'Minotoro' Submits Staring at Jungle Fight

FORTALEZA, Brazil -- Antonio Rogerio Nogueira submitted Dutchman Dion Staring with a second-round triangle choke Saturday during the latest edition of Jungle Fight in Ceará. A strong crowd assembled to cheer on the Brazilian idol in his first fight on home soil.

"Minotoro" was aggressive from the start with crisp boxing and excellent knees. Staring (15-5) felt the brunt from the bell, suffering knockdowns and having his face cut in the first minutes of the confrontation.

Though he punished his opponent, Nogueira (16-3) could not get the knockout, but that didn’t stop him from pushing forward. In the third round, the Pride and Affliction veteran scored two more knockdowns and moved to finish on the canvas. There, Nogueira pulled his opponent into his guard and secured the triangle choke.

"It was exciting fight here in Brazil," said Nogueira. "The Dutchman was very tough, took many blows, and was a warrior. I managed to connect good blows, and landed some strong knees, but the guy resisted well.”

Among the highlights of the night, the experienced Johil de Oliveira submitted Rodrigo Jacome with a first-round Kimura.

Ivan Iberico and Pedro "Stone Hands" Santos, both pupils of Alexandre Franca Nogueira, used the same technique –- the anaconda choke -- to submit their opponents Jamil Silveira and Killer Junior. Iberico finished in the first, while Santos was victorious in the second.

Standout Arimarcel Santos absorbed Marcos Motta’s vicious ground-and-pound, but remained calm until he could latch on the fight-ending armbar in the first round.

In other bouts:

Ednaldo Santos def. Artur “Tubarão” –- TKO R1
Alexandre “Pulga” def. Andrezinho Nogueira –-Decision
Alex Nacfu def. Anistavio “Gasparzinho” –- TKO R2
Eric Silva def. Carlos Villamor – Submission (Kneebar) R2