"Big Nog" recovering from Staph infection heading into UFC 92

by FlyByKnight on Dec 31, 2008 1:07 AM EST Comment 29 comments

“Nogueira had some other problems too going into [UFC 92]. Nogueira had just gotten over a Staph infection and he had some other problems but when they fought in PRIDE, PRIDE put on such freak shows, guys fighting out of their weight class, things like that. That’s why I’m so against it. That’s how you ruin guys early. If you’re a professional athlete, time is not good to you. Time catches us all.”

-- Dana White on The Carmichael Dave show

Straight from the mouth of UFC President Dana White regarding the possible reason as to why Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira did not appear to be at 100% health and functioning capacity during his Interim Heavyweight Championship fight against Frank Mir at UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 on December 27th. I will not say it's a full excuse as to why Nogueira lost to Mir but it is something to keep an eye on as to why he may have lost the way that he did. Who knows if Mir would finish him if Nogueira was truly 100% or even win at all but staph infections are no laughing matter.

We'll see whether or not Nogueira can fully recover from this catastrophe anytime soon in order to fight Randy Couture, which at this point is nothing more than a pure rumor. But the fact that Nogueira was not at 100% for his fight with Mir is quite disturbing. Kudos to him for still going through with the fight but who were the people giving him advice about doing so? Staph infections, like I stated earlier, are no small thing.

I wish Nogueira the best in his recovery and now maybe we have at least a partial answer as to why Nogueira did not seem himself.

The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.

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Nog looked like a sleepy mummy during this fight and now we know why.

"It's like a flying knuckle sandwich." --Rogan
"And many men have eaten it." -- Goldy

by thetakeover on Dec 31, 2008 10:09 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Staph infection aside, it sounds like Dana is saying that Nog is finished. "PRIDE put on such freak shows … That’s how you ruin guys early. If you’re a professional athlete, time is not good to you. Time catches us all."

I read that as, Pride beat him down and it has finally caught up to him.

by mythbuster on Dec 31, 2008 10:11 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I can see Dana now

Well Pride was always a fraud. Their heavyweight that was supposed to have the best chin in the world just got KO’d by a MW.

by skwirrl on Dec 31, 2008 10:14 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I mean lets be honest here, Heath Herring almost finished Nog in the UFC when they fought. Tim Sylvia just blows. He was going to get caught sooner or later. He’s finished IMO.

by lbk on Dec 31, 2008 10:14 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I an hesitant to blame his appearance/performance solely on staph. However, I have seen it bad enough to certainly have a big impact on strength, stamina, etc.

Eliot Marshall: Bader won. Like I said in the episode, I'm not going to make any excuses. It's my job to be able to deal with when somebody's doing that. It's not his job to change up his tactics.

http://eliotmarshall.com/

by BJJDenver on Dec 31, 2008 10:25 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

sorry, “am”.

Eliot Marshall: Bader won. Like I said in the episode, I'm not going to make any excuses. It's my job to be able to deal with when somebody's doing that. It's not his job to change up his tactics.

http://eliotmarshall.com/

by BJJDenver on Dec 31, 2008 10:26 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Staph may have contributed

But alot of it is being shot and punch drunk

by skwirrl on Dec 31, 2008 10:28 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Why do you take such dumps on Nog?

It’s his first UFC loss, and fifth overall (third to people not named Fedor and second unavenged because he whupped Barnett’s ass after that loss).

I can’t decide if the anti-Nog stuff on the ‘Net now is genuine analysis or people desperately trying to explain how yet another PRIDE fighter got ZOMGKTFO by a UFC veteran that doesn’t garner the same respect.

Wait a minute… yes, I can. It’s the latter. Nog’s still a great fighter, but Mir was the better man – same thing with Rampage-Wanderlei – and that just eats some people up inside.

by subo on Dec 31, 2008 2:40 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It's simple cognitive dissonance, at least in part.

Everyone expected Nog to beat Mir, so when that didn’t happen there was a collective moment of frustration, after which many people decided to take the "I WASN’T WRONG’ tack and try to make up excuses. This is pretty simple psychology, and it certainly explains a lot of the Nog bashing.

That said, Nog looked absolutely unlike the guy who has cemented his place as an all-time great HW MMA fighter. He just didn’t look close. But Mir did look fantastic, and obviously had a game plan that would work, and executed it correctly. I won’t say Nogueira’s health would have definitely altered the outcome of the fight, but I will say definitively that it would have altered the actual fight itself.

There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.

by misterjonez on Dec 31, 2008 3:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

After reading the article on MMAJunkie, I think Mir is just a greatly improved striker.

by cyph on Dec 31, 2008 4:26 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Because he was slower and less coordinated against Herring

and even worse against Sylvia. He was healthy in both those fights. You haven’t watched Nog enough if you think he’s not degrading hard and fast. And like I said Staph could have definately played a part. But it doesn’t get rid of your chin and his chin is GONE.

by skwirrl on Dec 31, 2008 6:38 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

nipping this in the bud

Let’s not get this twisted. I think Mir would have still won, even if Nog was staph-less. Might have taken longer and may have even gone to decision, but Frank looked really really sharp that night.

by INGO B on Dec 31, 2008 1:03 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Based on the performance Mir gave that night, he may have even taken Fedor to a decision.

by Benicio on Jan 1, 2009 7:16 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Two things

1. No fighter has ever gone into a fight 100%. It just doesn’t happen. There is always something broken, bruised, torn, strained, tweaked, sore, or otherwise not in tip top I-don’t-train-every-goddamn-day shape. Staph is brutal, but I don’t give fighters excuses for losing based on being hurt. Everyone’s hurt.
2. I like how Dana threw in the extra dig at PRIDE there. Testing ain’t for the public, folks – it’s for the fighters.

by subo on Dec 31, 2008 2:44 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Freak fights

I have to agree with Dana on the freak fights and different weight classes problem. Watching a lot of those old Prides, I’m surprised at what you can get away with in the absence of an athletic commission.

"It's like a flying knuckle sandwich." --Rogan
"And many men have eaten it." -- Goldy

by thetakeover on Dec 31, 2008 4:26 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I dont necessarily think people are being anti-Nog. I think it is just people finally realizing he is past his prime. Herring and Sylvia arent that great and he was getting beat up pretty bad by them. I dont think anyone believes Mir would have beat Nog in his prime. Part of it may also be he had an off day and I think Mir looked better than we have ever seen him but the fact remains that Nog is getting older and the body can only take so much punishment. Plus, the rumors about his eyesight may hold some validity.

by metaldome on Dec 31, 2008 5:27 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

And Mir had a herniated disc in his back going into UFC 92, injuries happen but once you get in the cage there are no excuses. Frank Mir dominated Nog from start to finish, it’s time that people started admitting the truth and leave out the other bs because it won’t change the outcome.

by Raker on Dec 31, 2008 5:49 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I had a friend who boxed with a herniated disk so I saw what he went through. He at least could still train. I doubt Nogueira could.

"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." - Sir Winston Churchill

by FlyByKnight on Dec 31, 2008 6:38 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

He couldn't train

Look, I’ve never had it so correct me if I’m wrong.

Staph didnt make him slow, weak, gassed, whatever.

The fact he couldn’t train because he had staph is what made him dull. The question that needs to be answered is how long could he not train and how close was it before the fight.

I am not saying Mir didn’t look fantastic so nobody freak.

by Headkick on Dec 31, 2008 6:34 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Actually Staph can kill you

so it could have made him slow weak etc. But it wouldn’t have gotten rid of his chin. Which was gone.

by skwirrl on Dec 31, 2008 6:40 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

i know it can get pretty rampant due to the mutation that makes it resistant to antibiotics…

but you know, Nog’s a pro surrounded by other pros that are all aware of staph so i cant see it getting too out of control given the general awareness of the issue. most gyms if you show up with a hint of a rash youre outta there….

by Headkick on Dec 31, 2008 6:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Staph most likely limited his training

This isn’t one of the ‘everyone comes in with some sort of injury’ type of things. Staph is serious and i would say it probably limited his training a great deal. That explains his slowness and timidity.

by Discman2 on Dec 31, 2008 7:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Didnt Diego have Staph when he fought Koscheck? Look how out of it he was too. Staph is serious business.

Randleman’s Staph infection a few years ago:

by Benicio on Jan 1, 2009 7:20 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

jesus freakin christ!

is that after surgery to remove a bad spot or did staph do that by itself?

what if you get staph on your dick? it’s just gone?

by Headkick on Jan 1, 2009 11:38 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That’s what the wounds look like before surgery, a lot of times. Sometimes, on more shallow tissue areas (like the elbow, knee or ankle) the wounds will weep quite a bit, and there can be some white/yellow exudate present (kinda like thick, dried pus). I don’t know specifically about this picture, but I had a staph infection on my calf and it ate a two inch hole into my leg before I got the antibiotics to clear it up.

As to what you do if it gets on your dick…well, you need to get to the doctor ASAP because erectile tissue doesn’t regenerate, and neither does the glans. You lose any of that stuff, and it’s gone forever.

There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.

by misterjonez on Jan 1, 2009 12:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

by Rundownloser on Jan 1, 2009 12:42 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

awesome!

Eliot Marshall: Bader won. Like I said in the episode, I'm not going to make any excuses. It's my job to be able to deal with when somebody's doing that. It's not his job to change up his tactics.

http://eliotmarshall.com/

by BJJDenver on Jan 1, 2009 2:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I LOLd

by nitro on Jan 1, 2009 6:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

If the staph was apparent at all, I doubt the NSAC would have cleared him to fight. As you guys have stated at depth, it is dangerous/contageous shit.

by Heenan on Jan 1, 2009 4:58 PM EST reply actions 0 recs