UFC legend Minotauro Nogueira was hospitalized with pneumonia in his native Brazil, but the heavyweight is expected to make full recovery.

Nogueira, the former interim UFC heavyweight champion and PRIDE heavyweight champion, released a statement on Thursday explaining why he ended up in the hospital. According to Minotauro, he was kitesurfing in Jericoacoara when he became exhausted and was sent to the hospital for further evaluation. The legend says that he expects to be fine and he recovering and doing tests at a hospital in Fortalza.

Check out the statement that Nogueira released on his Instagram below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHxjxrkDpK_/

Last week from Friday to Monday, we made a 300 km decision in this paradise that is Ceará. For friends who are asking about my health condition, I’m fine, I did all the tests, a negative Covid test, a small bruise on the right lung, Not everyone knows, but I have had some lung and diaphragm surgery when I was small. today I will continue doing exams and tests until tomorrow at a hospital in Fortaleza.
I’m doing very well, my friends, thank you.

MMAFighting.com’s Guilherme Cruz spoke with Nogueira, who provided additional comments on his recent illness.

“I’m going to do a bronchoscopy to remove the blood from the lung and see with a camera exactly what (is going on). Yesterday’s exam ruled out the possibility of a pulmonary thrombosis, which worried me. Everything is ok,” Nogueira said.

Nogueira (34-10-1, 1 NC) is regarded as one of the best heavyweight MMA fighters of all time. He starred in PRIDE from 2001 to 2006, before making the move to the UFC, where he competed from 2007 to 2015. The Brazilian hung up his gloves in 2015 following a three-fight win streak, and he currently serves as one of the UFC’s ambassadors in Brazil to this day.

We here at BJPenn.com wish Minotauro Nogueira a speedy recovery.