Former Champs Antonio Rodrigo Noueira and Frank Mir to Rematch at UFC 140

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Frank Mir at UFC 92

It didn’t take long to figure out the next step of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira after he dispatched of up-and-coming heavyweight talent Brendan Schaub at UFC 134 in Rio de Janeiro little more than a week ago.

He will square off in a rematch with fellow former heavyweight champion Frank Mir at UFC 140 on Dec. 10 in Toronto.

“Both men are known as two of the premiere submission specialists in the division, but have shown dangerous striking skills as well,” said UFC president Dana White on Wednesday, announcing that verbal agreements are in place.

The two fought in the main event of UFC 92 after serving opposite each other as coaches on the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter. Mir walked away the victor in that bout, finishing Nogueira by TKO in the second round. The bout marked the first time in his career that Nogueira had been finished in a fight, and it also cost him the interim UFC heavyweight championship.

Nogueira, after crushing Schaub at UFC 134: Rio and scoring a $100,000 Knockout of the Night bonus, finally gets his shot at redemption when the promotion returns to Toronto.

Nogueira feels he’s finally back on track after undergoing medical procedures to correct lingering issues in both his legs. The bout with Schaub was his first fight back in more than a year.

Mir, after defeating Nogueira, failed in his bid to unite the interim title with Brock Lesnar’s UFC heavyweight championship, but has gone 3-1 since that time. His last two bouts include a knockout of Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic last September and a decision victory over Roy Nelson earlier this year in May.

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