Minotouro talks about retirement after trilogy against Shogun: 'The time has come'

R. Minotouro (photo) will have his last professional fight on July 25th, against M. Shogun. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @minotouromma

One of the most responsible for the dissemination of MMA in Brazil, Rogério Minotouro is close to retiring from the sport. At 43 years old, the athlete has an appointment scheduled for July 25th, on 'Ilha da Luta', when he faces one of his biggest rivals, Mauritius Shogun, in a trilogy that began more than 15 years ago. Aware that this will be his last challenge, the Bahian commented on his plans for when he officially hangs up his gloves.

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“I think the time has come. I have a lot of work, projects and my mind doesn't stop. I'll do my thing, but I'm sure I'll adapt to not fighting anymore. It's going to be difficult, I might have to do yoga and meditation to focus on doing other things other than fighting. I will be a coach. I have my team. Maybe finding new champions will satisfy my desire to win”, said Rogério in an interview with 'MMA Fighting'.

Minotouro also spoke about what it was like to play in a sport with his brother as a great reference in mixed martial arts. The Brazilian is the twin of the legendary Rodrigo Minotauro, former PRIDE and UFC champion. For Rogério, his brother has always been a great reference and helped a lot in his evolution in MMA.

“I was lucky to have Minotaur as a brother. When you have someone of that caliber by your side, you only get better. If I hadn't had Minotaur by my side, I wouldn't have become better. He made me train more and get involved as an athlete”, said Minotouro.

Against Shogun, Rogério will reach the mark of 33 appearances in his career. Professional in the sport since 2001, Minotouro has 23 wins and nine losses in mixed martial arts.

Shogun x Minotouro

Maurício and Rogério were responsible for taking part in one of the most exciting fights of recent times, in 2005, for the now extinct PRIDE. At the time, both at the height of their careers, the combatants fought an unforgettable confrontation in which Maurício ended up winning the judges' unanimous decision after three hard-fought rounds.

In 2015, 10 years later, Rogério received his long-awaited rematch. Now, for Ultimate, the fighters were put face to face again in one of the fights at UFC 190. Just like in the first meeting between the Brazilians, Shogun got the better of him and won by unanimous decision.

This year, the situation for athletes is different. Coming from a draw against Paul Craig, Shogun needs to show that he is still capable of performing at a high level against big names in the company. The 38-year-old Brazilian, in November, even announced, in an interview with SUPER FIGHTS, who still has no plans to retire, although he recognizes that the time is not far away.

At 43 years old, Minotouro is experiencing a moment of instability within the organization. If you fight since the hard knockout you suffered to Ryan spann, UFC 237, in May last year, the athlete has been oscillating between victories and defeats in his career. In his last six appearances, the Brazilian suffered four setbacks.

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