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What's next for Roy Nelson after knocking out Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira? Also, should Nogueira retire after another brutal loss? Or would you be OK seeing him continue fighting? Why or why not?
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DAN MOORE, MMATORCH UK COLUMNIST
That was a vintage Roy Nelson performance, even against this version of Nogueira that's been in decline for a long time now. Nelson is fun to watch in action and because of his appearance; fans are always intrigued to watch him. He's clearly in the lower half of the top 10 rankings and highly unlikely to progress any higher. His inability to beat opponents ranked higher is glaringly obvious, but he always looks mightily impressive against opponents ranked below him. For me he's a gatekeeper capable of putting on an exciting fight. Next up has to be Mark Hunt. If ever there was a fight perfect to headline a UFC Fight Pass event, that's it.
As for Nogueira, surely it's time he was encouraged to call it a day. He's a legend of the sport and a true pioneer, but it's time he resigned himself to the fact he can't complete at this level anymore. Some of his recent losses have been brutal to watch, and his body is being held together with staples and duct tape. He has nothing left to prove and in his current condition, his legacy is only going to dwindle with every defeat. If he is insistent on fighting again then Frank Mir is probably the only option available to him and the one fight that makes the most sense, even if Mir has already beaten him twice.
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CASH NORMAN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Roy Nelson is the ultimate gatekeeper. We have already seen that Nelson has not been able to perform against the elite of the division. Most hardcore fans would like to see a bout between Nelson and the "Super Samoan" Mark Hunt. I think that would be a fun and fan friendly fight, if a match is not booked between Mark Hunt and Brendan Schaub beforehand. Another matchup could be made between Nelson and Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva once he returns from his doping suspension. Or perhaps a rematch in the summer between he and Stefan Struve.
As far as Minotauro Nogueira, I absolutely believe he should retire. Nogueira is 37 years old and is clearly on the downside of his career. During the fight with Nelson, Nogueira looked old, slow, and confused. I was bewildered by the fact that not only did he circle into Nelson's right hand, but had his hands low before being hit by the looping overhand right which sent him crashing and then twitching on the ground. Nogueira has held the heavyweight championship in two organizations, Pride and the UFC, he does not have anything else to prove. Instead of calling out Frank Mir for a third foray, especially after losing the first two by brutal knockout and then submission, he should retire gracefully.
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FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
I'll start with the most important part first. Nogueira should absolutely retire. I'm usually not one to advocate retirement for athletes as I think they should be able to continue as long as they want. However, it's different in cases where the fighters long-term health is in danger. Nogueira has taken an enormous amount of punishment over the years. That's taken a toll on him, it's obvious to see that when he fights. I have a lot of respect for Nogueira, but it's time for him to retire.
As for Nelson, I guess you give him a top eight guy and see what happens. We've been down this road before, though, so we pretty much know what will happen. Nelson can't beat the top tier guys, but he deserves the chance to prove he can.
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BRAD WALKER, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
Look, Roy Nelson isn't an elite fighter, and Big Nog used to be. I'd be more than game to see Nelson vs Hunt and enjoy two fat dudes beating the daylights out of each other. Nogueira needs to retire, his prime is way past him and he doesn't have anything left to give or prove. Let's leave it at this, Nelson-Hunt and Big Nog-Retirement
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TOM STRONG, MMATORCH UK CONTRIBUTOR
"Big Country" showed again on Friday why he is a force for anyone within the heavyweight division. The knockout power he possesses in the right hand is just frightening! Matched up with the right fighters he could get himself within touching distance of that title shot.
With most top 10 heavyweight fighters already scheduled to fight, the options for Nelson next are pretty slim. Though there is one fight out there we would all love to see, and that's between Nelson and Mark Hunt.
If this isn't possible, the next best would be a fight with Alistair Overeem. Let's be honest though, the UFC hasn't been booking a ton of fights recently that "make sense." So I fully expect Roy to either get a title shot or an unranked opponent next.
I feel it's time for Antonio Nogueira to bow out gracefully and call it a day after that devastating knockout loss to Roy. There's nothing left for Nogueira to prove or achieve, though like many other fighters before him, they just don't know when the time is right to hang those gloves up.
Is this the last time we've seen "Big Nog" inside the Octagon? Sadly I doubt it.
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