Frank Mir did himself a huge favor with his first-round victory over Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva at UFC Fight Night 61. Not only did he end a four-year losing streak, but he put himself in a position to earn another large payday from the UFC. This win creates a buzz for a rematch against one Brock Lesnar.
However, the question remains as to whether the fanbase would be interested and if Lesnar is even going to return to the sport.
The MMA media wasted no time in asking if Mir would be interested in facing Lesnar for a third time.
“Absolutely, I think it will be a huge, bug fight,” Mir said during the post-fight press conference (video via MMAFighting.com). “A rubber match between the two of us would be a phenomenal fight. To keep that anywhere in the works I had to get a win tonight. I’ve kept it in the back of my mind.”
Mir and Lesnar carry a 1-1 record against each other, but the biggest note is that they headlined what is still considered the most successful event in UFC history. According to the MMA Payout Blue Book, UFC 100 brought in 1.6 million pay-per-view buys. The promotion has not been able to break the 1.5 million mark since.
Lesnar is currently competing in the world of pro wrestling, but rumors are that he is going to become a free agent soon and during that time a return to mixed martial arts is possible.
“If a change of circumstance happens, and it’s a no-brainer to get Brock back into the cage, I’m sure it’s something he would consider,” WWE personality Paul Heyman told Ariel Helwani during an interview on The MMA Hour. “At this moment, it’s not a topic of conversation because things are going so well in the WWE.”
Lesnar’s WWE contract is set to expire after WrestleMania 31 in March, according to Marc Raimondi of FoxSports.com. After that point, the bidding will begin for one of the biggest draws in MMA history. If the UFC can present a sensible deal to its former champion, there is a good chance that he could appear in the Octagon once again.
The question is whether fans will be excited to see these two men lock horns once again.
The UFC is truly in need of stars to grab attention—especially within the heavyweight division. As a MMA athlete, Lesnar may not be able to compete with the top-tier fighters at heavyweight; however, he still has the power to bring attention to any card that he’s on. Adding him to a main event or a co-main event of a UFC card would immediately increase the attention that card would receive.
Frank Mir knows that a rubber match with Brock Lesnar would be a big fight at this point in his career. While he may be well out of the title picture, this is the type of contest that would get him back into the center of the spotlight, at least for a short time.
There are a lot of bumps in the road that need to be overcome to make it happen, but this is a fight that all three entities involved should be interested in making.
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