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Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir has signed a deal to compete under the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) banner, per MMA Fighting (following an initial report by Fight Bananas).
Mir, 41, last competed as a member of Bellator MMA last October with a unanimous decision win over Roy Nelson. The victory helped snap a four-fighting losing streak for Mir dating back to his final two bouts in UFC. Mir became an official free agent this past April when his deal with Bellator expired.
While Mir is certainly a shell of his former self the heavyweight veteran still brings a lot to the table. Outside of winning the UFC heavyweight title two times Mir also holds career victories over the likes of Brock Lesnar, Tim Sylvia, Mirko Cro Cop, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Antonio Silva. Despite not competing under the UFC banner in well over four years Mir remains one of the more recognizable names at the heavyweight level among casual fight fans.
This is a nice addition for BKFC as the promotion continues to push its way into the U.S. market. Earlier this year, BKFC surprisingly landed the services of former UFC star Paige VanZant, who will make her debut later this year. The promotion also added former UFC welterweight title challenger Thiago Alves this past January. “Pitbull” made his debut last weekend at BKFC 12 against Julian Lane and won via split decision.
Given Mir’s recognition within combat sports he should be able to step in and challenge for the BKFC heavyweight championship right away. That belt is currently held by former UFC fighter Joey Beltran, who is 3-1-1 under the BKFC banner and scheduled to defend his title against Marcel Stamps at BKFC 13 next month
Stick with Mania for more news on Mir’s BKFC deal.