Noguiera's manager recently stated his desire to see his pupil take on "Cro Cop" and the Croatian happily accepted the challenge. But does he actually deserve it over Schaub?
After all, the last time the two were in the cage it was against one another, ending via devastating third round knockout courtesy of a monster right hand.
And it was "The Hybrid" swinging the hammer.
His manager, Lex McMahon, explained to ESPN why that impressive win was enough to earn his client a shot at "Big Nog" in Brazil on Aug. 27.
"We are lobbying daily for the fight. As of now, we have not been offered the fight. We are optimistic that if [Nogueira] is healthy, Brendan has a good shot to be his opponent in Brazil. Also, I'm a huge Cro Cop fan and have tremendous respect for him, but it seems a stretch that Cro Cop would fight [Nogueira] in Brazil after Brendan knocked him out with one of the most vicious KOs I've ever seen. Brendan is one of the most dominant fighters in the division and we're hopeful the UFC will reward him with the great honor of fighting in Rio."Tough to argue against that logic.
Schaub pasted Filipovic at UFC 128 on March 19 and has been campaigning to fight a top heavyweight ever since. Some might argue if Nogueira is still of that status at this point in his career but there's no doubt he's a legend.
And the former Ultimate Fighter contestant wants to be the "legend killer."
Of course, none of this will matter if "Minotauro" isn't fully recovered from knee and hip surgery in time for the UFC's return to Brazil. But he thinks he will be and says he want the co-main event slot on the card.
Is a fight against "Cro Cop" or Schaub worth that kind of billing? Remember, Forrest Griffin vs. Mauricio Rua is currently rumored for that spot.
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