Antonio Rogerio Nogueira knows that he’s close to the end of his professional mixed martial arts career.
Last night (Sept. 22), Nogueira took on Sam Alvey on the main card of UFC Sao Paulo. Nogueira was an underdog going into the fight, but he earned a second-round TKO victory. The man they call “Lil’ Nog” snagged a “Performance of the Night” bonus in the process.
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira: ‘I Have to Think About my Retirement’
Nogueira spoke to the media during the UFC Sao Paulo post-fight press conference. He said that while he does intend to fight again, retirement does loom (via MMAJunkie.com):
“It’s normal due to my age. I’m 42. I think in the UFC, there’s not many fighters my age. Dan Henderson and Randy Couture fought at 44, 45 years old. But definitely I have to think about my retirement. It’s not something out of the question, but I think tonight’s performance maybe will put that to the side a little bit more. I intend on fighting this year again; I’m going to ask to see if I can fight before the end of the year, or the beginning of next year.”
If Nogueira decides to walk away from MMA competition, he’ll do so with a 23-8 record. He’ll likely be best remembered for his time under the Pride FC banner. He earned victories over the likes of Alistair Overeem, Dan Henderson, Kazushi Sakuraba, Guy Mezger, and more. Time will tell if Nogueira has at least one more fight left in him.
Do you think Antonio Rogerio Nogueira should retire off this win?
