EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with "MINOTAURO" NOGUEIRA

By Ed Preuss for MMA Sports. Photo by Josh Hedges, courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.

MMA Sports caught up with "Minotauro" Nogueira as he prepares to battle Frank Mir at UFC 92. "Minotauro" owns victories over some of the top heavyweights including Tim Sylvia, Heath Herring, Josh Barnett, Fabricio Werdum, Mirko Crocop, Bob Sapp, Mark Coleman and Gary Goodridge.

MMA Sports: Rodrigo, what are you expecting of this next fight with Frank Mir?
Rodrigo Nogueira Minotauro - I have been training hard and I am going to do my best. At this time I will be more aggressive and I will attack him. On the feet and on the floor. My best defense will be my attack and I will take over the center of the octagon and impose my game. I will use my Boxing to control the distance and if the fight goes to the ground I’ll submit him.

MMA Sports: So can we expect from you the same strategy you used in your last fights… studying your opponent in the first round?
Rodrigo Nogueira Minotauro - My idea is ending the fight as soon I can. It’s always nice, but sometimes it’s not possible to achieve it. I always try to be a little cautious in the beginning of the fight because a heavyweights hand is not light and a hard punch in the beginning might be fatal.

MMA Sports: You seem focused for this fight. Fighting Frank Mir, is there a special motivation?
Rodrigo Nogueira Minotauro - I am very focused. I have been living a 100% for this fight. I go straight to train at the gym and them I go home. Since I first stepped in the octagon, when I signed in the UFC, I have been dreaming for the day I’d become champion. In fact I was champion, but the dream was not complete until I had my chance with the champion. So, now UFC has given me the opportunity to fight for the belt…I just need to get Frank Mir and besides he is a dangerous fighter, I will move forward.

MMA Sports: Mir has submitted the current champion, Brock Lesnar…how hard will this fight will be in your opinion?
Rodrigo Nogueira Minotauro - I am sure Mir deserves the chance to fight for the belt. He has proven it already. As I said before he is very strong, explosive and a seriously dangerous fighter. In my opinion he is a complete fighter. He improved his game on the feet, is exchanging better, kicks well too.

MMA Sports: How do you plan to defeat him?
Rodrigo Nogueira Minotauro - I have watched some of his fights and I realized he becomes gassy after the three or four first minutes of the fight. So I believe he is more dangerous during this first round. So I am in better shape than him and I am more experienced also.

MMA Sports: Some people say he has been training to surprise you on the ground…
Rodrigo Nogueira Minotauro - He is not going to submit me. No way man! If he wants a piece of me, I want the same thing also and we are going to solve it in the octagon. This is what’s gonna happen.

MMA Sports: You said UFC has given to you another chance to fight for the belt…what can you say about Fedor? He is out of the question…
Rodrigo Nogueira Minotauro - Well, he is one of the best heavyweight fighters on the world. But I do not lose my sleep thinking about the day I will have another chance to fight him. I am a professional fighter and I have been writing my history in MMA. In each fight I write a new chapter. So if someday we meet in the future, I’ll be ready for him.

MMA Sports: Your guard has been feared for lots of fighters Word-wide... but against Fedor it was not an advantage. Do you agree with that?
Rodrigo Nogueira Minotauro - Yes, in part. To beat Fedor is necessary to fight on the top. It’s one way to defeat him, but my last fight with him belongs to the past and I am sure nowadays if we met I would feel more confident to fight him, even though from below.

MMA Sports: What would you change in your game?
Rodrigo Nogueira Minotauro - I see myself as a complete fighter and prove of that I have the UFC interim belt and I am fighting for “the one”. For me each fight is a chess match. If the opponent gives you a chance to submit him…you enjoy the situation and accomplish it.

MMA Sports: Have you thought about a possible fight against Lesnar?
Rodrigo Nogueira Minotauro - I would lie to you if I say I don’t, but I’d rather be focused to fight Mir. Then we talk about Lesnar.

Shooto Brasil 9: November 29, 2008. Photos and Recap

By Ed Preuss. Photos by Eduardo Ferreira.

The final edition of Brazilian MMA show Shooto Brasil 9 went to a hot special place to celebrate its champions. On November 29, nearly 6,000 people went to the Paulo Serasate, in beautiful Fortaleza, Ceará to check out five title bouts and international challenges involving fighters from Argentina and the United States.

In the main event of the night Brazilians showed his best skills against American Team. In the first fight of the challenge, Nova União lightweight Leo Santos put his Jiu-Jitsu on the side and exchanged punches with Corey Edwards. The American fighter, surprised by the three strong low-kicks applied by the Brazilian black-belt fighter, got no reaction and got KO’d with a high-kick in early round 1.

In the second match of the challenge, Danilo Cherman did a balanced first round with Mike Bonnette. The American defended all of the Brazilians submission attempts in the first round. However in round two, Danilo imposed his game. Applied a beautiful take-down on Bonnette, passed his guard and reached the mount. As the American was defending, Cherman went for the arm-lock and from there submitted Bonnette with a triangle choke.

Supported by the local audience, local fighter Willamy Chiquerim exchanged punches with American Randy Steinke and in his first opportunity, took his opponent to the ground and punished him. Closing the fight with style, the fighter from Fortaleza fixed an anaconda choke to submit his opponent.

Brazil Vs Argentina

The classic duel from Soccer was switched to the ring during this final edition of Shooto. And this time Brazilians overcame their neighbors easily. BJJ brown belt Guybson Sá gave no chance to Argentinean Diego Lopes and used a katagatame to submit his opponent. Then it was time for Vítor Miranda who showed the reason he was called by Mirko Cro Crop to train Muay Thai in Croatia. With sharpen knees he obliged Gustavo Moia to give up the combat.

During the title bouts, Juciê Formiga (Kimura/ Nova União) overcame Maicon Willian (Nocaute Fight) in the -56kg. Dudu Dantas showed he has no opponents in Brazil and gave no chance to Carlos Alberto Betão (RFT), who tapped out.

The second belt went to Renan Barão, who needed three rounds to defeat Alexandre Pinheiro and rule the belt -65kg. During the -76kg title decision, Igor Chatubinha defeated Hernani Perpétuo by referee’s decision and closing the event, André Chatuba submitted Dinarte with an anaconda choke in the first round, taking home the -83kg belt.

Here are the complete results below:


COMPLETE RESULTS:

Shooto Brasil 9
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Paulo Serasate, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

Super-fight:
- Jamil Silveira (Nocaute Fight) defeated Rivanildo Aranha (Hikari) by unanimous decision.

Title bouts:
-56kg: Juciê Formiga (Kimura/ Nova União) defeated Maicon Willian (Nocaute Fight) by split decision;
-60kg: Dudu Dantas (Nova União) submitted Carlos Alberto Betão (RFT) via armlock in R2;
-65kg: Renan Barão (Kimura/ Nova União) defeated Alexandre Pinheiro (JP Caverna) by TKO in R3;
-76kg: Igor Chatubinha (Minotauro Team) defeated Hernani Perpétuo (Nova União) by split decision;
-83kg: André Chatuba (Minotauro Team) submitted Dinarte (Kimura/ Nova União) by anaconda choke in R1;

Desafio Brasil x Argentina:
- Vitor Miranda (M-13) defeated Gustavo Moia by KO (knee) in R1;
- Guybson Sá (Sá Team/Nova União) submitted Diego Lopes via kata-gatame in R1;

Desafio Brasil x EUA:
- Willamy Chiquerim (Nocaute Fight) submitted Randy Steinke by anaconda choke in R1;
- Danilo Cherman (Nova União) submitted Mike Bonnette by triangle choke in R1;
- Leo Santos (Nova União) defeated Corey Edwards by KO (kick) in R1;