Big Nog Says Hip Injury Ended His MMA Career

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is one of the greatest heavyweight fighters in the sport of MMA, but retired after a loss to Stefan Struve at UFC 190 in August 2015.

The heavyweight legend revealed that a hip injury is what helped lead him to the decision to retire.

"No, no. I had a hip injury, my last three fights I wasn't 100 percent anymore,” Nogueira said on The MMA Hour. "So (after) my last fight I decided. I talked to Dana (White, UFC president) about working, and he said ‘man, come work for us in the Brazilian office.' I love to be working for them. We got like an online show in the internet once a week, and we plan on making more shows. Of course I miss fighting,” he added. "That was my life. Wake up in camps. not only the fight, but the camps. To do something. (But) it doesn't matter how much you train, if you can't get there and can't have a good performance because your body doesn't help, so that’s why I stopped. My body wasn't helping anymore, my hips were not the same speed. The foot (speed), you know? Getting inside and outside. I was losing that."

Nogueira did end his professional MMA career on a three fight losing streak, with those losses coming to Stefan Struve, Roy Nelson and Fabricio Werdum.

Another Brazilian that's retiring soon is former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor Belfort, whom Big Nog calls a great fighter.

"Vitor is a great fighter and he fights someone likes 25 years old is gonna be hard for him, but, of course, if they make fights with fighters in their 40s, why not?” Nogueira said. "Fighters on the same level. But not changing rules, you know what I mean? But I'm not fighting anymore, I'm not thinking about it. But for him, it makes sense."

Even though Big Nog is now retired, MMA fans can still catch him on The Third Degree, which streams on UFC Fight Pass.