Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Active 2007–present · rated in 1 edition · peak overall 86.0
Scouting report
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira started judo at four, boxing at 14 and jiu-jitsu at 18, and holds a fifth-degree black belt under Ricardo De la Riva. He won the first Pride heavyweight title by decision over Heath Herring at Pride 17 in November 2001, lost it to Fedor Emelianenko in 2003, and took the interim belt by armbarring Mirko Cro Cop in November 2003. In the UFC he won the interim heavyweight title at UFC 81 on February 2, 2008 with a guillotine of Tim Sylvia. His UFC record was 5-6.
Peak ratings
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: a Pride champion who carried his guard into the UFC
He ran second to Fedor in the 2004 Pride Grand Prix and lost a unification bout to him on December 31, 2004. In the UFC he beat Herring on a decision at UFC 73, took the interim title from Sylvia, and lost it to Frank Mir by TKO at UFC 92. He beat Randy Couture at UFC 102 on a unanimous decision. He trained at Brazilian Top Team, then Black House from June 2007, and later at Team Nogueira. The UFC inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 2016.
Nogueira, attribute by attribute
Boxing. 82. Brendan Schaub was knocked out by punches at 3:09 of round one at UFC 134 in Rio de Janeiro, a Knockout of the Night.
Kickboxing. 70, far below his jiu-jitsu. Roy Nelson knocked him out with a punch at 3:37 of round one at UFC Fight Night 39.
Wrestling. 78. He started judo at four and has a judo black belt.
BJJ. 94, his best. Sylvia tapped to a guillotine at 1:28 of round three at UFC 81, and Dave Herman to an armbar at 4:31 of round two at UFC 153, a Submission of the Night.
Strength. 86. Cain Velasquez knocked him out with punches at 2:20 of round one at UFC 110 in February 2010.
Durability. 88. Mir broke his right humerus with a kimura at UFC 140 in December 2011.
Cardio. 82. He beat Couture over three rounds at UFC 102 in a Fight of the Night, and Stefan Struve beat him on a decision at UFC 190.
Fight IQ. 88. A staph infection hit him before UFC 92, and later an infection cancelled a planned UFC 108 bout with Velasquez.
BJJ at 94 and a guard that finished the champion
Sylvia was a former heavyweight champion when Nogueira choked him in round three at UFC 81 for the interim belt, and the fight earned a Fight of the Night. He also armbarred Cro Cop in Pride and Herman in the UFC. The jiu-jitsu is why he is a draft pick.
Kickboxing at 70 and years of injuries
Velasquez, Nelson and Mir all stopped him on the feet or the mat. Fabricio Werdum armbarred him in round two at UFC on Fuel TV 10 in June 2013. Knee surgery in February 2009, hip and knee surgery that cost him UFC 119, an arm injury before UFC 149 and a partial ACL repair on June 17, 2014 mark the damage. After the Struve loss, Dana White said the UFC would not offer him more fights.
Keep exploring
Closest heavyweight profiles to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Frank Mirbest bjj 94 · weakest kickboxing 74
- Aleksei Oleinikbest bjj 93 · weakest kickboxing 64
- Roy Nelsonbest durability 94 · weakest kickboxing 68
- Ben Rothwellbest strength 89 · weakest kickboxing 76
- Heavyweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira's strongest attribute, BJJ.
Draft Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira into your build
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Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.