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One of the greatest fighters in MMA history has hung up his gloves. This Tuesday (1st), Rodrigo Minotauro officially announced his retirement from fighting, putting an end to a successful 16-year career, in which he won titles and other achievements that placed him forever in the martial arts Olympus.
More than because of his largely successful record – which was sealed with 34 wins, ten defeats, one draw and one fight without result – Minotauro gained legendary status for his displays of determination and incredible comebacks inside the rings and octagons. The Brazilian stood out in the dangerous heavyweight division not only because of his refined technique on the ground, but also because he refused to give up in battles that seemed impossible to him.
Minotauro's trajectory was marked right at the beginning by an enormous episode of overcoming. When he was 11 years old, little Rodrigo was run over by a truck while playing with friends in his hometown, Vitória da Conquista, in Bahia. As a result of the numerous injuries he suffered, he was hospitalized for almost 11 months.
After being discharged, Minotauro emphasized his judo training on medical advice, as the martial art would help him recondition his body. The migration to jiu-jitsu was natural, starting to compete in the gentle art and achieving prominence.
In 1999, he made his debut in Vale-Tudo (old MMA nomenclature) and in a short time he was at the top: he won the title of the RINGS tournament, in Japan, and became world champion in the also Japanese PRIDE, in 2001.
The following year, he fought the fight that forever entered the list of great classics in combat history and is still remembered today as one of the highlights of MMA. In August 2002, in front of more than 90 thousand people at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Minotauro survived punishment from the giant Bob Sapp, weighing 167 kg, and achieved a historic turnaround, ending the fight with an armbar.
At that point, Minotaur seemed invincible. However, the Brazilian was about to cross paths with the one who would be the greatest tormentor of his career: Fedor Emelianenko. Against the Russian, he ended up losing twice in two years and was ousted from the number one heavyweight position in the world.
Return to the top and fall
In 2007, with the end of PRIDE, Minotauro ended up signing a contract with the UFC, and within two fights he was already sporting a belt on his body. After beating Heath Herring in his first appearance in the Octagon, the Bahian painfully beat Tim Sylvia to win the interim heavyweight title, as the lineal champion, Randy Couture, had left Ultimate.
That had been one of the last moments of great competitiveness in Minotauro's career. After that, the Bahian suffered resounding defeats, such as those against Frank mir e Cain Velazquez, and some beautiful victories, in front of Brendan Schaub and Randy Couture, but was no longer able to perform at the top of the division.
Against Schaub, in fact, Minotauro filled a “gap” that was missing in his career. Even though he is a veteran of MMA, the fighter had never competed in Brazil. The first time was in August 2011, at the event that marked the UFC's return to Tupiniquin lands. On that occasion, Minotauro won by knockout in the first round and drove the crowd in the gym crazy.
His last career victory also came in Rio, in 2012, when he submitted Dave Herman in the second most important fight of UFC 153. After that, Minotauro, who visibly seemed to feel the effects of time and no longer had the same vigor as before, ended suffering three defeats in a row, the last of which was to Stefan struve, in August this year.
Thus, Minotauro puts an end to his successful career in competitions. In these 16 years, the now former fighter did not have a perfect record, and in many moments his technique seemed not to keep up with the level of evolution of MMA. But there is no doubt about one thing: it was the end of one of the most beautiful stories ever seen in sport, which will forever serve as an inspiration for new generations.
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