Todd Duffee has been pursuing a fight with Frank Mir for weeks, and it looks like he finally got his wish.
The resurgent powerhouse will step into the Octagon with the former two-time heavyweight champion in the main event when the UFC returns to San Diego for Fight Night 71. The news was broke by Ariel Helwani during the most recent installment of UFC Tonight on Wednesday, where it was officially confirmed the two heavyweights had agreed to the bout.
After a two-year absence from the sport’s biggest stage, the American Top Team product returned to pick up a quick knockout over Phil De Fries at UFC 155 in December 2012. Following his victory in Las Vegas, Duffee was diagnosed with Parsonage-Turner Syndrome, and the affliction kept him on the sidelines for another lengthy stint. The 29-year-old Indiana native battled his way through rehabilitation to make a triumphant comeback against Anthony Hamilton at UFC 181 this past December, where he knocked out the Washington native in the first round.
With back-to-back victories inside the Octagon, Duffee was determined to draw one of the biggest names in the division for his next fight and set about on a social-media campaign to court Mir for that role. The heavyweight divisional staple was coming off a first-round knockout of his own as the Las Vegas native drubbed Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in quick fashion in their main event tilt at Fight Night 61 in Brazil.
Mir’s win over Silva was his first victory since submitting rival Antonio “Big Nog” Nogueira in brutal fashion at UFC 140 in December 2011 and brought his four-fight losing streak to an end. While Mir—who is considered to be a perennial contender in the heavyweight ranks—may have been seeking an opponent with a higher profile for his next outing, the current divisional picture has the majority of top names currently booked in upcoming matches.
He was rumored to be in line for a trilogy bout with Brock Lesnar, but when the former champion re-signed with the WWE and officially retired from MMA that bout went up in smoke.
This situation left few options for either fighter, and the UFC saw it best to put the fight together. Mir vs. Duffee will be a crucial matchup for both men, as the Coconut Creek, Florida, transplant will be looking to obtain the biggest victory of his career, while the jiu-jitsu ace will be out to gain more traction on his run toward another shot at the heavyweight title. They are slated to square off on July 15 at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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