"Big Nog's" last stand?
Meanwhile, Rodrigo Nogueira suffered a broken arm in his dramatic co-main event with Mir after refusing to tap to a deep kimura. UFC officials tweeted a picture of Nogueira's X-ray, revealing the fractured appendage, and White said there may be additional shoulder and elbow damage. Nogueira will on Sunday fly to Los Angeles to seek surgical repair.
White also discussed a potential retirement with the 35-year-old Nogueira following his February 2010 loss to Cain Velasquez. Nogueira also made good on his reprieve, scoring a surprising knockout win over Brendan Schaub at UFC 134.
"The last time, I said after he got knocked out that 'Big Nog' should look at (retiring)," White said. "He got mad at me. He got all bummed out. Then he came out and pulled off that win with Schaub.
"'Big Nog' looked great tonight until that submission."
Indeed, he did, rocking Mir before ultimately falling victim to the nasty finishing hold. But with Nogueira now on the shelf for what looks like a significant amount of time, White said he hopes the legendary Brazilian will at least consider calling an end to a career that dates back to 1999 and includes more than 40 fights many of them all-out wars with fellow superstars Josh Barnett, Fedor Emelianenko, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic and Bob Sapp, among others.
"You've got to look at a guy's entire career, not just how it's ending," White said. "'Big Nog' has been in wars. I was at the PRIDE fight when he fought Mirko 'Cro Cop.' 'Cro Cop' was just blasting him with kicks to the body and shots to the head. Then he ends up pulling off that submission win in the second round. He's had a career where he's been through wars.
"'Big Nog' is a nice guy, and he's a guy whom I respect. I know they get pissed off at me when I say this stuff, but again, it doesn't matter. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I'm the one that makes these decisions. I'm going to have to sit down and talk to him. I don't want to see him get hurt or anybody else."
If Nogueira is done, he would leave with an octagon record of 4-3, including a February 2008 win over Tim Sylvia to become the UFC's interim heavyweight champion, a title he would promptly lose to Mir in the pair's first meeting. His accomplishments in PRIDE would qualify Nogueira as a certain Hall of Famer if one existed for the sport. Currently, the UFC only supports a UFC Hall of Fame, and "Big Nog" would have trouble earning a spot based solely on his work in the octagon.
