Big Nog: I always wanted to fight Brock Lesnar

18/01/2011 12:26 Nogueira: “I’ve fought the best, but I have much more to show you” By Glaucia Arakaki
Photo Eduardo Ferreira

Former UFC and Pride heavyweight champion, Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira is focused on the recovery process of his injuries and is already planning a possible return on UFC Rio. On an exclusive interview given to TATAME, the black belt talked about the importance of investing in marketing to make MMA popular, demonstrated a wish of confronting Brock Lesnar, chosen Anderson Silva as the greatest pound by pound of the world, guaranteed that he still has many work ahead of him and talked about other subjects that you can check on the chat here below.

What’s the importance of these marketing actions that you’ve been doing to enlarge MMA’s market?

It’s pretty important, there’re fans and many people who like MMA, it’s a new group of fans, it’s a sport that can be watched by people of all ages: a teenager and a 60 year old guy may be watching MMA nowadays. We have to do these things, the events, creating new MMA products and for this huge group of fans that follow MMA, also for athletes, not only the top athletes, but to all so people like it. If we create a product that the athletes use, that’s enough approval for us. If an athlete that fights in a great event uses your product, a regular person can also use it and it’ll be more than enough.

How are your expectations, with the guys of X-Fight, for the selling of your product here in Rio?

I think that every product that I launched today, if it’s a MMA product, it’ll have great success. If it’s worked the proper way, focused on the top athletes who fight in high level, everybody will see. UFC is greater than ever, this coming of UFC to Brazil will completely change things, than the Olympic Games will come… I think that sports are getting to Rio de Janeiro on a great moment. I believe it’ll become the capital of the sports on the world. We have great location, we’ve got here before UFC’s coming and I think it’ll make a huge propaganda of our product.

For this card that is coming to Rio, is there any special fight you’d like to watch?

I’d like to watch (Junior dos Santos) Cigano with Cain Velasquez. I believe it’s a good thing for UFC Rio if my brother fights Ryan Bader, that guy that beat him, I think it’ll be a great fight for Rogério. I’d like to see BJ Penn fighting in Brazil because he’s coming from Jiu-Jitsu and people follow him. I think that BJ Penn could have a rematch with Frankie Edgar, it’ll also be a good fight.

How are your injuries?

I’m doing my third surgery within a month. There were three injuries that I had: my knee, my right hip and my left hip. I have these injuries for eight year, but about three years ago it started blocking me of training hard. I handled it, but I couldn’t do my last fight and really, if you can’t train 100%, you won’t do a good fight. I did these surgeries on the right time and I’m treating myself with the greatest hip doctor of the world, the guy guarantees I’ll be 100% for the second semester.

So, you want to fight again on the second semester of this year?

I want to fight on the second semester. If I can fight on UFC Rio it’ll be perfect, but if not I’m sure that in September I’ll be prepared to fight.

Would you like to fight Brock Lesnar? How this confrontation would be like?

For sure. Cigano will fight Brock Lesnar now, but he’s a guy I’ve always wanted to confront and it’d be a great fight. I enjoy fighting big guys, I think it forces me to use my speed and my guard... I’ll be better of my injuries, that were disturbing me from doing my guard, and I’ll be 100%. I’ve always been interested on fighting bigger guys.

In your opinion, who’s the best weight by weight of the world currently?

I like Anderson Silva, I believe he’s the most complete one. I like BJ Penn, I think José Aldo is on a great phase too. I think these three are the best currently.

You’ve done almost 40 fights, and was only defeated 6 times… What do you think about your career?

I think I did great fight, I’ve fought the best of my division, I didn’t have an easy opponent. I really am one of the guys who fought great guys, but I have much more to show you, I am not done yet (laughs).

What are your current goals and plans for your career?

My next goal is UFC Rio and to be among the tops of UFC.

via mmacrypt.com

Posted via email from MMACrypt.com