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‘Minotauro’ Nogueira Honored by Countrymen During Carnival Parade




RIO DE JANEIRO -- Brazilians in Rio de Janeiro paid homage to former Pride Fighting Championships heavyweight titleholder Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira during a Carnival parade on Monday.

Playing to a resilience-centered theme from the Grande Rio Guild, the parade featured a number of examples of the power of the human spirit, including yachtsman Lars Grael, who had his leg amputated during an accident at sea. Nogueira was recognized for a life filled with comeback stories, which started as a child, when he was hit by a truck and spent time in a coma.

As a professional mixed martial artist, Nogueira has made a career out of overcoming adversity, starting in 2002, when he recovered from a hellacious beating to submit Bob Sapp. Even as he has aged, the magic has not left him. At UFC 134 in August, Nogueira returned from three serious surgeries to knockout “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 10 winner Brendan Schaub. “Minotauro’s” twin brother, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, and reigning UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos also took part in the parade.

“Minotauro” continues his recovery from arm surgery after he suffered a gruesome injury in his most recent appearance, a submission defeat to Frank Mir in December. At 33-7-1, the 35-year-old owns notable victories against 2006 Pride open weight grand prix winner Mirko Filipovic, two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships gold medalist Fabricio Werdum, former UFC heavyweight champions Josh Barnett and Tim Sylvia, two-time Olympian Dan Henderson and UFC hall of famers Mark Coleman and Randy Couture.

“The Rio Carnival is the biggest event of cultural expression in the world. The Grande Rio theme had everything to do with us,” Nogueira told Sherdog.com. “I had a great experience.”
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