At UFC 130, former heavyweight champion Frank Mir is set to lock horns with former IFL champion and “TUF” Season 10 winner Roy Nelson.
While this may be the first time these two have met inside a UFC octagon, it isn’t the first time they have competed against one another.
In the eight-man absolute tournament at Grappler’s Quest 2003, Nelson defeated Mir by points in a grappling match.
This video should serve as a reminder that Nelson shouldn’t be underestimated in the grappling department heading into his bout with Mir.
He may not look like your average professional athlete, but “Big Country” has the grappling chops and enough striking to hang with the best heavyweights in the world.
With that said, there shouldn’t be much made of a grappling match that took place eight years ago. Mir was just beginning his MMA career, and Nelson had yet to even take a professional fight. Besides, there are more aspects to MMA than only grappling.
It’s still fun to take a walk down memory lane and see where these guys were before they became the superstars they are today.
Roy Nelson vs. Frank Mir (Match at Grappler’s Quest 2003)
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