Fighting in his hometown of Las Vegas, Frank Mir probably wasn’t going to get booed at the weigh-in for his UFC 130 bout with Roy “Big Country” Nelson.
However, after a very tumultuous 2010, the warm reception that the former UFC Heavyweight Champion recieved had to come as at least a bit of a relief.
It was some 15 months ago when Mir caused controversy by saying that he wanted then-Champion Brock Lesnar to be the first fighter to die in the Octagon, and was subsequently relieved of his commentating duties for the WEC. A month later, Mir missed out on an opportunity to challenge Lesnar for the UFC Heavyweight Championship when he lost an interim title bout to Shane Carwin at UFC 111, getting knocked out in the first round. Mir got back on the winning track that fall at UFC 119 with a knockout win over Mirko Cro Cop, but the action leading up to the winning knee strike left fans unimpressed, and the lethargic pace of the fight promptedt Dana White to not award a Knockout of the Night Bonus (Mir had the only knockout of the night). Mir’s son Marcus took to Twitter to air his grievances with the UFC President after the snub, while White questioned Mir’s heart in the wake of the fight. When word circulated that White was considering Mir and Lesnar as coaches for The Ultimate Fighter and opponents for a subsequent pay-per-view main event, a massive outcry on Twitter prompted White to shelve the matchup in favor of Lesnar-Dos Santos (which became Carwin-Dos Santos after Lesnar was forced to withdraw due to medical concerns).
Time heals many wounds, however, and whether fans had forgotten about last year’s controversies or just felt like cheering a hometown fighter, Mir got a loud ovation when he came to weigh in.
It remains to be seen if Mir will get a similar reception on Saturday night – and honestly, after a forgettable 2010 in the Octagon and a controversial one outside it, Mir badly needs a win – but for now, it seems as if Mir’s PR issues are behind him.
For now.