Aleksei Oleinik is the only top-ranked UFC heavyweight who’s earned the majority of his wins submission, but Rodrigo Nascimento is climbing the ladder to one day swim with the sharks, proud to be a dissenting voice in a sea of heavy hitters.
Nascimento, who meets Chris Daukaus on Saturday night at UFC Fight Island 5, remembers an unforgettable experience in Abu Dhabi before his second octagon appearance, training with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, one of the best heavyweight grapplers in MMA history, days before the contest.
Nascimento, who’s tapped six of the eight foes he’s faced in his unbeaten career, was inspired by the legendary “Minotauro” after rolling for a few minutes on the mat.