Antonio Rogerio Nogueira Discusses His Fight With Alexander Gustafsson Getting Cancelled

– Antonio Rogerio Nogueira mmajunkie.com, here are the highlights…

On Working through a Rough patch:“I had a rough patch. In 2011, I had surgery on my knee for the first time, and then it was a sequel of fights that fell through. (UFC President) Dana White even said, ‘We can’t put Rogerio to do main or co-main events because his fights are being canceled.’ But it wasn’t up to me. It was a health matter. In the past year and a half, I’ve been having less sparring sessions. Before, I’d start sparring three months before a fight. Now I look to do MMA sparring just one month and a half before. I’ve been doing more boxing and muay Thai ones, for maintenance. I’ve been looking for quality over intensity. This year, I’ve been blessed. Doing my second fight in one year is already a blessing. Next year I’m sure I’m going into it well, hopefully with a win, and will get back with three fights. Increase that goal.”

On Pressure to Retire: “I felt (the pressure) a lot when my brother retired/ ’What about you? Are you retiring?’” Nogueira said. “People wanted to retire me. But last year I did a good fight (against Rua). This year I did an even better one (against Cummins). It confirmed that I could still train. I could still compete at a high level.”

On The Fight With Alexander Gustafsson Getting Cancelled Again: “This time, I was doing physical therapy – but feeling good – and they called saying Gustafsson was hurt,” Nogueira said. “I couldn’t believe it. I was like, ‘This has to be a joke,’ and it was already at that day, you know, that day when you’re already focused, training with the specific opponents. I was looking for big sparring partners. Everything was in place for that fight. “So when we get those news – it’s a bad thing, but you need to turn it around. And my will to fight in Brazil is too big, there was no way I was going to turn down that opportunity. They changed opponents and that same day, that same time I accepted it. Let’s move forward to fight Ryan Bader now.”