UFC Fight Night: Mauricio Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira Betting Guide (2020)
The much-anticipated “Fight Island†has come and is nearly gone as the UFC is on the verge of finishing its fourth event in two weeks on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The island promotion by was all accounts a smashing success, including very few positive tests, no outbreaks, and a Pay-Per-View number not seen since a McGregor fight in 2018.
Like the last two events, this card can be streamed in its entirety for free on ESPN and ESPN+, with the main card starting at 8 p.m EST and the undercard getting underway at 5 p.m. EST.
Before Whittaker and Till face off in a critical middleweight fight, two veteran light heavyweights with a shared past will look to secure wins in their first fights in two-plus years.
Let’s take a closer look at the co-main event of the evening and see where we can spot an edge.
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Mauricio Rua (26-11-1) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (23-9-0)
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It was 2005 when Rua and Nogueira faced off against each other for the first time at a PRIDE event, and 10 years later at UFC 190 when they finally got their rematch. In both cases, “Shogun†Rua won by the judge’s scorecards in what were highly competitive affairs.
For Rua, a third win against Nogueira would mark his first victory since 2018, a 3rd round knockout against Tyson Pedro. The last time we saw him inside the octagon was a year later at UFC Fight Night 164, a decision that also went to the judge’s scorecards and resulted in a draw.
On the other side of this trilogy, a fellow Brazillian in Nogueira is coming off a two year lay off of his own, with his last time inside the octagon being in May 2019. In that fight against Ryan Spann, Nogueira got caught early, losing in the first round by KO just two minutes into the fight.
Like many fights scheduled in the last six months, this one was originally scheduled for May but had to be pushed back to Fight Island because of the pandemic. Not that the fighters needed the extra time, but I do believe the even further extended layoff will cause at least one of these fighters to come in more complacent than they typically would.
Over their last ten combined fights, only two have not ended in violent fashion. In a division already known for not going the distance, I see one of these veterans getting caught early, and both clearly have the firepower to just need one.
Pick: How the Fight Will End – KO/TKO (-130)
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TJ Perun is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from TJ, check out his archive and follow him @JohnnyCovers.