‘Shogun’ Rua on Canceled Nogueira Bout: It Would Have Been a Very Good Fight

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A little less than two weeks to before he was set to return to the Octagon at UFC 161, Mauricio Rua was surprised by bad news: An injured Antonio Rogerio Nogueira had been forced to withdraw from their rematch.

"I think everybody wanted to watch this fight again, since we have a great duel in Pride. It's a pity Nogueira cannot fight; it would be a very good fight again, I'm sure," said Rua who currently does not know whether he will remain on the June 15 card in Winnipeg, Canada.

In June 2005, the fighter from Curitiba, Brazil, got the nod from the judges against “Minotoro” in one of the greatest fights in Pride history. “Shogun” hopes Nogueira can recover quickly from his injury.

"I deeply respect Minotoro’ I have absolutely nothing against him. He's a very good person. We are opponents inside the Octagon, just that. I wish him a good recovery, and hope that he can come back soon to do his job," Rua said.