Frank Mir was on the losing end of the UFC Heavyweight championship last night, but it wasn’t from a lack of effort. He was simply outgunned by the more well-rounded, athletic fighter.Mir has been a mainstay in the UFC since 2001, which is a long time …
Frank Mir was on the losing end of the UFC Heavyweight championship last night, but it wasn’t from a lack of effort. He was simply outgunned by the more well-rounded, athletic fighter.
Mir has been a mainstay in the UFC since 2001, which is a long time for any fighter. In that time he has faced some of the best heavyweights in the history of the sport.
At this point in his career, it is doubtful that Mir will ever receive a title shot again. The former champion has had his fair share at attempts, and in his last three title fights he has failed to gain the strap.
He lost a title unification bout against Brock Lesnar, he failed to earn the interim title against Shane Carwin and last night he lost the championship bout against dos Santos.
With the loss, should Frank Mir consider retirement? It isn’t a crazy idea, as he is an 11-year veteran of the sport. 11 years does not seem long, but in a sport where injuries are abundant and training is year round, a heavy toll is taken on the body.
Mir has made his money, he has had his glory and earned his fame. Maybe his future is in training future stars, as Mir would make a fantastic jiu-jitsu coach at any gym. He could even just be a full-on MMA coach.
Mir has nothing left to prove. He is the first man to ever knockout Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and the only person to ever submit him. He has tapped out Brock Lesnar, knocked out Mirko Cro Cop and snapped Tim Sylvia’s arm.
Let’s not forget, Mir had a motorcycle accident earlier in his career that almost put an end to his competitive MMA career. That could begin to take its toll as well, even though Mir is just 33 years old.
In my opinion, I think Mir has a few fights left in him. But at this point, retirement isn’t a bad option. He could still be involved with the UFC without taking the damage to his body.
Hopefully, we see Mir a few more times in the Octagon, as he is a fantastic competitor. If not, a salute is in order to one of the greatest heavyweights ever.
Bellator’s sixth season comes to an end Friday on MTV2, bellator.com and spike.com, with two tournament bouts, as well as a world title bout.Headlining will be season five-time heavyweight tournament winner Eric Prindle taking on champion Cole Konrad. …
Bellator’s sixth season comes to an end Friday on MTV2, bellator.com and spike.com, with two tournament bouts, as well as a world title bout.
Headlining will be season five-time heavyweight tournament winner Eric Prindle taking on champion Cole Konrad. Prindle clinched the tournament this season after a no contest in Season 5 and a failed attempt at a rematch when Thiago Santos did not make weight.
Also on the card is the lightweight tournament final, as well as the second bantamweight semifinal. Let’s take a look at the breakdown of each main card fight.
UFC 146 is the first main card featuring all heavyweights, and it comes your way Saturday. Headlined by Junior dos Santos and Frank Mir, the card has gone through a number of changes due to injuries and a failed pre-fight drug test.Coming into this car…
UFC 146 is the first main card featuring all heavyweights, and it comes your way Saturday. Headlined by Junior dos Santos and Frank Mir, the card has gone through a number of changes due to injuries and a failed pre-fight drug test.
Coming into this card, there are a handful of fighters who have to be feeling the heat. They are in desperate need of a win or they could receive their pink slips.
Let’s take a look at who’s on the heat seat for UFC 146.
UFC 146 limps its way to viewers on Saturday, as the card has undergone a number of changes due to injuries and other circumstances.Originally headlined by Junior dos Santos and Alistair Overeem, Frank Mir has stepped in for Overeem due to a pre-fight …
UFC 146 limps its way to viewers on Saturday, as the card has undergone a number of changes due to injuries and other circumstances.
Originally headlined by Junior dos Santos and Alistair Overeem, Frank Mir has stepped in for Overeem due to a pre-fight drug test failure. This was the first of many changes to the card.
With a card full of heavyweights, this event will either be a huge success or a massive failure. Here are some predictions that are all-but-sure to happen.
The field of The Ultimate Fighter is beginning to take shape, as next week is the last episode before the live finale. The field currently is still even, as Team Faber and Team Cruz both have two fighters apiece left in the tournament.Both semifinals w…
The field of The Ultimate Fighter is beginning to take shape, as next week is the last episode before the live finale. The field currently is still even, as Team Faber and Team Cruz both have two fighters apiece left in the tournament.
Both semifinals will occur Friday, May 25, which will be a nice lead-in for Saturday’s UFC 146. Here is a preview of both semifinals.
James Vick vs. Michael Chiesa
James Vick has made an unlikely run on the show thus far, proving to be the true dark horse of the season.
Vick is young in his career, holding just a 4-0 record. At 6’3″, he is the tallest fighter on the show and has a good wingspan.
To get into the house, Vick beat the heavily favored Dakota Cochrane by split decision. In an uneventful fight that saw Cochrane shoot for takedowns the whole bout, Vick showed off good takedown defense, which has carried him through his fights.
Vick was the fifth pick of Dominick Cruz, which was the ninth overall pick. Team Faber chose him to fight first against heavily favored Daron Cruickshank.
Giving up a lot of experience and skill, Vick entered the fight with no fear. The bout was uneventful until Cruickshank shot for a takedown and ate an inadvertent knee from Vick, knocking him unconscious.
His latest win saw him take out another heavily favored opponent in Joe Proctor. He defeated the savvy grappler by unanimous decision, earning his spot in the semifinals.
On the other side of the Octagon will be Michael Chiesa, the man fighting in his recently deceased father’s memory.
Chiesa is a perfect 7-0 in his career, with five of his wins coming by submission. He comes from the northwest United States, where many rugged, tough fighters such as Cody McKenzie got their beginnings.
In the elimination round, Chiesa beat Johnavan Viasante via rear-naked choke in just a little more than two minutes. Chiesa showcased his wrestling and submission skills in this fight, wowing the coaches in attendance.
Chiesa was the fifth fighter taken by Team Faber, which was the 10th overall pick. In his first fight in the house, Chiesa was matched up with Jeremy Larsen in a striker versus grappler matchup. During the bout, Chiesa hit Larsen with an illegal knee in the first round. The second round saw Chiesa continue to dominate the fight, en route to a unanimous decision.
In his latest fight, Chiesa was matched up with top overall pick Justin Lawrence, Team Cruz’s golden boy. Chiesa wore down Lawrence in two tough rounds before eventually earning a technical knockout victory over the gifted striker.
This matchup is interesting, as Vick is a solid boxer with good takedown defense, and Chiesa is purely a submission wrestler with relentless takedowns. Chiesa is going to be the physically stronger, bigger guy, while Vick will have the height and reach advantage.
Expect Chiesa to score his takedown and eventually submit Vick to earn his spot in the finals.
Prediction: Michael Chiesa def. James Vick via submission
Al Iaquinta vs. Vinc Pichel
Al Iaquinta came into this season with a 5-1-1 record, as the Serra-Longo product has been impressive in the eastern regional MMA scene.
Iaquinta earned his spot in the house by winning a hard-fought decision over Jon Tuck during a fight that saw Tuck deform one of his toes. Iaquinta showcased his striking and ground game in the fight, proving to be a well-rounded fighter.
He was picked first by Team Faber, which was good for second overall, and Iaquinta was the man responsible for turning the tide early when Team Faber was down.
He was picked to fight Myles Jury, an undefeated prospect with a similarly well-rounded game, and it became an absolute war. Iaquinta was able to come out victorious, winning a razor-close split decision. He showed great striking in the fight, which could be in the running for “Fight of the Season.”
In his latest outing, Iaquinta was matched up against his teammate, Andy Ogle. Iaquinta used superior striking in the fight, which saw him earn a first-round knockout of his Team Faber brethren.
Meanwhile, Vinc Pichel has flown under the radar this season and into the semifinals.
Pichel is undefeated in his MMA career, possessing a 6-0 record while fighting in the California regional circuit. All of his wins have come by knockout.
To get into the house, Pichel was matched up against Cody Pfister. In the one-round affair, Pichel tapped out Pfister with a rear-naked choke, earning his spot in the house. He was the sixth fighter chosen by Team Cruz, good for 11th overall, and was eventually matched up with John Cofer.
In the fight with Cofer, Pichel showed his toughness after taking some bombs from Cofer. In the sudden death round, Pichel finished off Cofer with an arm-triangle choke, earning his spot in the quarterfinals.
In the quarterfinals, Pichel faced Chris Saunders, who was the last pick of the season, but still dangerous nonetheless. He went on to take a majority decision victory in a very close fight.
This fight between Iaquinta and Pichel is going to be interesting, as many will choose Iaquinta. Pichel should not be counted out, though, as he is talented in most aspects of MMA.
In the end, it will be a close fight. Expect Iaquinta to use his superior all-around skills to earn the nod on the judge’s scorecards.
Prediction: Al Iaquinta def. Vinc Pichel via decision
Bellator 69 marks the beginning of the end of Season 6 of Bellator, coming to you live on MTV 2, bellator.com and spike.com tonight. The card is headlined by the middleweight tournament final, which will determine who will fight for the middleweight ti…
Bellator 69 marks the beginning of the end of Season 6 of Bellator, coming to you live on MTV 2, bellator.com and spike.com tonight. The card is headlined by the middleweight tournament final, which will determine who will fight for the middleweight title against Alexander Schlemenko.
For the tournament final, we see Sweden’s Andreas Spang meet up with Brazilian Maiquel Falcao. Preceding this fight was a fight in the cage that ensured their semifinal matches, when the two squared off and chaos erupted.
Also on the card is on of the welterweight semifinals between David Rickels and Karl Amoussou, a heavyweight tournament qualifier between Kevin Apslund and Ron Sparks, as well as a women’s bout between Megumi Fujii and Jessica Aguilar.
Frank Mir was on the losing end of the UFC Heavyweight championship last night, but it wasn’t from a lack of effort. He was simply outgunned by the more well-rounded, athletic fighter.