Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir doesn’t want the world to think MMA fighters can’t box simply because ex-welterweight wrestler Ben Askren got knocked out by Jake Paul at the Triller Fight Club event last weekend in Atlanta.
That’s why Mir, who tipped the scale at 276 pounds, is touting his own performance against former IBF cruiserweight champion Steve Cunningham, despite coming up short on the judges’ scorecards after six rounds of relatively light action.
“I wanted to represent MMA by saying hey, we’re also very good at boxing,” the burger meister told reporters after the show (transcribed by MMA Fighting). “Obviously, it was a heavy task to beat a world champion in a boxing match. But if I lost a six-round decision but boxed well, but that was preferable to catching Steve in the first 30 seconds.”
Mir, 41, has not competed in MMA since capturing a unanimous decision victory over Roy Nelson under the Bellator banner back in Oct. 2019. While known primarily for his jiu-jitsu, Mir had enough power in his left hand to score five knockouts.
A return to the “sweet science,” however, is unlikely.