It has been 10 months since Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira last experienced the heightened senses and tingle of anticipation that comes from standing next to an opponent inside the Octagon.
That small space feels like home to the Brazilian. His legacy has been crafted inside the unique structure and he cannot wait to once again step inside the chained fence.
On Friday in the UAE’s capital of Abu Dhabi he will finally get that incredible feeling back as he squares off against Roy ‘Big Country’ Nelson.
The 37-year-old American may be the same age as Nogueira but he has yet to achieve the same legendary status, and he knows a victory would propel him into contention for a shot at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight crown.
However, being a marked man is nothing new for Nogueira. He has shared a ring with numerous UFC greats and rather than fear his hungry opponents, he becomes genuinely excited at the prospect of testing himself against the best the UFC has to offer.
“I am a very experienced fighter now but I would never hand pick an opponent and the UFC would never allow that to happen,” Nogueira told Sport360° during a visit to his gym in Dubai.
“They always pick the very best fighter but that is better for me as I like to challenge the top guys. The man you are fighting makes you who you are. I simply wouldn’t fight an easy opponent.”
In Nelson he faces an almost unique challenge. His thick-set body belies his speed and his skills cannot be underestimated. His explosive power in both hands comes from spending time training with Floyd Mayweather’s uncle Jeff, while the legendary Renzo Gracie helped him master Jiu-Jitsu.
Yet these attributes do little to intimidate Nogueira. He first started learning judo at the age of four, before turning his hand to boxing in his teens and then Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu became his passion by the age of 18.
So how does he assess the threat presented by ‘Big Country’?
“He has a good jab that helps him move an opponent to where he wants him for his uppercuts.
“He has good endurance for a big guy and he moves quicker than you would expect. His ground game is also very good and he’s incredibly strong when pushing you towards the cage.
“I have to get my distance right but I will never take a backwards step. He will push and I will push as well. Let’s just see who can take the punishment and keep going to the very end.”
Nogueira has clearly spent numerous hours analysing Nelson during his three-month training camp. But to him this is not work, in fact he refers to this intense period as a “holiday”.
That is due to the fact that for the previous nine months of the year he was running a hugely successful business. Alongside twin brother Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, a renowned fighter in his own right, the pair have 27 gyms across the globe.
These locations are home to over 8000 students who aspire to learn the techniques mastered by the Nogueira brothers.
And by May next year they hope to have opened another 23 branches and nearly double their membership. Far from being simply a figurehead, the fighter known fittingly as Minotauro – a mythical beast with body of man and head of bull – is hands on with his students.
He may be unable to offer one-on-one tuition on a regular basis but he writes all of the programmes designed to advance an individual to the next belt. He has even handed out some 3,000 belts during graduations.
“I design around 58 classes and I make sure I am there to take a photo when they graduate to their next belt,” Nogueira explains. “So when it comes to training I feel like I am on vacation. For three months I am away from everyone bar my team. I still really enjoy being in camp.”
He may have been competing for the best part of two decades but it seems the fire still burns brightly for Nogueira. Retirement has not entered his mind and he still believes he can fight at least twice a year.
Despite his other commitments that sense of gladiatorial competition is hard to replace.
But at some point all fighters must make the decision to step away from the sport that has been their entire life. For some it hits like a lightning bolt while away from the Octagon, for others it is while tasting their own blood or being forced to tap in submission.
When quizzed on his own retirement, Nogueira deliberates for some time. Clearly he feels he is not yet ready to bring an end to his fighting career but it becomes abundantly clear that he has found a passion that one day may replace the thrill of the contest.
“I was in my gym in Dubai the other day and I met a girl who had lost 10kg,” describes Nogueira. “Then I met a local guy who had lost 12kg and he told me that I had changed his life.
“I couldn’t believe it. I love to change people’s lives. For me, that was like winning a world title.”
This moment was clearly a powerful one for Nogueira. It proved that the thrill of combat, the raw emotion and passion could be replicated in another sphere.
And perhaps most important of all, that there is life beyond the Octagon.
MOST MEMORABLE MMA BOUTS
vs Heath Herring at PRIDE 17 November 3, 2001
Nogueira entered the bout with a burgeoning reputation and delivered a near perfect performance by ricking Herring while standing and dominating him on the floor to win the PRIDE Heavyweight title.
vs Dan Henderson at PRIDE 24 December 23, 2002
Having lost to Henderson in 2000, Minotauro was determined to gain revenge. He would do so in impressive fashion, forcing the Hall of Famer to tap out in the third round after locking in an armbar.
vs Randy Couture at UFC 102 August 29, 2009
Two legends of MMA met for the first time in the Octagon and produced the fight of the year. Big Nog twice floored his opponent and was close to gaining a submission late in the fight before eventually winning by unanimous decision.
