The Minotauro Of Always

[Warchief]

With a pained expression on his face, seemingly on the verge of tears, Minotauro at times seems to be an anvil, before a full stadium and millions of television viewers.

His adversary, heavier, hammers on the Brazilian.

With a bit of magic, and using the same technique he would use several times to no avail during the fight, he changes the scene and, without trying to extract revenge for all his pain and suffering, he sinks in one of his incredible submissions and gets the win.

The lines above can describe Saturday night’s fight, in the Mandalay Bay arena, in Las Vegas, against the giant Tim Sylvia, in the main event of UFC 81. But they can also describe Minotauro’s career. They could even describe the Brazilian from Bahia’s life.

While watching the drama of Minotauro versus Sylvia, it was impossible not to be reminded of August of 2002, in the National Stadium in Tokyo, when 90 thousand people were overtaken with emotion as the hammer Bob Sapp punished the anvil.

Nevertheless, after trying the same move of going from the guard to the back on several occasions, he finally executed one successfully; he gets on top and stretches out the arm with the girth of a tree trunk of the former American football player weighing over 170kg.

(For those that haven’t seen it, don’t believe it or have forgotten, check out the epic struggle by clicking here)

In November of 2003, the drama would repeat itself with Mirko Cro Cop. The technique was attempted without success, this time, it was the takedown known as the double leg.

The expression of suffering was repeated, the knockdown came, but Rodrigo went back in to spend the whole second round trying – and this time getting it – to take down the Croatian, who was submitted with an armbar.

(Minotauro's happy ending you can see by clicking here)

All the emotion was brought to his home nation of Brazil on the popular Sunday program Fantastico, represented in Japan by Gloria Maria.

So what were the differences between that episode and the one we followed Saturday evening?

This time, the one to catch up with Minotauro was Globo’s printed news. Ary Cunha was the reporter chosen to spend carnival in Las Vegas, and he certainly yielded a story of this artist whose work imitates life.

For a journalist, how can one not be impressed by the fact that the suffering, the drama and overcoming we’ve witnessed in Nogueira’s fights is paralleled in his own childhood, when he was run over by a truck and spend months in hospital in between life and death, before turning the tides and submitting the accident?

Minotauro’s fight on Saturday was worth the interim belt among the heaviest of the greatest MMA event on the planet, the UFC.

Even there, there is a coincidence.

If this time the adjective interim was used because the organization still hopes champion Randy Couture will step into the octagon, back in 2003 Minotauro also wrangled the interim belt of the greatest event of that time, Pride, whose champion, Russian Fedor Emelianenko, was also playing hard to get.

It was with a sweep from half guard that seemed suicidal, for beating he would be exposed to.

And it was executed so masterfully that the massive Tim Sylvia acted like dead weight, sailing over the Brazilian till his back was to the canvas, at the mercy of Minotauro’s famous Jiu-Jitsu submissions.

At the press conference, the “O Globo” (largest Brazilian news network) reporter didn’t beat around the bush and pressured the Pat Miletich trained giant:

“The fight’s conclusion was proof of Jiu-Jitsu’s hegemony. What do you think of the style?”

“I hate Jiu-Jitsu,” Sylvia fired back.

But, before the answer could take a tone of arrogance or bitterness, he added that he would go back to the mid-west, fish, and… train Jiu-Jitsu!

Meanwhile, still with his eye cavities swollen nearly shut, Nogueira handles the UFC belt, becoming the first athlete to have managed the maximum prize in both of greatest organizations in history (Pride and the UFC).

And he carries on, with the promise of bringing more drama, more art, more history.

Minotauro’s destiny truly is predetermined.

The Minotauro of always






Kudos! Nogueira!!

[Bigshanks666]

Great read! Minotauro is a true warrior and deserves to be the UFC Heavyweight Champion. I was literally jumping up and down cheering when he sunk in that guillotine. IMO that was one of the greatest moments in MMA history.

War Minotauro!!

[GODKING7]

Congrats To Big Nog And To Sylvia Who Did`nt Dry Hump Us To Sleep And Try To Give Us A Good Fight Now All We Need Is For Randy To Stopping Hiding And Recognise That Hes Not The Best Hwt
In The Ufc And Has No Buisness Asking To Fight Fedor If He Aint The Number One Challenger Beat Big Nog And Iam With U But Til Then I Consider U A Coward Who Knows Ure Going To Get Submitted By A Greater Fighter!!!!

[valheruking]

Minotauro also wrangled the interim belt of the greatest event of that time, Pride, whose champion, Russian Fedor Emelianenko, was also playing hard to get.

Eh, he had a broken hand.

[atj-lucko]

As I said before in another thread the Rocky Balboa of MMA...

[Beat2Sleep]

This should just about sum up what happened in that fight......................

"Nog spent two rounds in Silvia's world and got through it. Once it hit the deck and Silvia was in Nog's world he lasted about ten seconds."

[valheruking]

Pretty much yeah.

[Warchief]

Nogueira’s fights is paralleled in his own childhood, when he was run over by a truck and spend months in hospital in between life and death

Now i know why he has a cut on his back, Nogueira once a victim of Vehicular accident that almost cost his life and spend months in hospital...look at him now a Champion, he is a true Warrior and Survivor.

[Kansas]

I like the idea that Big Nog is getting good press and I was ridiculously happy when he subbed Timmers but the article is kind of cheesy. I was reading through it and it reminded me of a sports montage from a movie; bad music and all.

[UFC-chef/Hughes-fan]

I think NOG should change his nickname to "Face of Steel" I'll always remember his fight with Bob Sapp, he had one side of his face smashed (i believe he broke his jaw, cheek bone and his eye socket) in and still subed him, Tim knocked the shit out of him several times and he still subed him.