Ryan Bader has looked great since coming off “The Ultimate Fighter,” but it would take a win over veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira to truly establish himself as a force at light heavyweight. The co-main-event at UFC 119 afforded him the opportunity to make that necessary impression.
Nogueira has two wins in the UFC, but his last win, a controversial decision, came without the most impressive of showings. Opponent Jason Brilz, a decent-sized underdog, controlled a lot of the fight–and if Brilz could handle Nogueira in the wrestling game, one would assume the high-level Bader would have no trouble doing so.
With that in mind, a win for Nogueira would prove the disappointing Brilz fight was not a sign that he’s ready to relinquish his spot atop the MMA game.
Who won? The result follows:
Ryan Bader b. Rogerio Nogueira via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
*Story of the fight: Simply put, Ryan Bader was the better fighter.
Bader did not come across like an immovable object, but he absolutely got the better of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. In addition to showing legitimate competency in neutralizing a solid striker (save for some sporadic big shots in rounds one and two and then for much of round three), he scored some big takedowns throughout the fight and delivered vicious ground in pound in the first round.
As the fight progressed, Nogueira started successfully stuffing Bader’s takedowns, which resulted in some mental frustration for Bader. That frustration, combined with some fatigue, allowed Nogueira to find his range more successfully on the feet. At the end of the day, however, that striking advantage was never enough to truly endanger Bader. And when Bader did get in trouble (such as in round three), he ultimately was able to muscle a takedown.
Many will have scored round three for Nogueira, but the other two rounds were obvious–this was a victory for Bader.