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UFC 146 Fight Card: A Frank Mir Victory Cements His Place as a UFC Hall-of-Famer

Heavyweight Frank Mir may already be headed to the UFC Hall of Fame when he hangs up his gloves, but at Saturday’s UFC 146 in Las Vegas, Mir has the chance to erase any doubt of whether he deserves such an accolade. Mir’s heavyweight record…

Mir’s heavyweight record 14 wins inside the Octagon and devastating submission game are more than enough for consideration into the exclusive club.

Yet, Mir’s inability to remain at the top of the division hurts the case for his inclusion. After all, every other member dominated their weight class for an extensive period of time.

When the cage door shuts at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 26, Mir will look to recapture the UFC belt that he has already held twice in the past.

However, he’ll be facing the type of fighter that has been his kryptonite in the past: vicious knockout artist—and current champion—Junior dos Santos.

Although Mir has numerous, memorable submissions on his lengthy record—such as breaking the arms of both Tim Sylvia and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira—you’ll find a number of equally embarrassing defeats, all by KO or TKO.

He was demolished by heavy-hitters Shane Carwin and Brock Lesnar, but he has been able to work his way back into title contention—with a little bit of luck.

Had it not been for Alistair Overeem’s failed pre-fight drug test, who knows if Mir would’ve ever been granted another shot at UFC gold. Yet, here he is, in the position to become champion once again.

Certainly there are other factors in Mir’s candidacy, beyond this current fight. The fact that he overcame a serious motorcycle accident following his first title run to capture the interim belt in 2008 has to be taken into consideration.

Again, being that he was forced to vacate the belt due to injury and failed to unify the interim belt are significant arguments against his place in the elite group.

Mir is in the driver’s seat if he wants to prove he belongs. If he can finally figure out how to solve the puzzle that has derailed his past runs, and defeat dos Santos, it would be very hard to deny his place in UFC history.

Rob Tatum is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at The MMA Corner. For anything related to MMA, follow him on Twitter.

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UFC 146: Why a Dan Hardy Loss Will Spell the End of His UFC Career

November 14, 2009. That’s the last time British welterweight Dan Hardy tasted victory inside the Octagon. His current four-fight losing streak would have cost most fighters their jobs with the promotion. However, because two of those losses were agains…

November 14, 2009. That’s the last time British welterweight Dan Hardy tasted victory inside the Octagon.

His current four-fight losing streak would have cost most fighters their jobs with the promotion.

However, because two of those losses were against the current and interim champions in the division—Georges St-Pierre and Carlos Condit, respectively—Hardy has been given a pass thus far.

After starting his UFC career 4-0, Hardy was quickly made the poster boy for British MMA fans.

That fast start vaulted him to a title shot at UFC 111. Although Hardy gained numerous fans by surviving multiple submission attempts against the aforementioned St-Pierre, the Nottingham native has been unable to find the win column ever since.

Certainly Hardy is endeared to both the promotion and fans for his enigmatic personality and willingness to stand and trade with anyone. But even a fighter in the good graces of the promotion can’t avoid the chopping block forever without a win.

A fifth consecutive loss is practically unheard of in the UFC. Even veteran fighters on the tail end of their careers such as Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz avoided such a disastrous stretch.

At UFC 146 on May 26, Hardy will face one of the most technical stand-up fighters in the division in Duane “Bang” Ludwig. Without a doubt, this is Hardy’s last stand.

Although his last performance against Chris Lytle earned “Fight of the Night” honors, the promotion has to draw the line somewhere. Allowing any fighter—regardless of their name, popularity or credentials—to continue under contract after so many losses would set a bad precedent for the future.

In fact, Hardy should consider himself lucky.

Many fighters have been cut after just one or two defeats, and three has almost always been the point where a fighter is handed their walking papers.

If the “Outlaw” doesn’t find a way to overcome Ludwig on the 26th, he’ll certainly find himself looking for new employment after he exits the Octagon.

Rob Tatum is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at The MMA Corner. For anything related to MMA, follow him on Twitter.

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Strikeforce: The Josh Barnett/Daniel Cormier Winner Deserves a UFC Title Shot

It has been 15 months since the Strikeforce World Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament kicked off, bringing back memories of the old Pride tournaments of nearly a decade ago. Now, the entire heavyweight division of Strikeforce is about to become a thing o…

Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier are the last men standing, not only in the tournament but also in the division. Since the promotion was acquired by Zuffa in March of last year, the rest of the fighters in the division were shifted to the UFC and the announcement was made that the division was being dissolved following the Grand Prix.

However, the promotion’s broadcast partner, Showtime, stipulated that the winner must have one more fight under the Strikeforce banner. So why not have it be against the UFC champion?

The landscape of the heavyweight weight class has changed dramatically over the past six months. Brock Lesnar has returned to the WWE, Alistair Overeem is suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, and despite the UFC holding an all-heavyweight main card at UFC 146, the next title challenger could be anyone.

Prior to Overeem’s suspension, things were more clear. Frank Mir and Cain Velasquez were set to battle for No. 1 contender status, but now Mir will face Junior dos Santos for the belt, and Velasquez will take on Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva. Silva was defeated by Cormier in the semifinals of the Grand Prix, so even if the Brazilian were to get around Velasquez, selling him for a title fight would be difficult.

The same could be said for Velasquez. The former champion has not competed since being knocked out in just 64 seconds by dos Santos last fall. Should one win get him back to the top? Especially if that win was against Silva?

Beyond Velasquez and Silva, there are a handful of fighters in the division that could prove to be worthy opponents for the dos Santos-Mir winner, but none of them have any more name recognition to casual fans than the two Grand Prix finalists. And with the two fights just a week apart on the calendar, the timing is perfect for a collision between the two winners.

Regardless of who wins between Barnett and Cormier, selling a tournament champion against the current UFC champ should be an easy task. After all, Barnett is a former UFC champion—albeit briefly—and Cormier is a former Olympic wrestler with an undefeated record in MMA. Either fighter has the credentials and top 10 status of a title challenger.

Perhaps the question isn’t so much whether the winner is deserving of a title shot, but whether Zuffa would be willing to put the UFC champion in such a vulnerable position.

Rob Tatum is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at The MMA Corner. For anything related to MMA, follow him on Twitter.

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UFC on Fuel Results: What We Learned from Dustin Poirier vs. Chan Sung Jung

A pivotal featherweight fight headlined the UFC’s third installment on Fuel TV. Fast-rising Dustin Poirier brought a five-fight winning streak into the cage to meet “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung. The winner is poised to make a run at the UFC feath…

Here’s what we learned from the bout.

What We’ll Remember about This Fight

The pace. The 145-pound fighters battled hard from the very start. Jung came out aggressive and pushed Poirier to his breaking point. It was the most complete performance of the Korean’s UFC career.

What We Learned about Poirier

He still has a lot to learn. At just 23 years old, the Louisiana native has a long career ahead of him, and this setback will help him grow as a fighter. With his winning streak a thing of the past, Poirier’s resiliency will be tested.

What We Learned about Jung

He’s a contender. By dispatching of Poirier, Jung proved that his destruction of Mark Hominick was not a fluke. The technical aspects of his game have come full circle and he’s much more than just a brawler. He showcased a varied attack that included takedowns, flying knees and numerous submission attempts. Jung now has taken home four “of the Night” bonuses in his last three appearances.

What’s Next for Poirier

Despite the loss, the youngster doesn’t dramatically drop down the ladder. A fight with Brazilian Diego Nunes would put one of the two back on track toward contention.

What’s Next for Jung

With his last three wins, and the improved technical aspect of his game, a title shot against the Jose Aldo vs. Erik Koch winner is the right move.

Rob Tatum is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at The MMA Corner. For anything related to MMA, follow him on Twitter.

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UFC on Fuel Results: What We Learned from T.J. Grant vs. Carlo Prater

Veterans T.J. Grant and Carlo Prater, both former welterweights, collided in the UFC lightweight division on Fuel undercard. Both fighters entered the contest after wins in their previous bouts, Prater over Erick Silva and Grant over Shane Roller.Here’…

Here’s what we learned from the bout.

What we’ll remember about this fight:

Grant’s pressure. Prater simply had no answer for the pace of the bout. Grant mixed in multiple takedowns to compliment his strong striking performance and nearly finished off Prater in the final round.

What we learned about Grant:

The Canadian has found a home at lightweight. Despite his ground prowess, his striking has become much more fluid and he looks comfortable on the feet.

What we learned about Prater:

He’s not ready to contend in the UFC. The Brazilian entered the fight on a five-fight winning streak, but Grant’s pressure forced him to wilt.

What’s next for Grant:

A fight with another Brazilian, Rafael Dos Anjos. With both fighters picking up wins at this event, it’s a logical fight for both.

What’s next for Prater:

The BJJ black belt is in a tough spot. He’s had a ton of fights, but has struggled with consistency. Matching him against another veteran in John Alessio would be a good way to determine who should remain employed by the promotion.

Rob Tatum is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at The MMA Corner. For anything related to MMA, follow him on Twitter.

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UFC: Why Hatsu Hioki Should Have Taken a Title Fight with Jose Aldo

UFC gold. That’s the dream of every fighter, right? Well, maybe not Japanese featherweight Hatsu Hioki. At least, not yet, that is. The former Sengoku champion and consensus No. 2-ranked 145-pound fighter has reeled off two straight UFC wins and …

UFC gold. That’s the dream of every fighter, right?

Well, maybe not Japanese featherweight Hatsu Hioki.

At least, not yet, that is.

The former Sengoku champion and consensus No. 2-ranked 145-pound fighter has reeled off two straight UFC wins and is 14-1-1 in his last 16 fights. That was enough for the UFC brass to offer the 28-year-old a crack at featherweight champion Jose Aldo.

The problem?

Hioki said no.

Rather than face the dangerous Brazilian for a chance to become champion, Hioki instead took a fight against Ricardo Lamas at UFC on FX 4 on June 22. Not to underestimate Lamas, but Hioki’s decision is perplexing to the say the least.

Now, it’s easy to say that without facing the daunting task of trying to dethrone Aldo. After all, the Brazilian does possess a 14-fight winning streak, a 21-1 record and has never tasted defeat while under contract with the Zuffa promotions—WEC and the UFC.

However, what makes the situation puzzling is that Hioki has quite the resume of his own. At 26-4-2, three of his defeats have come by split decision and he’s never been finished. Of the men to defeat him, two are in the UFC—Michihiro Omigawa and Antonio Carvalho—and another is the current Dream champion, Hiroyuki Takaya. Couple that with the fact the he has defeated current UFC fighters Mark Hominick (twice) and Jeff Curran outside of the promotion, Hioki’s decision doesn’t add up.

Certainly facing Aldo is no small order, but Hioki has faced a similar fighter in the past—Aldo’s teammate, Marlon Sandro. Hioki neutralized Sandro’s heavy hands by taking the fight to the ground and out-grappling the Nova Uniao black belt. Does that mean Hioki could do the same to Aldo? Of course not, but why not try?

There’s likely a multitude of reasons for Hioki to pass on the title shot—beyond having to fight Aldo. Maybe he’s not comfortable with the cage, having spent the vast majority of his career fighting in a ring. Or it could be the travel. Of his 32 career fights, only two have been outside of his native Japan—including his UFC debut against George Roop where he looked lethargic.

Again, not to take anything away from his scheduled opponent Lamas, but for Hioki to pass on headlining a pay-per-view card in a title fight is one of the most bizarre events in recent memory. Whatever the reason behind Hioki’s decision, the bottom line is that it is his choice.

On paper, his decision appears to be the wrong one, but hopefully for the Japanese fighter, it won’t be.

Rob Tatum is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at The MMA Corner. For anything related to MMA, follow him on Twitter.

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