Mauricio Rua vs Rogerio Nogueira — Fight recap

Mauricio Rua defeated Rogerio Nogueira by unanimous decision over three rounds on August 1, 2015, in a striking-heavy matchup that saw Rua control the pace with superior accuracy. Rua landed 53 of 98 significant strikes at 54% accuracy while Nogueira connected on 63 of 166 attempts, managing just 37% efficiency despite higher volume.

The Brazilian veteran's grappling proved decisive—Rua secured two takedowns and accumulated 4:19 of control time, while Nogueira remained grounded throughout with zero takedown attempts and only 0:14 of control. Rua's precision was evident across all zones, particularly in body work where he landed 15 of 16 strikes cleanly.

The decision reflected Rua's ability to dictate range and dictate exchanges, establishing himself as the more complete fighter in a bout between two former light heavyweight contenders seeking relevance in the division.