Dewees To Face Nogueira At "Banned"
by Robert Sargent
With Vernon "Tiger" White reportedly dropped from the upcoming Affliction: Banned event due to a failed drug test, UFC veteran Edwin "Bam Bam" Dewees has stepped in to face Antonio Rogerio "Minotoro" Nogueira on the July 26th card.
White apparently tested positive for a banned diuretic following a recent fight in a local promotion, prompting Affliction officials to drop him from the card.
Dewees (35-12-0, 1 NC), just 25 years of age and already with 48 fights to his name, has completely dominated when competing in smaller promotions throughout North America, but has struggled when faced with tougher competition in more established organisations.
After amassing a 29-6 record and one No Contest, with nearly all wins via submission, Dewees debuted in the UFC against Rich "Ace" Franklin, but lost via TKO in the first round. He lost both of his other UFC fights, to Chris Leben and Jorge Rivera, but continued to do well outside of the UFC. However, he has lost four of his last five fights and needs a big win.
By contrast, Nogueira (13-3-0) has fewer fights but has excelled on the biggest stage - in PRIDE - against some of the best fighters in the world. He has been involved in some of the most exciting fights in MMA history, and is coming off of a very impressive TKO victory over Canadian standout Todd Gouwenberg in February.
Both fighters are skilled on the ground, but Nogueira holds an edge in grappling and a very significant advantage in striking. Many feel that Rogerio's boxing skills are even better than his brother Rodrigo's, the current UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion. Dewees will need to take the fight to the ground and somehow manage to avoid the numerous submissions that Nogueira is so skilled in.
Nogueira does not hold the same notoriety that his twin brother has, but he quietly made a name for himself in PRIDE, defeating Kazuhiro Nakamura (twice), Alistair Overeem (twice) and future PRIDE Welterweight and Middleweight Champion Dan Henderson, the latter of which was done with a slick armbar submission.
On paper, Dewees has very little chance in this fight, but, as Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou showed at PRIDE 33 when he knocked out the iron-chinned Nogueira in just 23 seconds, anything is possible in MMA.
Nogueira vs Dewees will air live on Fox Sports Net in the United States and The Fight Network in Canada, just prior to the PPV telecast of Affliction: Banned. The event takes place on July 26th.
