to fight on it will be a while before we see him again. By then the game may have officially passed him by. If he wants to continue fighting he needs a speedy recovery.

Will He Be Remembered as a Fighter or Coach?

Any way you look at it, Nogueira is a legend of the sport. As a fighter, he is a former PRIDE champion with an impressive 33-7-1-1 record.

He holds notable wins over Dan Henderson, Mirko Cro Cop, Randy Couture and Fabricio Werdum.

For all of his achievements as a fighter, he also has an impressive resume as a coach.

He has taken an active role in training several champions especially in Jiu-Jitsu

Anderson Silva, Jose Aldo, Junior dos Santos, Rafael "Feijao Cavalvante, Lyoto Machida and twin brother Antonio Rogerio Nogueira are among the high-quality fighters that Big Nog coaches.

His contributions to the sport are there among the greats both inside and outside the cage (or ring); the question is how will he be remembered?

Is He a UFC Hall of Famer?

There's no question that Big Nog has been one of the most influential fighters of his era. His resume speaks for itself. But is he a Hall of Famer?

MMA does not have a Hall of Fame, so he isn't as much of a shoo-in as one might think. The closest thing to an MMA Hall of Fame is the UFC Hall of Fame.

The question is how the UFC will evaluate his non-UFC record. The Hall of Fame is an exclusive club (there are only eight inductees to date, seven of which are fighters) so it'll be hard for Nogueira to have a case given his 4-3 record in the promotion.

If they look at his overall contribution to the sport and his track record as a coach, he might have a pretty good case however.

Is He the Toughest Fighter Ever?

Perhaps Nogeuira's most endearing trait as a fighter was his toughness. It's tough to find a guy that was harder to finish than Big Nog.

In a career that has spanned 12 years and over 40 fights, all in the heavyweight division (a division known for finishes) Nog has only been finished an astonishing three times.

His UFC 140 loss to Frank Mir was his only submission loss. He was knocked out by Mir at UFC 92 and Cain Velasquez at UFC 110.

To have only been finished three times fighting the competition he has over the course of his career may not make him one of the most dominant fighters of all time, but it certainly speaks to his toughness. It also legitimizes the question: Is he the toughest fighter of all time?

Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 140. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the December 10 fight card, including results and post-fight analysis.