Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, the twin brother of former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, was victorious Saturday at Jungle Fight in Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil.

Interestingly, it was Nogueira's first fight in Brazil. Nogueira has fought in Japan, Canada and USA but had previously never competed in his home country.

Nogueira took on 30-year-old striker Dion Staring in the main event and submitted the Golden Glory fighter with a triangle choke in the third round.

Nogueira improved to 17-3, while Staring fell to 15-6.

Nogueira was coming off a knockout win over Vladimir Matyushenko in January at Affliction: Day of Reckoning and the win over Staring extended his win streak to five.

A superfight between UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar (3-1) and UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir (12-3) will headline UFC 100; perhaps the most anticipated UFC event in the history of the storied MMA organization.

Headlining an event of this magnitude would appear to be quite an honor, but to listen to Lesnar tell it, he'd rather be watching from the front row.

"I'm a little disappointed that it got pushed back," Lesnar said in a recent appearance on HDNet's "Inside MMA". "In my mind, is Frank really hurt, or is he just scared?"

Mir was forced to undergo knee surgery due to an injury sustained in practice, which pushed the highly anticipated unification tilt from UFC 98 to UFC 100.

"(Frank Mir) won a make-believe belt from (Antonio Rodrigo) Nogueira," said Lesnar. "He is a former champion. But there's no ifs, ands or buts about it, I'm the current champion."

Mir was able to defeat Lesnar in their first fight, after sustaining serious damage via viscous ground-and-pound, before catching the former WWE superstar in a kneebar and forcing him to tap. Lesnar believes he rushed the fight and got caught making a rookie mistake.

"The biggest thing was that you've got 15 minutes," Lesnar said. "As soon as I entered the Octagon, there were a few other key factors that played into why I rushed the fight. But those would be just plain old excuses. I lost the fight fair and square. I had him up against the fence, and believe I was winning the fight. But, I made a rookie mistake and he capitalized on it. I'm looking forward to this upcoming fight with Frank."

As for a prediction, the ever confident Brock Lesnar had this to say:

"I don't think it's going to change much in the second (fight), (but) with a different outcome for sure."

A planned rematch between UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar and interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir (picture) for UFC 98 on May 23 that would have unified both title has been canceled.

The UFC was recently informed by Mir's camp that he was forced to withdraw due to his injury. Mir suffered a knee injury and has already undergone surgery. The surgery will sideline the former strip club bouncer for the next four to six weeks.

There is no rumor as to whether Lesnar will remain on the card against a new opponent or if he will be taken off the card entirely.

The UFC had just officially announced Lesnar vs. Mir II by UFC.com earlier this week. The much-anticipated rematch had been anticipated to draw a large buyrate on PPV.

The first meeting at between Lesnar and Mir took place at UFC 81 in February of 2008 and ended at 1:30 of Round 1 after Lesnar was caught in a kneebar by Mir. Competing in just his second professional bout, the former WWE superstar was forced to tap despite the fact that he had knocked Mir down and was reigning down punches on him just prior to getting trapped in the submission hold.

Lesnar and Mir had been slated to fight each again other after both secured wins in the first round of a heavyweight title unification tournament. However, a Lesnar vs. Mir rematch in the finals of the tournament had been considered an improbability going in.

But the odds of a second fight between the two changed greatly after Lesnar won the heavyweight title from defending champion Randy Couture this past November at UFC 91. Couture, fighting for the first time after a 15 month layoff was TKO'd by the former WWE Champion at 3:07 of Round 2.

The rematch between Lesnar and Mir became a reality following Mir's upset victory over defending interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira at UFC 92 this past December. Displaying improved stand-up, Mir was able to TKO the former PRIDE FC Heavyweight Champion at 1:54 of Round 2.

Meanwhile, several reports have been published recently attributing quotes to UFC President Dana White claiming that a planned UFC 98 main event between Lesnar and Mir was still on.

In a report by Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports, a quote is attributed to White in which the UFC President denied any knowledge of a Mir injury.

"UFC President Dana White said after the weigh-in for UFC 96 at the Nationwide Arena that he knew nothing of an injury by Mir," wrote Iole, who later reported in his story that sources close to Mir had confirmed that the interim UFC Heavyweight Champion underwent knee surgery last week.

During a bodybuilding webcast conducted at a fitness expo in the Columbus area held in conjunction with this weekend's "Arnold Classic", Mir responded to a question about the date of the fight at the 1:26 mark by saying, "Hopefully the summertime. It was May 23 but I needed to get a scope done to my knee so I got it done immediately last week. It would be rushing it to try and fight that soon because I can't really train for four to six weeks as far as sparring and wrestling and the real forms of training. Obviously I can hit the treadmill but that's usually not a good idea to be getting in shape for a fight on a treadmill."

While the UFC has yet to make a public announcement regarding the cancellation of Lesnar vs. Mir II at UFC 98, it is already exploring options for a replacement main event bout. One scenario believed to be under consideration is moving Rashad Evans' first defense of his UFC light heavyweight title that had been planned for UFC 100 on July 12.

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – Long considered the most prestigious title in mixed martial arts, the UFC Heavyweight Championship currently rests in the hands of two men – Champion Brock Lesnar and interim belt holder Frank Mir. On Saturday, May 23rd, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Lesnar and Mir will meet to not only determine an Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion, but to settle some very personal business they began in this same city over a year ago.

"Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir put on one of the most intense one round fights I've ever seen at UFC 81," said UFC President Dana White, referring to Mir's submission victory over Lesnar in February of 2008. "But when it was over, both guys saw things very differently. Lesnar blamed his loss on inexperience and being too aggressive, while Mir saw his win as a triumph of his technique, something he says will happen every time they fight. On May 23rd, each fighter has his chance to prove his point, and while a lot has happened for these two since that first fight, I know the rematch is going to be just as intense as the first one, especially considering that the winner walks away as the UFC Heavyweight Champion."

Tickets for UFC 98: LESNAR VS. MIR 2 priced at $800, $600, $400, $250, $125 and $75, not including applicable service charges, go on sale Saturday, March 7 at 10 a.m. at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith's Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.ufc.com, www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Thursday, March 5 at 10 a.m. PT via the website ufc.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Friday, March 6 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through ufc.com.

UFC 98: LESNAR vs. MIR 2 will be available live on pay-per-view on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu, Shaw Communications and Viewer's Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.95 for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available).

A gifted athlete with the size, speed, and power to impose his will on any opponent, 6-3 ½, 265 pound Brock Lesnar (3-1) made an immediate impact in the UFC when he debuted in February of 2008. A four-time All-American, two-time Big Ten Champion, and 2000 NCAA Division I National Champion in wrestling, Lesnar made a name for himself internationally after college as a professional wrestler, but he soon found his calling in mixed martial arts in 2006. After a 69 second win in his pro debut a year later, Lesnar entered the UFC in 2008 and was seconds away from victory against former heavyweight champ before a stoppage in the action for a point deduction allowed Mir to come back and submit the newcomer moments afterwards. But at UFC 87 in August of 2008, Lesnar showed why he was a force to be reckoned with by dominating Heath Herring, and by November 15, the ever improving Minnesotan shocked the world when he TKOd one of the greatest heavyweights of all time, Randy "The Natural" Couture. Now firmly entrenched on the top of the heavyweight division, Lesnar wants to even the score with Mir.

"I'm delighted to have a rematch against Frank Mir," said Lesnar. "I can't wait to get my revenge and finish this fight on the ground the way it should have been finished last time."

Many believe that 29-year old Las Vegan Frank Mir (12-3) was destined for stardom the moment he stepped in the UFC Octagon, and he lived up to all expectations when he submitted Tim Sylvia in 50 seconds in 2004 to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Unfortunately, Mir's career ground to a halt when a serious motorcycle accident later that year forced him to the sidelines for almost two years. His eagerness to return forced him into some spotty performances when he stepped back into the Octagon in 2006, but at UFC 74 in August of 2007, Mir was back in top notch form as he submitted Antoni Hardonk in just 77 seconds. He followed that pivotal win with a come-from-behind victory over Brock Lesnar at UFC 81 in February of 2008, but it wasn't until UFC 92 on December 27, 2008 that Mir came all the way back, as he became the first man to stop the legendary Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueira at UFC 92, en route to regaining the interim portion of the championship he never lost in the Octagon. On May 23rd, the 6-3, 240 pound Mir has the opportunity to once again reign as the undisputed title holder.

"Brock Lesnar has been calling for a rematch with me ever since I beat him the first time," said Mir. "All I can say to Brock is be careful what you wish for because I'm a better, smarter, stronger, and faster fighter than I was the last time. He won't be able to push me around like he's done smaller opponents, and I'm looking forward to becoming undisputed champion again."

Source: UFC.com

UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 fight card is perhaps the most anticipated of the year, featuring two title bouts and a third grudge match between MMA superstars Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

In one of the title bouts, Michigan State University's own former wrestling star Rashad Evans will go for the light heavyweight title against defending champion Forrest Griffin.

The other title bout features Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira against Frank Mir for the interim heavyweight title and the right to fight Brock Lesnar for the true heavyweight title down the line.

Here are the results for the event which took place at the MGM Grand Garden arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on last Saturday, December 27, 2008:

• "Sugar" Rashad Evans def. Forrest Griffin by TKO at 2:46 of Round 3

• Frank Mir def. Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira by TKO at 1:54 of Round 2

• CB "The Doberman" Dollaway def. Mike "The Master of Disaster" Massenzio by TKO at 3:01 of Round 1

• Quinton "Rampage" Jackson def. Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva by KO at 3:21 of Round 1

• Cheick Kongo def. Mostapha Al Turk by TKO at 4:37 of Round 1

• Yushin "Thunder" Okami def. Dean "The Boogeyman" Lister by unanimous decision

• Antoni Hardonk def. Mike "The Juggernaut" Wessel by TKO at 2:09 of Round 2

• Matt "The Hammer" Hamill def. Reese Andy by TKO at 2:19 of Round 2

• "Bad" Brad Blackburn def. Ryo "Piranha" Chonan by unanimous decision

• Pat "HD" Barry def. Dan "The Viking" Evensen by TKO at 2:36 of Round 1

UFC 92 will come to us live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, December 27, 2008. It will be called "The Ultimate 2008". Namely, that coming in it looks like the best MMA card of the year.

This event is the ultimate event of the year with the original Ultimate Fighter Forrest Griffin defending his title against "Sugar" Rashad Evans. Then the Ultimate Fighter coaches face off as Interim World Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira takes on former Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir. Plus, two of the hardest hitting light heavyweight fighters go toe-to-toe when Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva battles former Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

Here is the fight card for the event:

• Forrest Griffin vs "Sugar" Rashad Evans

• Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira vs Frank Mir

• CB "The Doberman" Dollaway vs Mike "The Master of Disaster" Massenzio

• Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva vs Quinton "Rampage" Jackson

• Cheick Kongo vs Mostapha Al Turk

• Yushin "Thunder" Okami vs Dean "The Boogeyman" Lister

• Antoni Hardonk vs Mike "The Juggernaut" Wessel

• Matt "The Hammer" Hamill vs Reese Andy

• Ryo "Piranha" Chonan vs "Bad" Brad Blackburn

• Dan "The Viking" Evensen vs Pat "HD" Barry

The Vice President of M-1 Jerry Millen is welcoming the UFC to co-promote a battle of champions between WAMMA Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko and newly-crowned UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar (picture).

"Couture and WAMMA Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko had publicly acknowledged a desire to fight each other multiple times over the course of the past year," Millen said in a statement released Tuesday. "While M-1 and Fedor remain interested in a match against Couture, we would also like to publicly state for the record that we would welcome a superfight between Fedor and Lesnar that would be held as a co-promoted event between the UFC, M-1, and Affliction Entertainment."

Millen believes that Fedor should remain the undisputed champion, and that the UFC is only calling Fedor "overrated" simply because UFC has not acquired the final PRIDE FC Champion to its roster.

The UFC currently has two heavyweight champions, Brock Lesnar and interim champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, whom Fedor has already defeated twice. With the Couture fight devalued, Millen wants especially the remaining superfight with Lesnar.

"While Brock Lesnar is an accomplished athlete and a talented fighter, we do not consider him to be the number one heavyweight in the world," Millen continued. "Until someone beats him, we strongly believe that Fedor should continue to be recognized as the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. In a match between Fedor and Lesnar, we do not feel that at this stage Lesnar would be able to make it out of the first round."

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (picture), the twin brother of the interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, will square off against Moise Rimbon at World Victory Road: Sengoku 6 on November 1 in Saitama, Japan.

Nogueira (14-3) last fought at Affliction: Banned, knocking out Edwin Dewees in the first round.

Rimbon (13-7-3) from Paris, France will be making his second Sengoku appearance. He submitted K-1 fighter Peter Graham with a rear naked choke at Sengoku 4 in August.
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World Victory Road: Sengoku 6
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan

Middleweight Grand Prix:
Yuki Sasaki vs Kazuhiro Nakamura
Jorge Santiago vs Siyar Bahadurzada
Joe Doerksen vs Izuru Takeuchi (Reserve Match)

Lightweight Grand Prix:
Satoru Kitaoka vs Eiji Mitsuoka
Kazunori Yokota vs Mizuto Hirota
Bang Seung Hwan vs Jorge Masvidal (Reserve Match)

Non-Tournament Bouts:
Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal vs Fabio Silva
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs Moise Rimbon

There are lots of rumors circulating about a possible November bout between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva (picture). And while most of the MMA world would love to see a third fight between the two (Silva won the first two, one by TKO and the other by KO) it's going to take some work for the fight to occur.

From Jackson's side, there's certainly some legal issues that he needs to overcome, and there's uncertainty as to whether he'd be eligible to fight in November. From Silva's side, he has requested to not fight until December which forms another roadblock for the UFC to get over. One could see Silva coming around under the right circumstances but it's hard to determine what exactly is going on with Jackson's situation.

The fight between these two will likely happen but the question of November is a hard one to know. UFC will market these two and the fight should garner good viewership, but with the returning of Noguiera in December, a Georges St. Pierre-BJ Penn fight on the horizon and a Chuck Liddell-Rashad Evans battle upcoming there's no real rush. Suspect the fight to occur, but it will require some luck for the fight to occur in November.

Fiveouncesofpain.com's Sam Caplan breaks down the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight rankings in an article at CBS Sports, and when you really take a look at the UFC heavyweight division, Brock Lesnar really isn't that far away from a shot at the UFC heavyweight title.

UFC heavyweight rangkings list:
1. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
2. Fabricio Werdum
3. Gabriel Gonzaga
4. Frank Mir
5. Brock Lesnar
6. Heath Herring
7. Cheick Kongo
8. Cain Velasquez
9. Shane Carwin
10.Antoni Hardonk

In terms of the UFC by itself, these rankings are pretty much as close to official as you can get. With two or possibly even one win over Werdum or Gonzaga, Lesnar could basically become the number one contender to the heavyweight crown.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira will defend his title against Frank Mir in December following the eighth season of the Ultimate Fight in which they are coaches on and if Lesnar does fight and win his next fight or two he could be on the line for a title shot in early 2009.