Former UFC interim heavyweight champion and MMA legend, Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira, is expected take on Cain Velasquez at UFC 109, which is scheduled for Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Feb. 6, 2010.
Nogueira and and Velasquez were supposed to hook ‘em up in the UFC 108 main event on Jan. 2, 2010; however; "Big Nog" came down with a serious case of staph infection, which forced him to withdraw from the bout.
He clearly did not want to make the same mistake twice in a high profile and important bout . Nogueira revealed after his loss via technical knockout to Frank Mir that he had been hospitalized several days prior to the fight with a severe staph infection.
The hits keep coming for the UFC, Dana White and matchmaker Joe Silva. The guys have to struggle to find a quality heavyweight to fight Junior Dos Santos Jan. 2 in Las Vegas at UFC 108. White confirmed that Gabriel Gonzaga is off the card because of staph infection.
Gonzaga last fought Chris Tuchsherer at UFC 102 in August. He's won 3 out of 4 fights. Dos Santos who is only 25, and remains unbeaten in the UFC. The promotion will wait until after Thanksgiving to come up with a list of candidates to replace Gonzaga. It's slim pickings at the top of the UFC heavyweight food chain right now. The choice that makes sense would be Cain Velasquez, who lost his chance to fight on the card against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Nogueria is also out with staph. MMANewsFree.com
Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir finds himself in an interesting position.
With heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar sidelined indefinitely, injuries and infections are forcing fighters such as Gabe Gonzaga & Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira to delay or cancel fights, Mir's status in the heavyweight division continues to go up.
"The long-term goal for me and my own satisfaction is to take off Brock Lesnar's arm," Mir said. "At the end of the day, that's what my goal is when I go to the gym and train. But being an interim champion would get me one step closer to doing so.”
