Countdown To UFC 190: Shogun Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

Before Ronda Rousey and Bethe Correia square off for the women’s bantamweight championship in the co-main event of this Saturday night’s (August 1, 2015) UFC 190 from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, light heavyweight veterans Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira will go to war in the co-main event.

The bout is a rematch of their original classic at Pride Critical Countdown 2005, which Rua took by unanimous decision during his prime as one of the most dangerous mixed martial artists in the world. That fight was also many fan and media members’ pick for 2005’s “Fight of the Year,” but Shogun and “Ll’ Nog” have experienced the inevitable fall that every fighter one days endures. Rua has dropped four of his last five while Nogueira has largely struggled to stay healthy due to many repeated injuries.

While their first fight will no doubt be hard to repeat considering the toll since taken on the aging, war-torn Brazilians’ bodies, there’s also potential for anther great fight that could keep hope alive for the winner’s relevancy in the increasingly shallow UFC light heavyweight division. In preparation for the rematch, watch the full Countdown to UFC 190: Shogun Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira above.