Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Has Plate, 16 Screws Inserted Into Broken Arm

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira suffered not only a tough loss to Frank Mir at UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida, he also left with a broken arm. This past weekend, "Minotauro" had surgery to fix the ligament, as a plate and 16 screws were inserted into the former UFC heavyweight champion.

"Mr. Nogueira suffered a complex fracture to his humerus," Dr. Tom R. Hackett wrote on Nogueira's blog. "The fracture began in the middle of the bone and extended to the elbow region. Unfortunately, the radial nerve (one of the main nerves lending a feeling of power to the hands) was damaged. The operation involved an incision behind the arm. The nerve was removed from the location of the fracture and treated. The fracture was fixed with a plate and 16 screws, and now, less than 12 hours post-op, his hand functions are returning and the bone is mending."

The doctor also gave Nogueira a timetable for his return, saying he should be back to 100 percent in six months or less.

With the loss, Nogueira dropped to 33-7-1 in his career, but just 2-3 in his last five fights - including two defeats at the hands of Mir. The submission loss was the first of "Big" Nog's career.

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