The legend of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira grew a little more at UFC 134, where he came back from three surgeries and a 19-month layoff to take out surging contender Brendan Schaub by TKO in under three minutes. Nogueira had been largely written off by fans due to his injuries and semi-recent performances, but he showed everyone that he's still a force to be reckoned with. The bout began with Schaub landing a few solid shots and Nogueira looking to push Schaub against the cage and take him down. Not long after that though, everything changed.
Nogueira had Schaub against the cage and rang his bell with a nice combination. Schaub appeared out on his feet, which led Nogueira to drop him with the next few shots and pound him out not long after. The crowd went absolutely insane when Herb Dean stepped in. So did I. Nogueira ended up winning a $100,000 bonus for Knockout of the Night. This bout was the second matchup on the UFC 134 pay-per-view broadcast.
What was the high spot of this fight?
The finish, of course. When Big Nog stunned Schaub, the crowd went wild. But when Schaub crumpled to the mat and ate a bunch of shots, they went absolutely bonkers. Media row was covered in beer. They were crying. It was truly a magical moment that even eclipsed the reaction Tito Ortiz got for his finish of Ryan Bader at UFC 132.
Where do these guys go from here?
Big Nog went for everyone telling him he was done to maybe being a fight away from a title shot. How about that turnaround? Where he goes from here is anyone's guess though. There aren't a ton of elite heavyweights, and one of them just happens to be a disciple of his. A bout with Brock Lesnar looks very good on paper, but Lesnar is likely to get a different opponent for his comeback fight. The winner of the Roy Nelson vs. Mirko Filipovic would be an excellent choice, for very different reasons depending on the fighter.
This was a huge, huge setback for Schaub. Questions about his chin are going to follow him for a long while (this was only the third TKO win of Big Nog's 40-fight career), and all his momentum is gone. A matchup with Stefan Struve or Travis Browne (if he gets by Rob Broughton at UFC 135) could be possible.
Watch it now, later, or never?
Right now. Nogueira's redemption was a thing of beauty, and having it take place in Brazil made it that much more awesome. If was honestly one of my favorite moments in MMA history, and it will be one of yours to. GO. WATCH. NOW.
http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/8/7/2350504/mma/fight-card/74507/ufc-133-evans-vs-ortiz
More BE coverage of UFC 134 in the full entry.
Shogun Rua Proves He Can Still Be a Champion - Fraser Coffeen
The Biggest Winners and Losers on the Night - Matthew Roth
Anderson Silva Unmatched at Middleweight, Options Slim - Leland Roling
FightMetric Recap for Anderson Silva, Edson Barboza vs. Ross Pearson - Mike Fagan
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira's Greatest Hits - Brent Brookhouse
Post-Fight Recap and Analysis - Mike Fagan
Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami Fight Video Highlights - ESPN
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Brendan Schaub Fight Video Highlights - ESPN
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - UFC 134
Anderson Silva Wins Over Rio with Stoppage of Yushin Okami - Matthew Roth
Anderson Silva's Brilliance and Other Post-Hangover Thoughts - Brent Brookhouse
Mauricio Rua Stops Forrest Griffin in Two Minutes - Matthew Roth
Edson Barboza Wins a Split Decision over Ross Pearson - Matthew Roth
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira With a Stunning Knockout of Brendan Schaub - Matthew Roth
UFC 134 Post-Fight Press Conference Updates - Tim Burke
Stanislav Nedkov Silences Brazilian Crowd with Knockout of Luis Cane - Matthew Roth
Thiago Tavares Ground and Pounds Spencer Fisher to a Second Round Stoppage - Matthew Roth
Rousimar Palhares Wins a Decision in a Strange But Great Fight With Dan Miller - Tim Burke
Paulo Thiago Takes a Dominant Decision Victory Over David Mitchell - Tim Burke
Raphael Assuncao Outworks Johnny Eduardo to Decision - Matthew Roth
Erick Silva Puts Luis Ramos to Sleep with a Massive Right - Matthew Roth
Yuri Alcantara Grapples Felipe Arantes to a Decision - Matthew Roth
Yves Jabouin Works Ian Loveland to a Split Decision - Matthew Roth