UFC
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira officially retires, joins UFC as "Brazil Athlete Relations Ambassador"
Sep 1, 2015 - 1:30:53 PM Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira officially retires, joins UFC as "Brazil Athlete Relations Ambassador"

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira has officially announced his retirement, and he's joining the UFC as their new "Brazil Athlete Relations Ambassador."

Both announcements were made on Tuesday afternoon in a press release from the UFC, and the legendary heavyweight fighter will continue on with the UFC in a non-fighting capacity.

"'Big Nog' is a legend in the sport of MMA," said UFC President Dana White, who had urged Nogueira to retire on multiple occasions over the last couple of years. "He is respected by fighters and fans worldwide. It has been an honor to watch him compete and I'm happy to see him retire. He will be a huge asset to the UFC, the athletes and the sport as an ambassador. I look forward to working with him in this new chapter of his life."

"Minotauro" entered the UFC in 2007 already a legend following a storied and highlight-filled run in Pride. He appeared 11 times in the Octagon in his eight-year tenure, capturing the Interim UFC Heavyweight Title in 2008. However, he lost six of his final nine bouts, three of them by TKO and two by brutal armlock submissions; those were the only stoppage losses of his career.

A decision loss to Stefan Struve to start off August, a bout in which Nogueira failed to do much overall, brought a final end to his time as an active competitor. However, he's now looking forward to his new role with the organization.

"It's a great pleasure and an honor for me to further my ties with the UFC," he said. "I've always had a passion to follow the development of new athletes and that's what I intend to continue doing. I want to help further the spread of MMA around the world and give my contribution to the emergence and development of young talent. I appreciate all the confidence that Dana White, Lorenzo Fertitta and Frank Fertitta have in me, and I believe we will reach big results together. I know that I can, and will, contribute much to the growth of our sport outside of the Octagon."

Penick's Analysis: This is the right role for Nogueira moving forward. He hasn't had a really good performance since knocking out Brendan Schaub in 2011, and it's seemed increasingly dangerous for his long-term health for him to continue stepping in the cage. Now, just what he'll actually be doing in this role remains to be seen, but if he can be a beneficial adviser to many of the Brazilian fighters on the roster going forward, he'll be a valuable part of their operation.