Fresh off his stoppage win over Antonio Silva Feb. 22 in Porto Alegre, Brazil, former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir is looking for a pair of trilogy fights.
Mir mentioned a potential bout with fellow former champion Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira at the event’s post-fight press conference, but it sounds like a rubber match with Brock Lesnar is much higher up on his wish list.
“I think I would crush [Lesnar] standing up now,” Mir told The Fight Corner. “I think that on the ground and stuff, I’ve worked with [2X FILA World Champion] Ricky Lundell and stuff a lot and learned how to nullify the wrestling. I wrestled three rounds with Daniel Cormier who’s an Olympic level wrestler and he had a difficult time taking me down. I think that Lesnar would really have to throw caution to the wind and really rush through and I don’t think that he’s gotten any better at wanting to take punches.”
Mir and Lesnar first squared off in 2008 at UFC 81. Mir caught Lesnar in a kneebar just 90 seconds into the bout, earning him both ‘Submission of the Night’ and 2008’s ‘Submission of the Year’ awards.
The pair met again in 2009 at UFC 100, this time for the unified heavyweight championship. Lesnar would go on to TKO Mir in the second round, becoming the UFC’s undisputed heavyweight champion.
“I’ve always heard those rumors from his camp that he doesn’t like to get hit and we’ve seen it in the fights,” said Mir. “The jab-hook combination that I landed on Bigfoot would have floored him too. And then ground and pound I threw on him, to Bigfoot, I think that the same thing that happened with [Lesnar] and Velasquez – when he finally hit his back, screaming for the fight to be stopped. I just don’t know that he’d have time to scream with me.”
Lesnar’s current contract with the WWE is up March 30 following WrestleMania 31, but former WWE commentator Jim Ross shed doubt on this matchup last week, saying concussion concerns could keep Lesnar out of the Octagon for good.
Only time will tell.
5 MUST-READ STORIES
Last Emperor. Fedor Emelianenko reflects on fighting, demeanor and just what happened on ‘the island.’
Beef. UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey blasts ring card girl Arianny Celeste saying, ‘She wouldn’t have a job if it wasn’t for the fighters.’
Chat Wrap. Luke Thomas discusses Ronda Rousey vs. Cat Zingano, the Josh Neer gym video, UFC 184 and more in this week’s live chat.
‘I didn’t even study.’ Having passed both her drug and pregnancy tests ahead of UFC 184, Cat Zingano jokes about rumors she had failed.
‘I thought he was perfect.’ WSOF welterweight champion Rousimar Palhares says he was ‘surprised’ to hear about Jon Fitch’s failed drug test.
MEDIA STEW
UFC 184 embedded episode 3.
UFC rankings report.
Scrums with Rousey, Zingano and Cris Cyborg.
Inside the Octagon with Ariel Helwani.
TTTHS.
Rousey fights Alexis Davis on wood, still wins.
Long watches.
UFC 184 Ronda Rousey vs Cat Zingano Care/Don’t Care Preview
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Chael Sonnen’s ‘You’re Welcome’ Ep 20 – Ed O’Neill dons the gloves
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5 Rounds Today: UFC 184, Bellator 134, Women’s MMA and More
TWEETS
Nick memes.
#UFC184 #rouseyVSzingano #feb28 https://t.co/KWvYU5vM28
— Ronda Rousey (@RondaRousey) February 25, 2015
I’m going to UFC 184 this weekend just so I can watch Britney & Arianny walk around an empty cage… https://t.co/NWjbSlh35l
— ‘Rowdy’ Bec Rawlings (@RowdyBec) February 26, 2015
I wonder how Nick feels about this…
Had a nice dinner with @Gilbertmelendez before visiting his El Nino Training Center – Great gym! https://t.co/hQ8YBspZC2
— Georges St-Pierre (@GeorgesStPierre) February 25, 2015
Cool.
@arielhelwani What I think. ?? pic.twitter.com/ZEpkJoRYWl
— Gina Carano (@ginacarano) February 25, 2015
Beefin’.
Last I checked, I’m not a fighter and never will be. Although, I have nothing but respect for our athletes. They are the best in the world.
— Arianny Celeste (@AriannyCeleste) February 26, 2015
So please, have some class like the one of the best fighters in the world should have. Focus on your fight, not me. Thank u.Much respect.??
— Arianny Celeste (@AriannyCeleste) February 26, 2015
Hey bitch ass @CMPunk I can’t go a year ignoring me. This is the INANET AGE. You look like a complete and utter bitch by ignoring me, man.
— MAYHEM (@mayhemmiller) February 26, 2015
LA bound Bethe.
A caminho para terra das estrelas ?? Los Angeles https://t.co/9yr3BnBvNN
— Bethe (@bethecorreia) February 25, 2015
I’m HORSEWOMAN KILLER!! @IyNuk @ufc @RondaRousey @seanshelby @ufc_brasil @danawhite @lorenzofertitta #Horsewomen – https://t.co/Prd2UwUeTG
— Bethe (@bethecorreia) February 26, 2015
Get well soon.
That’s what I feel under my foot. X-ray Time. Doctor busted my bubble and said I can’t Drive or fly… https://t.co/fAguRy1QCa
— Tyron T-Wood Woodley (@TWooodley) February 25, 2015
Sounds good.
“@americana_brand: PED-free fighter of the day is @Cowboycerrone pic.twitter.com/3AJsSzfgNo” 100%
— Cowboy Cerrone (@Cowboycerrone) February 26, 2015
Conor cam.
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announced yesterday (Feb. 25 2015)
Nina Ansaroff vs. Rose Namajunas at UFC 187
Josh Sampo vs. Justin Scoggins at UFC 187
FANPOST OF THE DAY
Today’s Fanpost of the Day comes via Dave From Newfoundland.
My original idea for a fan post after UFC 183 was to discuss how very quick many fans and media were to deem Silva “in the twilight of his career” based on the outcome of the main event, and to look at how very different his future would be viewed had he stopped the Stockton native inside the distance. I believe that a lot of the people that share that opinion are underestimating and not taking into consideration how difficult both mentally and physically it is to recover from such a horrific injury in general, much less recover from the injury and come back to compete in a sport that and that requires you to use your limbs as weapons, to throw them at people like they re baseball bat’s, this is the most physically demanding sport on the planet. I think that Silva wasn’t getting the credit he deserved and that people were being overly critical of his performance and forgetting that 13 months prior to the fight, he snapped his shin in half like a twig, and many are totally underestimating and forgetting about the psychological damage that was incurred, and how much of factor said damage was in his performance for his first fight back.
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Check out the rest of the post here.
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