Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Out-Boxes and Out-Grapples Randy Couture For Decision at UFC 102

Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked heavyweight “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1) won a three-round unanimous decision over eighth-ranked “The Natural” Randy Couture (16-10) by two judges’ scores of 30-27 and one score of 29-28 at UFC 102 in Portland Saturday night.

“It feels great to fight against a legend,” said Nogueira, an MMA legend himself.

Nog’ dropped Couture with a short left-right hook combo in the first round and again with a right cross in the third and followed the first-round knock down with a D’Arce choke that would’ve tranquilized a bull elephant.

“Today I know my boxing skills worked,” proclaimed Nogueira after the fight. “I knock him down twice and I won this fight mostly standing up.”

Couture maintained consciousness and composure inside Nog’s grip on the mat, forcing the Brazilian grappler to abandon the D’Arce choke in the first round and slipping from an arm triangle while Nogueira struggled to pass from half-mount after sweeping Couture in the second round.

Couture scored primarily with a short left elbow while inside Nog’s guard at the end of the third round and a few times after Nogueira pulled guard in the second round. The American MMA legend also scored a right uppercut and dominated the clinch until Nogueira pulled guard to escape.

“I know his plan could be like stand and box with me. He saw my last fight,” explained Nogueira, who was knocked cold by third-ranked Frank Mir (12-4) at UFC 92 Las Vegas last December. “But, my last fight was the worst fight of my life. Bad knee, staff infection. This fight I was hungry. That loss make me hungry.”

Nogueira’s knockdowns and near submissions determined the outcome of UFC 102′s “Fight of the Night”. Fighters.com scored it 30-27 for the Brazilian, who likely earned a title shot versus the winner between second-ranked UFC champion Brock Lesnar (4-1) and sixth-ranked Shane Carwin (10-0) at UFC 106 in Las Vegas 21 November.