Dana White 'done' giving Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira fights, will offer him UFC job

RIO DE JANEIRO – UFC President Dana White said fans have seen the last of former PRIDE and interim UFC champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira inside the octagon.

Following Nogueira’s first-round knockout loss to Roy Nelson in April 2014, White was adamant that he wanted the Brazilian heavyweight to hang up his gloves.

“I don’t want to see Nogueira fight ever again,” White told MMAjunkie following Nogueira’s loss to Nelson. “He should retire.”

Despite his comments, White granted Nogueira (34-10-1 MMA, 5-6 UFC) another fight. He was booked against towering Stefan Struve (26-7 MMA, 10-5 UFC) on Saturday at UFC 190 in his native Brazil and ultimately lost a unanimous decision in a pay-per-view main-card bout at Rio De Janeiro’s HSBC Arena.

Although he wasn’t stopped in highlight-reel fashion (watch the Struve vs. Nogueira video highlights)  as he has in his previous two fights, Nogueira still dropped his third consecutive contest. The loss again raised questions about his future in the sport, and White addressed those concerns at UFC 190’s post-fight press conference.

When asked by MMAjunkie about Nogueira’s future, White said he would no longer offer the legendary fighter bouts. However, he does intend to offer Nogueira a front-office job with the UFC, similar to what he’s presented to other aging athletes.

“I love ‘Big Nog,’ and I think everybody loves ‘Big Nog,'” White said. “He’s such a good guy. He’s respected by everybody, and he and I actually talked tonight. I’m done. I don’t want to see him fight anymore. He doesn’t disagree.

“He and I are going to get together, and we’re going to talk. I’m probably going to give him the Chuck Liddell, Matt Hughes and Forrest Griffin deal. I’m going to bring him in and make him an employee.”

Nogueira has suffered eight knockdowns in just 11 UFC fights, which is tied for the second most of any fighter in organizational history. He has also been stopped inside the distance in five of his six UFC losses.

White didn’t dive into deep reflection regarding Nogueira’s career. However, his praise was similar to what he offered after Nogueira’s loss to Nelson.

“He is a warhorse,” White said. “The guy has been in – just the battles in PRIDE that he’s been in, let alone the fights that he’s fought in the UFC. He is one of the most respected fighters in the world by other fighters, let alone by fans, and I like him very much too.”

For the latest on UFC 190, check out the UFC Events section of the site.