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If Brock Lesner were to return to the UFC there are a few matchups that would make sense for him. Frank Mir is one of those potential opponents — and that fact is not lost on the former UFC heavyweight champion.

Mir said after his win over Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva on Sunday night that he would “absolutely” be interested in a trilogy bout with the pro-wrestling star if Lesnar re-signs with the UFC after his contract is up with WWE in the spring.

“I think it would be a huge, big fight,” Mir said at the UFC Fight Night 61 post-fight press conference in Porto Alegre, Brazil. “I think it’s something that would catapult my name even higher up. I mean, a rubber match between the two of us would be a phenomenal fight. To keep that anywhere in the works, I had to get a win tonight.”

Mir (17-9) got it in emphatic fashion, too, starching “Bigfoot” with a huge left hook and finishing him on the ground with nasty elbows at 1:40 of the very first round. After more than a year away, the decorated, 14-year UFC veteran showed he still had some fight left in him.

With the victory, a third fight between Lesnar and Mir would fall into place nicely. Mir tapped Lesnar out in the first round of Lesnar’s UFC debut at UFC 81 on Feb. 2, 2008. Lesnar would go on to win the UFC heavyweight title, the belt Mir once held, to set up a rematch with his rival.

The two exchanged some pretty heavy trash talk heading into the second fight, which headlined the UFC’s biggest card ever, UFC 100 on July 11, 2009. Lesnar retained his title in the return bout via TKO in the second round. It was a dominant performance and helped solidify Lesnar, who made his name in WWE originally, as a legitimate MMA standout.

Mir, 35, said he doesn’t think the win over Silva is necessarily a gateway to a third fight. But it certainly won’t hurt.

“I really have just kept it in the back of my mind, honestly,” Mir said. “It’s not something like, ‘I’m gonna win this to fight Brock.’ I was like, ‘Man, I need to win this to keep my job or my wife is not gonna let me go to the gym anymore.’ It’s not gonna pay the bills. I’m gonna have to go get a 9 to 5.”

Mir snapped a four-fight losing streak with the win. He lost to Alistair Overeem in February 2014 via unanimous decision and then took a year off to rest his body and work on improving his game. The training Mir did with grappling coach Ricky Lundell and boxing coach Angelo Reyes seemed to do wonders. And being injury-free for the first time in awhile didn’t hurt, either.

With those things coming together for him, Mir believes he would be a handful for anyone — including his old friend Lesnar. The pro-wrestling superstar will be headlining Wrestlemania 31 on March 29 and then reportedly his contract with WWE will be over. There have been rumors that Lesnar has some unfinished business in MMA after his career was affected by two bouts of diverticulitis and wants to return.

“If Brock Lesnar decides to come back, [I would] welcome him back,” Mir said. “I don’t think he likes getting punched very much; I’m looking like I’m actually figuring how to punch pretty hard. So whoever they give me. If I come in at 100 percent and I feel good like I did tonight, I wouldn’t bet on anybody across from me.”

GLENDALE, Calif. Ronda Rousey came home from the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games the proud bearer of a bronze medal in judo and, at age 21, no freaking idea what the hell she was going to do with the rest of her life.She spent months flailing around aimlessly, working odd jobs like tending bar, resisting her mother’s pleas togive college a chance. Maybe, she finally thought, becoming a Coast Guard rescue swimmer wouldn’t be a bad career.But Rousey, a young woman with a wide rebellious streak, wanted to try something unconventional first — become a mixed martial artist. Neve … Read the Full Article Here

Frank Mir said he wasn’t too old and just needed some time off. Maybe he was right.

The former UFC heavyweight champion knocked out Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva at 1:40 of the first round in the main event of UFC Fight Night 61 on Sunday in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Mir was the capper on a card that featured 10 of 11 underdogs winning.

Mir (17-9) had not fought since falling to Alistair Overeem at UFC 169 on Feb. 1, 2014. That was his fourth straight loss and many thought he should retire. Mir, 35, disagreed, saying he was just hurting and needed to rest his body.

“I was banged up and I’m facing top five guys four fights in a row, hindered and injured and not being 100 percent,” Mir said afterward.

Mir came out in an orthodox stance — he’s typically a southpaw — and landed a jab-left hook combination that sent Silva reeling. Mir, who credited boxing coach Angelo Reyes, finished on the ground with elbows.

The 14-year UFC veteran now has the most finishes (12) in UFC heavyweight history and the fourth most in any division.

Silva (18-6, 1 NC) is now winless in his last three fights, the last two coming by first-round knockout. “Bigfoot,” who came off testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) last year, has not won since beating Overeem in February 2013.

Michael Johnson put on the best performance of his career in the co-main event against Edson Barboza. Johnson, returning after nearly a year away, outstruck the lethal striker, pushing the pace, chasing Barboza down and landing combinations. Barboza was never able to get into his rhythm and Johnson never slowed down en route to a unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) victory.

Afterward, Johnson (16-8) called out former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson. “The Menace” has now won four straight. His last fight was a unanimous decision over Melvin Guillard last March. The 28-year-old Blackzilians star was suspended by the UFC in April after being arrested following an alleged domestic dispute. Barboza (15-3) had won two in a row before this loss and was creeping up the lightweight ladder.

“He surprised me with the shots that he took,” Johnson said. “That was the only thing I didn’t expect. I was hoping to finish him, but I fought the No. 6 guy in the world, so I will take the decision. I am ready for my next competition. I want the guys at the top of the division. I am ready for a top-3 or top-4 opponent, and I want that title by the end of the year.”

Sam Alvey absolutely stunned Cezar Ferreira with first-round knockout. “Smilin’ Sam” landed a right hook-left hook combination that put “Mutante” out cold just 3:34 into the fight. Alvey (25-6) has now won two in a row by first-round knockout and is rapidly becoming a fan favorite helped by goofy interviews.

“My game plan was to get kicked a bunch in the beginning and then knock him out somewhere down the line,” Alvey told Jon Anik after the win.

Ferreira (8-4), who trains out of the Blackzilians, has now lost two of his last three.

Adriano Martins surprised Rustam Khabilov with a complete performance in a split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) victory. Martins (27-7) has now won two in a row and eight of his last nine.

Frankie Saenz was the biggest underdog on the card and he defeated ranked bantamweight Iuri Alcantara via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27). Santiago Ponzinibbio, another underdog, beat previously undefeated Sean Strickland (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) to open the main card.

Marion Reneau stunned ranked women’s bantamweight Jessica Andrade with a first-round submission (triangle) in the feature fight of the prelims. Also on the FOX Sports 1 prelims, Matt Dwyer knocked out William Patolino with a superman punch, Mike de la Torre defeated Tiago Trator by first-round knockout and Douglas Silva de Andrade beat Cody Gibson by unanimous decision.

On the Fight Pass prelims, Ivan Jorge beat Josh Shockley by unanimous decision.

One of the UFC’s most stacked cards just got better.

John Dodson will make his return to the Octagon to take on Zach Makovsky at UFC 187 on May 23 in Las Vegas, the UFC announced Sunday. The Memorial Day Weekend card already has two title fights — Jon Jones vs. Anthony Johnson and Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort — and a big-time lightweight matchup between Donald Cerrone and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Dodson (16-6) has not fought since knocking out John Moraga last June. The perennial flyweight title contender tore his ACL in July and had to undergo surgery. “The Magician” has won two straight after falling to champion Demetrious Johnson in January 2013. In all, the 30-year-old Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA product has won seven of his last eight and gave Johnson as good of a run as any challenger.

Makovsky (19-5) is coming off an impressive unanimous decision win over Tim Elliott at UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Thatch earlier this month. Before that, the 31-year-old fell to Jussier Formiga in August, but had won four straight previously.  Makovsky, who trains at Marcelo Garcia Academy and Tristar Gym, is the former Bellator MMA bantamweight champion.

UFC 187 at MGM Grand is headlined by Jones defending his light heavyweight title against Johnson. Weidman vs. Belfort for the middleweight belt is the co-headliner. The loaded card also has a heavyweight fight between Travis Browne and Andrei Arlovski and another top flyweight bout between Joseph Benavidez and Moraga. The event is shaping up to be one of the biggest in the history of the promotion.