Former UFC champions Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira will meet again in the Octagon at UFC 140.
The first meeting between the two allowed the winner, Mir, to advance into a title shot while the loser, Nogueira was forced down the rankings.
The outcome of their rematch could drastically alter the UFC heavyweight rankings again.
With a win, Mir likely positions himself in line for another title shot or at the very least, a matchup with the loser of the next heavyweight title match.
A Mir victory would also likely spell the end of Shane Carwin’s title hopes, as he would be shoved back even further by sitting on the sidelines.
To me, it’s not so much if Mir wins, but how he wins.
If Mir pulls off a convincing victory, like another KO or a submission victory, look for him to be move up the rankings significantly.
Of course, if you consider Mir a top five heavyweight (like myself), there’s only so much farther he can move. You could swap Brock Lesnar or Alistair Overeem at No. three and No. four, and Cain Velasquez is sitting firmly at No. two.
Mir needs the convincing win I mentioned earlier (and in another piece) to solidify his claim for a UFC title shot. He also needs it to please his boss.
It’s no secret Dana White was very annoyed with Mir’s performance at UFC 119 against Mirco “Cro Cop” and White effectively buried the former champion after that fight.
But Mir rebounded nicely with a convincing victory over Roy Nelson who’s notorious for being hard to finish.
A decisive victory over “Big Nog” would mean Mir’s name needs to be next on the list for title challengers after the winner of Lesnar-Overeem.
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