Nogueira brother’s to anchor UFC 119

Posted by Joshua Wood (Editor in Chief)

Jul 8

After rumors of a Brock Lesnar versus Cain Velasquez heavyweight title fight for the UFC 119 were shot down yesterday, the card was still needed a headliner.

Early this morning the UFC announced the nights co-main event will be Light heavyweights Antonio Rogeiro Nogueira (19-3) and Ryan Bader (11-0). Both fighters were rumored to be on the fight card but Little Nog was thought to be facing Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Bader’s opponent was to be determined.

Jackson is currently still doing promotion work for “The A-team” so the timing just wasn’t going to work out. Two light heavyweights were now without opponents and it only makes sense to put them together and fight. The two will now co-headline the fight card which will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana for the first time on September 25^th.

This fight is a very solid co-main event but the card is still missing a headliner…

That spot didn’t take long to be filled as MMAFighting.com is reporting that older Nogueira brother; Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira will get his rematch with Frank Mir in the main event of UFC 119. The two first battled at UFC 92 where Mir stopped Nogueira in round two for the first time in his career.

The victory by Mir was tainted by news from Dana White of Nogueira having staph infection that required 5 days in the hospital. Nogueira later confirmed the infection and also reviled a knee injury he suffered during training.

Mir didn’t take the excuses by Nogueira well and this rematch should come with a very heated lead up of trash talking. Both fighters will be looking to get themselves back into the heavyweight title picture after recent losses to top division fighters Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez.

Both Nogueira brothers on the same card is nothing new for the two, five other times while fighting overseas they fought on the same card. This will be the first time they do it while in the UFC plus the first time as co-headliners.