You have to give Frank Mir some props. It seems that even after three straight losses, the former UFC heavyweight has no shortage of confidence.
Speaking to Brett Okamoto of ESPN, Mir let it be known that he has no plans of hanging the gloves up if he …
You have to give Frank Mir some props. It seems that even after three straight losses, the former UFC heavyweight has no shortage of confidence.
Speaking to Brett Okamoto of ESPN, Mir let it be known that he has no plans of hanging the gloves up if he loses to Alistair Overeem at UFC 169.
I kind of know no matter what it’s not going to be my last fight. I’m still younger than a lot of the guys in the division.
There are two ways I would consider retirement. One is losing to guys who are not top-level competition. The other is if I started losing where it’s like, ‘OK man, you were knocked out viciously and staring at the rafters.’ I won’t endanger my health.
Fans might scoff at that last comment considering Mir has lost by KO or TKO in seven of his eight career losses, including two of his last three.
Still, Mir is undeterred by the recent results.
I’m sorry if those three losses aren’t killing my ego. Let’s see, the losing streak started with Junior dos Santos, the No. 1 heavyweight in the world at the time. Then I lost to Cormier in a pretty boring fight and then to Barnett, which to me was a no-contest because the fight had a very controversial stoppage.
Look at who I’ve fought. I should retire? Wow. We’d only have five guys in every weight class because everybody else would need to retire
Mir has a point here. It’s not as if he’s been losing to a bunch of scrubs and he’s still facing top level competition.
He’s also been getting blasted by top level competition as well. Not only has Mir lost by KO/TKO, but he’s been brutally knocked out by Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin, rocked multiple times by JDS and went limp (controversy aside) against Barnett. Mir was also on jello legs against an aging Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in their second meeting and would’ve likely lost by TKO had Nogueira not gone for the submission finish.
If Mir loses to Overeem at UFC 169, it would be four straight losses and it’d be hard for the UFC to justify keeping him on their roster. Even if he wins, he’ll likely remain in the gatekeeper range as his title hopes look to be all but gone at this point in his career.
Mir has been anxious to show the improvements in his game since joining Greg Jackson’s camp but it may be a case of too little, too late.
The potential superfight between Jose Aldo and Anthony Pettis may still be in the works. That’s according to UFC president Dana White, who expressed interest in making the fight happen while appearing on Fox Sports Live. As transcribed by MMA Mania: I agree with you (Aldo’s done everything at featherweight). It’s tough for him to […]
The potential superfight between Jose Aldo and Anthony Pettis may still be in the works. That’s according to UFC president Dana White, who expressed interest in making the fight happen while appearing on Fox Sports Live. As transcribed by MMA Mania: I agree with you (Aldo’s done everything at featherweight). It’s tough for him to […]
Start praying to whatever deity you see fit, Taters, because it looks like some progress is finally being made in the ongoing war against TRT in MMA. Yesterday, The Association of Ringside Physicians — an “international, non-profit organization dedicated to the health and safety of the boxer and mixed martial arts athlete” — released a statement calling for the end of therapeutic use exemptions for testosterone replacement therapy in combat sports, on the grounds that the treatment is being quote “abused out the asshole” by MMA fighters.
Alright, that quote might have been made up but this one definitely isn’t:
The incidence of hypogonadism requiring the use of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in professional athletes is extraordinarily rare. Accordingly, the use of an anabolic steroid such as testosterone in a professional boxer or mixed martial artist is rarely justified.
Steroid use of any type, including unmerited testosterone, significantly increases the safety and health risk to combat sports athletes and their opponents. TRT in a combat sports athlete may also create an unfair advantage contradictory to the integrity of sport. Consequently, the Association of Ring side Physicians supports the general elimination of therapeutic use exemptions (TUE) for testosterone replacement therapy.
What does this mean, exactly? Not much. Or rather, not much yet.
Start praying to whatever deity you see fit, Taters, because it looks like some progress is finally being made in the ongoing war against TRT in MMA. Yesterday, The Association of Ringside Physicians — an “international, non-profit organization dedicated to the health and safety of the boxer and mixed martial arts athlete” — released a statement calling for the end of therapeutic use exemptions for testosterone replacement therapy in combat sports, on the grounds that the treatment is being quote “abused out the asshole” by MMA fighters.
Alright, that quote might have been made up but this one definitely isn’t:
The incidence of hypogonadism requiring the use of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in professional athletes is extraordinarily rare. Accordingly, the use of an anabolic steroid such as testosterone in a professional boxer or mixed martial artist is rarely justified.
Steroid use of any type, including unmerited testosterone, significantly increases the safety and health risk to combat sports athletes and their opponents. TRT in a combat sports athlete may also create an unfair advantage contradictory to the integrity of sport. Consequently, the Association of Ring side Physicians supports the general elimination of therapeutic use exemptions (TUE) for testosterone replacement therapy.
What does this mean, exactly? Not much. Or rather, not much yet.
You see, the ARP doesn’t actually have any power to get the gears moving on an anti-TRT crusade — they are simply the most respected organization so far to come out against it. That they decided to release such a statement, however, does further the notion that TRT is no longer just a topic of debate among hardcore MMA fans. And as more organizations like the ARP come out against TRT, general awareness regarding the treatment increases. Hopefully, this awareness will in turn put pressure on the doctors handing out unnecessary exemptions to fighters to reconsider.
When you take into account that most of the doctors in charge of monitoring these things appear to have a shaky understanding of the treatments themselves, one would think that further negative publicity could incentivize them to stop handing out exemptions altogether.
And the even better news? Recently converted TRT detractor Dana White has seconded the Association’s claims, stating quote “I am going to use this to fuck those cheating sonsabitches worse than they’ve ever been fucked before.”
I’m being told that the above statement is another unfortunate misquote. The actual statement White made to the Associated Press was:
The doctors came out and said they want to ban it? Well, that’s the answer. It’s legal in the sport. The commissions let you do it. You get an exemption, and you have to be monitored and all the stuff that’s going on, but if they’re going to do away with it? There you go. It’s a problem solved.
Although we think Dana might be misinterpreting the ARP’s statement as that of the actual doctors in charge of handing out TRT exemptions, this is undoubtedly good news for everyone not named Vitor Belfort. So fire up the band, Nation! The time for celebration is nearly upon us! (*releases flock of doves and uses them as skeet practice*)
Part-time MMA fighter Tyrone Spong will be back in the action April 12, 2014, as the decorated Surinamese-Dutch kickboxer is expected to battle Saulo Cavalari on the featured fight card of GLORY 15 Istanbul, which will air live on S…
Part-time MMA fighter Tyrone Spong will be back in the action April 12, 2014, as the decorated Surinamese-Dutch kickboxer is expected to battle Saulo Cavalari on the featured fight card of GLORY 15 Istanbul, which will air live on SpikeTV.
Spong vs. Cavalari joins a one-night light heavyweight tournament field also featuring a semifinal clash between Turkey’s Gokhan Saki and Australia’s Nathan Corbett. GLORY officials finalized the card on Tuesday.
Still just 28 years old, Spong (73-6-1, 1 NC kickboxing, 2-0 MMA) has established himself as one of the top draws under the GLORY banner, racking up a perfect 5-0 record inside the promotion, including a tournament victory in the 2013 Glory 95kg Slam Championship, and most recently, a vengeful second-round knockout of Corbett.
Spong, who trains with the Blackzilians in Boca Raton, FL, is also undefeated in two professional mixed martial arts contests, both of which took place within the WSOF cage.
In Cavalari (28-2), he’ll face a dangerous Brazilian who holds an undefeated 2-0 GLORY record, topped off by a recent 83-second KO win over Mourad Bouzidi.
On the opposite side of the bracket, top-ranked Saki (79-17, 1 NC) looks to right his ship after falling short in the semifinals of his two most recent GLORY heavyweight tournaments, while Corbett (59-4, 1 NC) likely eyes a chance at vengeance in a potential finals pairing against Spong, as Spong ended the Australian’s 28-fight unbeaten streak with a crushing left hook last October.
GLORY 15 takes place at the Ülker Sports Arena in Istanbul, Turkey. An updated fight card can be seen below.
Main Card TBD vs. TBD — LHW Tournament Final Errol Zimmerman vs. Ben Edwards Robin van Roosmalen vs. Marat Grigorian Tyrone Spong vs. Saulo Cavalari — LHW Tournament Semifinal Gökhan Saki vs. Nathan Corbett — LHW Tournament Semifinal
Preliminary Card Brian Collette vs. Mourad Bouzidi Jhonata Diniz vs. Hesdy Gerges
The potential superfight between Jose Aldo and Anthony Pettis may still be in the works.
That’s according to UFC president Dana White, who expressed interest in making the fight happen while appearing on Fox Sports Live. As transcribed by MMA Mania:
I…
The potential superfight between Jose Aldo and Anthony Pettis may still be in the works.
That’s according to UFC president Dana White, who expressed interest in making the fight happen while appearing on Fox Sports Live. As transcribed by MMA Mania:
I agree with you (Aldo’s done everything at featherweight). It’s tough for him to make that weight. And it wouldn’t be a bad idea that when Pettis comes back, for him (Aldo) and Pettis to fight. We were going to do that fight once at Aldo’s weight, it might not be a bad idea for him, should he win this weekend, to possibly move up.
Those were White’s words when discussing the possibility of the superfight still happening. The two were originally paired up at UFC 163 but Pettis had to pull out of the fight due to an injury. Pettis would go on to headline UFC 164 in his hometown of Milwaukee and capture the UFC lightweight title.
The turn of events lead to Aldo’s camp accusing Pettis of faking an injury, but that eventually turned into an apology.
Aldo and Pettis is perhaps the superfight that seems the most likely to happen as both guys are interested in the fight, and the weight difference isn’t substantial.
As pointed out by White and well-known to MMA fans, Aldo’s weight cuts to 145 pounds aren’t fun. He may have gotten better at it, but it’s clear that it’s something that is a major concern for Aldo and his camp.
It also makes sense in terms of timing as Pettis recently expressed his interest in coming back in July, and Aldo should be ready for another fight by July or August.
That is, unless Ricardo Lamas pulls a Chris Weidman by threatening to “f**k up [White’s] super fights.”
There’s a lot of space to cover on that arm, and we’d love to see how you’d fill it. Using Photoshop, MS Paint, or a printer and actual crayons, please draw a new tattoo for Alan onto the image and send the resulting work to BG at [email protected].
A week from today, we’ll pick our three favorites who will win…well, we’re not sure yet. Maybe some CagePotato shirts if we still have some left. Maybe just some shout-outs on Twitter. Maybe nothing. That’s what makes this contest “unofficial.” Take it or leave it. Good luck everybody, and follow Masato Toys on Facebook right here.
There’s a lot of space to cover on that arm, and we’d love to see how you’d fill it. Using Photoshop, MS Paint, or a printer and actual crayons, please draw a new tattoo for Alan onto the image and send the resulting work to BG at [email protected].
A week from today, we’ll pick our three favorites who will win…well, we’re not sure yet. Maybe some CagePotato shirts if we still have some left. Maybe just some shout-outs on Twitter. Maybe nothing. That’s what makes this contest “unofficial.” Take it or leave it. Good luck everybody, and follow Masato Toys on Facebook right here.
You have to give Frank Mir some props. It seems that even after three straight losses, the former UFC heavyweight has no shortage of confidence.
