UFC 104 Winner Cain Velasquez will take on Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria at UFC 108.
Heavyweight contenders Antonio Rodrigo Nougiera and Cain Velasquez have agreed in principle for a bout at UFC 108.
The bout was first reported by Tatame and has been confirmed by MMA Weekly.
Both men have been listed as potential challengers for the UFC heavyweight title.
Velasquez is coming off of an impressive TKO victory over Ben Rothwell at UFC 104. He is still undefeated (7-0) and has won his last five bouts in the UFC.
Nogueria has had a mixed bag of results since joining the UFC. He lost the UFC interim title to Frank Mir, before bouncing back with an impressive decision victory over Randy Couture at UFC 102.
The winner will more than likely be guaranteed a title shot next.
Good fight
Hell yeah, I like Cain, but I want Nogueira to take it. Cain is a great fighter, but every great up-and-comer should get chin-checked by a veteran so they know what it’s like before returning stronger than ever.
Everytime I try and say Cain is being pushed against a fighter too seasoned for him, he proves me wrong. I’m a big fan of Cain’s but I really feel he should be overmatched and out skilled here…i would love it if he proved me wrong again…he is the future of the UFC heavyweight division this may be too much too soon.
If Velasquez can go into this match without mentally sabotaging himself, I think he has a great chance. Fighting a legend like Nogeira will be Cain’s biggest challenge to date. If he can maintain focus, do all the things we’ve seen him do so well in the ring, and impose his will on Nogueira, he would establish beyond any doubt that he’s arrived at the pinnacle of the heavyweight division.
Coming off of his great win over Randy Couture, Big Nog silenced a lot of doubters and put himself back in the heavyweight mix. Against a rising star like Velasquez, he’ll have to train hard, stay healthy, and have a great night in the cage to maintain momentum.
I would see Nogueira’s advantage in this match on his feet, but we know he can handle handle himself on the ground as well. Cain is an excellent wrestler, with the strength and athleticism to go three strong rounds, so it should be a great fight.
Cain’s a better striker than he gets credit for,he’s a better striker than Couture and Mir,and both of them rocked (Or finished) Big Nog. I see Cain taking this by GnP!!!
Honestly Boo, I need to see a rematch between Frank Mir and Nogueira before I can really use their last fight as a basis for any kind of reasoning at all. Once Nogueira stepped in the Octagon with Randy, it became clear that his showing against Frank Mir was definately not a sign of things to come. I don’t want it to seem like I’m making excuses for Minotauro, but after the Randy fight, I started to wonder if his poor health going into the Frank Mir fight actually did lead to him being stopped like that.
Anyway, Boo watch the Randy fight again, because sure, he popped Nog with plenty of great shots, but rocked him? I don;t remember that happening at all. All I remember was Nog having Randy in really bad spots throughout the fight, sure Randy survived like the warrior he is, but mounted little or no significant offense at all.
With that said, it seems that Cain Velasquez has the potential to be a very bad match-up for Nog. He’s a beast wrestler with sick takedowns, positioning, and control. He may not have KOd anybody really badly, but I saw significantly more power in his punches against Ben Rothwell than when he fought Cheick Kongo. It’s jut another sign that he’s improving all the time. The question of course is, how is Cain’s Jiu-Jitsu game? Let’s not forget he trains under Dave Camarillo, a former student of the great Ralph Gracie and training partner and friend of BJ Penn. Camarillo knows his shit and is a great instructor. Does that mean Cain will rival Nog in the grappling department? Definately not, but all he really needs is decent submission defense and a clear head, because it only takes one mistake on the ground to get subbed by a guy like Nog. However, if he comes ready like that, I think he will win. I think he will be able to take Nog down pretty much at will. Another question is whether or not Cain can effectively pass Nog’s guard, or how well can Nog recover guard if Cain takes him down and lands in side control? I have a hard time seeing Nog being able to sweep a guy with such a strong base, but if he does, then I think it’s anybody’s game. Cain can beat on him from top popsition all he wants, it’s gonna be a tough one for Nog. I’m pulling for Nog, but I think he has his hands full. He’s always had underrated hands and may be able to outbox Cain, but I don;t think that will be too much of a factor with Cain’s beast takedowns.
Sorry about the long popst guys haha, I always have too much to say when I’m looking at potential match-ups.
No apologies K, sometimes it takes a few paragraphs to say what needs to be said. Take it from the king of long posts…
Agree with your analyses of Nog vs. Cain. Nog has all the skills, and there is no tougher fighter. He’s taken beatings that would have crushed a lesser man, and come back to win. What I don’t think Nogueira has in this instance is the nimble swiftness on his feet to slip Velasquez’ takedowns, or the brute strength to manipulate Cain in the clinches or on the ground. Absorbing vast amounts of punishment then coming back to win has made Nogueira a fan favorite and a legend in the sport, but I’m not sure he can take all a powerful fighter like Velasquez has to give, and then have something left with which to submit him or knock him out.
Looking forward to an excellent contest between well matched opponents, whose styles should make this a real war of wills. I give Nogueira all the respect and admiration for his accomplishments, but I think this may be Cain’s moment to rise.
I personally read and respect all the posts no matter how long they are…tell it!!! After re-accessing my stance…i still back Cain but I can see Big Nog look like a better striker than he really is…no doubt he’s a jui-jitsu master-warlock-etc…but Cain is “Beast Wrester” ( like it was said before by Kimurafan) and this is the way to beat Nog…NO wishy wash crap…I’m all in with Cain, like I should have been from the get
I’m predicting right now that this fight will be determined by what happens when Cain puts Nog on his back. It will happen, it might happen pretty often. Nog wll not be able to stop Cain’s takedowns. He may be able to box him up a little bit, but if Cheick Kongo couldn’t put Cain away with the kinds of shots he was landing, then I see no way for Nog to do it either. If Nogueira can submit Cain from his back, he’ll win and I think that’s the only way he’ll win. If Cain can pass Nog’s guard and hold superior positions, he will win and convincingly. I’m rooting for Nog, but I think Cain will be able to mount significant offense from the top position. H emight not put Nog away with GnP, but if he can pass Nog’s guard and control him from side control, it’ll be a long night for Minotauro. I don’t see Nogueira sweeping Cain either, so he will have to get going with the shiftiest guard-work he has right from the get-go.