According to UFC.com, the UFC has confirmed a heavyweight bout between rising prospect/contender Brendan Schaub and former PRIDE heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. The fight will take place on the UFC 134: Rio fight card. The details are as follows:
UFC 134: Brendan Schaub Vs. Antonio ‘Minotauro’ Nogueira Confirmed
The UFC 134 fight card has added a high-profile heavyweight battle, Dana White confirmed today. The 8-1 Brendan "The Hybrid" Schaub and former Pride and UFC champion Minotauro Nogueria have verbally agreed to the August 27 bout in Rio.
Schaub is coming off a UFC 128 knockout of the night performance against another Pride legend, Mirko Cro Cop. The summer bout will be Nogueira's first return to the Octagon in 18 months after an injury took him out of his planned headlining bout last October.
Nogueira has been sidelined after receiving knee surgery while Schaub has remained active. One also has to acknowledge the slow but steady path of opponents Schaub has faced and defeated makes this an intriguing bout. It’s a winnable fight for Schaub and possibly the kind of win that would allow him to shed the “prospect” status in favor of full-fledged contender. Let’s hope, however, matters don’t become problematic if teammate Shane Carwin defeats Junior dos Santos and Schaub defeats Nogueira.
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