Filed under: UFC
In a one-sided beatdown that showed the difference between a Top 10 heavyweight and a second-tier heavyweight, Frank Mir easily defeated Roy Nelson by unanimous decision at UFC 130.
The fight was never close, with Mir dominating the early going in the stand-up and then cruising to an easy victory on the ground late. It wasn’t much of an effort for Nelson, who was completely outclassed. The judges scored it 30-27, 30-27 and 30-26 for Mir.
“I’m feeling great,” Mir said. “How many times did I hit him in the face? What’s up with that guy’s chin?”
The first round showed Mir at his best, repeatedly using a Thai clinch to knee Nelson, and then executing a beautiful throw to put Nelson on his back in the final minute of the first round.
Early in the second Mir went for a single-leg takedown and got it, again putting Nelson on his back and ending up in his half guard. Mir wasn’t able to do much to Nelson on the ground, but it was clear he could put Nelson there whenever he wanted.
In the third the fight started to get dull, as Mir continued to show that he could control Nelson any way he wanted to. In improving his professional MMA record to 16-5, Mir put on a one-sided beatdown, and he could be getting close to heavyweight title contention again.
As for Nelson, who falls to 14-6, it was an ugly performance for a fighter who needs to take his conditioning seriously and step up his game. Nelson is a popular and well-liked fighter, but he hasn’t won a fight in 14 months. He’s not in Mir’s league.
%VIRTUAL-Gallery-124698%