Tale of two Nogs

TORONTO - It was a night of extremes for the Brazilian Nogueira brothers: one celebrating victory in the first round, the other suffering defeat in the first round; one injuring his opponent, the other suffering an injury; one beating an American legend, the other losing to one.

Rogerio, better known as Lil Nog because he is a light heavyweight, preceded Rodrigo, known as Big Nog because he fights in the heavyweight division, leading up to the main event of UFC 140 Saturday night at Air Canada Centre.

Rogerio entered the Octagon for his fight against Tito Ortiz as the clear underdog. Ortiz, the onetime Huntington Beach Bad Boy who decided this year to change his name to the People's Champ by turning into a good guy, is one of the most decorated fighters in UFC history, holding six heavyweight title records.

He has already indicated plans to retire next May at age 37. He contract ends then, 15 years after he began in the UFC, and he knows his body simply can't stand up to the battles anymore, even if his heart is willing.

Lil Nog destroyed Ortiz with a technical knockout at 3:15 of the first round, sending him to the canvas with a left knee to the midsection, then grounding and pounding him like a steak that needed tenderizing. Ortiz needed help from his handlers afterward because it's the second time in as many fights that he has been hurt. He said Nogueira caught him in the same area of his body that was injured in a loss to Rashad Evans in August.

Rogerio, who turns 36 next July but who looks much older, is now 3-2 in the UFC and 20-5-0 in his career. He might factor in the card the UFC is planning to conduct sometime next year in Brazil in a stadium expected to hold an estimated crowd of 100,000. The UFC will stage a card in Brazil in January 2012, but nothing compared to its grand plan, which would shatter its previous record of 55,724 this past April at the Rogers Centre.

Who knows, maybe he'll face champion Jon (Bones) Jones, who defended his title by beating Brazilian Lyoto (The Dragon) Machida by submission in the second round of their title fight that concluded UFC 140. Jones is 24 and is taking on all comers.

"I feel so great," Lil Nog said afterward.

He didn't need an interpreter, which he'd used all week, suggesting he didn't feel comfortable speaking in English, compared to his brother.

"It's like a dream come true," he added. "Tito Ortiz is a legend in this sport, so I'm very, very happy. I wanted this win badly. I knew he was going to come out aggressive because in his last two fights he came out that way. Once we took it to the ground, I got on top and gave it my all."

Ortiz graciously accepted defeat.

"He is the true champ. I take my hat off to him," Ortiz said.

As for Minotauro, he will be sidelined indefinitely, suffering what appeared to be a badly-damaged right shoulder against American Frank Mir, who had beaten him three years before. Minotauro needed medical attention from the paramedics unit, which happens rarely in mixed martial arts, which brought in a stretcher. Minotauro walked out of the cage with his arm in a sling and his shoulder taped. He was later taken to hospital.

White confirmed afterward that he hurt both his shoulder and elbow, to what extent was not yet know but he will require surgery.

Mir felt he had been disrespected when he last battled Nogueira and won in the second round with a technical knockout. It was revealed two days after the victory that the Big Brazilian had just gotten over a staph infection three weeks before and had a five-day stay in hospital.

The two former heavyweight champions took turns escaping out of each other's holds in their latest battle in what became a technical display of ground work before Mir wrapped up his opponent, who tapped out midway through the first round.

"I hope Minotauro is okay," Mir said. "I idolize him and I'm curious to see what he has to say after. When you are as big as we are, things are going to happen."

Things happened to both Nogueira brothers with dramatically different results.

Perry Lefko keeps you connected to all the news in the CFL on Sportsnet.ca.