Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Has Undergone 22 Surgeries In His Career

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira1

Back on September 1st, MMA legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira announced his retirement at a press conference Rio de Janeiro, exiting the sport at the age of 39.

To say that Nogueira has had several wars in his career would be an understatement. During a roundtable discussion promoted by Dr. Marcio Tannure at the 2015 Rio Sports & Health conference in Rio de Janeiro on Oct. 18, Nogueira discussed his injuries that he has sustained in his career and dropped a gem worth of information. According to Nogueira, he’s had a total of 22 surgeries in his career.

“I have done a total of 22 surgeries; I’m all broken,”Nogueira said. “I started my surgery career early, at 11 years old when I was hit by the truck. However, the last five years were more difficult. I had eight surgeries. I have 16 metal screws in my right arm, from the elbow to the shoulder, and they are extremely painful at the beginning of a training camp and also when the temperature changes. I also had a surgery on my left arm and two on my hips. Those four surgeries were pivotal in my decision to retire.”

He leaves a career that spanned 17 years and stretched across several different eras of the sport.

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Also during this roundtable discussion, Tannure revealed that Nogueira had fought Roy Nelson in April 2014 with a torn knee ligament. That fight saw Nelson knock out Nogueira in the first round.

“When I arrived in Abu Dhabi for fight week, ‘Minotauro’ came to me and said, ‘Doctor, I was sparring yesterday when I heard a snap. I think something happened,’” Tannure said. “This was three days before the fight, and he entered the Octagon barely able to walk. I told him that few human beings would be able to fight with such strong pain. This guy is definitely a cyborg.”

He is currently serving as an Athlete Relations Ambassador for the UFC in Brazil.