Attempting to rid the sport of performance-enhancing-drugs (PEDs), the UFC signed a deal with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) last summer to implement a new and stricter drug testing program. When the partnership was first announced, now former UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta famously stated that “it’s going to get a lot worse before it
Attempting to rid the sport of performance-enhancing-drugs (PEDs), the UFC signed a deal with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) last summer to implement a new and stricter drug testing program. When the partnership was first announced, now former UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta famously stated that “it’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better.” Perhaps he was right, as we’ve seen our fair share of fighters popped by USADA in recent memory.
In fact, we’ve seen two of the sport’s biggest stars notified of potential anti-doping violations in just the last few weeks alone. With that being said, it’s interesting to take a look back at USADA’s short history working with the UFC.
Whether it be the most shocking or the most impactful, let’s take a look at the six biggest busts by USADA in the UFC:
Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir was informed by USADA in April that he has violated the Anti-Doping Policy stemming from an in-competition sample collected the day of his fight on March 20, 2016 (UFC Fight Night 85 against Mark Hunt) in Brisbane, Australia. Now, Mir is looking to get out of the UFC so
Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir was informed by USADA in April that he has violated the Anti-Doping Policy stemming from an in-competition sample collected the day of his fight on March 20, 2016 (UFC Fight Night 85 against Mark Hunt) in Brisbane, Australia. Now, Mir is looking to get out of the UFC so he can make a living.
“As of now I’m under suspension, as of April 2018 I’ll be eligible to fight again the UFC, and even more, as troubling as that is, they have it to where I can’t do any broadcasting,” Mir said on Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour. “Not that I was ever going to get it in there, just because I’ve been asking for several years since the WEC since put this in the rotation, right now I’d like to be released by the UFC so I can continue my career in other avenues.”
“I didn’t see any advantage or course of action that would have been conclusive or really had any percentages on my side where I could win,” Mir said. It’s starting to look very expensive to fight, and if at the end of it I’m still suspended, and I’m not allowed to fight or broadcast, I have to start to think about my savings as I’m trying to raise children, I made a decision to forego trying to battle it anymore.”
Mir explained that he knows UFC officials are busy, so he is patiently waiting for them to grant his release.
“After I realized three weeks ago the situation in its entirety, and looked at my savings account and what my kids cost to raise, I realized I have to go make a living,” Mir said. “Being tied up not able to fight and not able to do any analytical works. .. I know they’re very busy, there’s a lot on their plate, so I’m trying as patiently as a person can be find time to get in front of them and discuss the issue.”
Mir (18-11) is currently on a two fight losing streak. In his last six bouts, he’s 2-4. As of this writing, the UFC has yet to grant his release.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar is set to make his highly-anticipated Octagon return at this summer’s colossal UFC 200 card, against the heavy-hitting Australian knockout artist Mark Hunt. While Lesnar’s biggest threat against the 42-year-old Hunt may lie in the ‘Super Samoan’s’ game-changing knockout power, it appears ‘The Beast’ is working a little more
Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar is set to make his highly-anticipated Octagon return at this summer’s colossal UFC 200 card, against the heavy-hitting Australian knockout artist Mark Hunt.
While Lesnar’s biggest threat against the 42-year-old Hunt may lie in the ‘Super Samoan’s’ game-changing knockout power, it appears ‘The Beast’ is working a little more on his ground game instead and is making strides in the department as well.
The following video surfaced on Twitter Thursday evening, showing that Lesnar has earned his blue belt under jiu-jitsu coach Rodrigo Comprido:
Lesnar (5-3) is making his Octagon return after choosing to return to the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), with his last UFC bout resulting in the former heavyweight champ being downed in the first round by current title challenger Alistair Overeem.
Hunt (12-10-1) is riding a two-fight winning streak, after most recently knocking out Frank Mir in their meeting at UFC Fight Night 85 in Australia this past March.
Hunt and Lesnar are set to get it on in the co-main event of UFC 200 live on pay-per-view (PPV), from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 9, 2016.
Ahead of his Octagon return against Mark Hunt at UFC 200, UFC has posted the complete Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir 2 fight, which headlined UFC’s last landmark event, UFC 100.
Featured above is the complete Lesnar vs. M…
https://youtu.be/TubJH4IMl54
Ahead of his Octagon return against Mark Hunt at UFC 200, UFC has posted the complete Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir 2 fight, which headlined UFC’s last landmark event, UFC 100.
Featured above is the complete Lesnar vs. Mir 2 fight, which headlined the UFC 100 event, which to this day is still the most-ordered UFC pay-per-view in history.
Watch UFC 200 on pay-per-view live on Saturday, July 9, 2016, as Lesnar challenges Hunt, Jon Jones looks to reclaim his UFC Light Heavyweight title from Daniel Cormier, Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar battle it out to determine the interim UFC Featherweight Champion and Miesha Tate makes the first defense of her UFC Women’s Bantamweight title against Amanda Nunes.
UFC 200 is scheduled to go down from the brand new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Make sure to join us here at MMANews.com on 7/9 for UFC 200 live results coverage!
Ahead of his Octagon return against Mark Hunt at UFC 200 in July, Brock Lesnar finds himself the focus of his UFC 100 foe Frank Mir’s latest pre-fight analysis.
According to the former UFC Heavyweight Champion, who handed Lesnar his first defeat ins…
Ahead of his Octagon return against Mark Hunt at UFC 200 in July, Brock Lesnar finds himself the focus of his UFC 100 foe Frank Mir’s latest pre-fight analysis.
According to the former UFC Heavyweight Champion, who handed Lesnar his first defeat inside the Octagon before losing to him in their highly-viewed rematch at UFC 100 in 2009, Hunt should be the favorite going into UFC 200 because of the fact that Lesnar doesn’t like to get hit.
“He doesn’t like to be hit,” Mir said of Lesnar. “Not that anybody likes to be hit, but Brock for whatever reason has shown much more of a dramatic response to the negativity of those shots. To the point where he’s not asleep, it isn’t like he got knocked out, he’s not getting dropped, but he just turns his face away from adversity. That’s a bad thing when fighting Mark Hunt, who again I think is one of the hardest punchers in the division.”
Mir continued, however, explaining that if he implements the right game plan, which because of the tools he has he very well could do, Lesnar does have a chance of pulling off the victory.
“If he is able to take Hunt down and control him, Hunt has been known to get tired on the ground and get fatigued,” Mir said. … “It really comes down to who is able to get their game plan.”
Regarding a potential third fight between he and Lesnar, Mir admits that Lesnar would probably accept the fight due to his competitive nature, and pointed out that it would still be a huge draw if the two were to meet again inside the Octagon.
“I think that’s he’s a competitive guy,” Mir said. “If he’s going to step in the Octagon, he’s gonna want to get paid as much as he can for that appearance. I mean, he’s closing in on 40. So why not a fight with me? A fight with me is going to be a much bigger payday, the two of us together is going to make much more of an impact than him versus anybody else. The storyline just isn’t going to be the same. The interest is not gonna be the same.”
“I think even two years from now when I come out of the suspension, a fight with Lesnar is still — if he still wants to come back again — is still a huge fight,” Mir said. “It’s massive because of what he brings to the table, what I bring to the table and the history we have together.”
When asked to give his official prediction on the Lesnar-Hunt fight at UFC 200, Frank Mir ended up going with the “Super Samoan.”
“I’m betting on Mark,” Mir said. “He’s been in there more consistently the last couple of years against really game opponents. I think that once their strengths match up against each other, it’s a hard takedown. You’ve never really seen anybody come through and just blast Mark onto his butt in the first minute or two of a match.”
UFC 200 is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 9, 2016 from the brand new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Join us here at MMANews.com on 7/9 for live coverage of the UFC 200 pay-per-view.
H/T to MMAFighting.com for transcribing the above Frank Mir quotes.
Combat sports mega-star Brock Lesnar made his UFC debut at UFC 81 back in 2008 against former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, who managed to submit Lesnar via kneebar after eating some nasty ground-and-pound from ‘The Beast’. Lesnar would go on to win his next two bouts that same year, however, capturing the UFC heavyweight
Combat sports mega-star Brock Lesnar made his UFC debut at UFC 81 back in 2008 against former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, who managed to submit Lesnar via kneebar after eating some nasty ground-and-pound from ‘The Beast’.
Lesnar would go on to win his next two bouts that same year, however, capturing the UFC heavyweight title from Randy Couture at UFC 91 in the process. Mir would then challenge Lesnar for the title in the main event of the spectacle that was UFC 100, with the two men being granted the honor of main eventing the legendary card.
The night would end with a successful Lesnar title defense, after the former Division I heavyweight wrestling champion demolished Mir on the ground with his vicious ground-and-pound. With the two men now each holding a win over one another, is it possible they could meet inside the Octagon once more for a rubber match?
Mir spoke on this subject and many more in his most recent Phone Booth Fighting Podcast, beginning with a claim stating that the former champion (Lesnar) doesn’t like being hit and could be in for a rough night against a hitter the caliber of Mark Hunt:
“He doesn’t like to be hit,” Mir said. “Not that anybody likes to be hit, but Brock for whatever reason has shown much more of a dramatic response to the negativity of those shots.
To the point where he’s not asleep, it isn’t like he got knocked out, he’s not getting dropped, but he just turns his face away from adversity. That’s a bad thing when fighting Mark Hunt, who again I think is one of the hardest punchers in the division.”
Mir did say, however, that Lesnar’s path to victory could lie with his heavy ground game, tiring out the heavy hitting Australian:
“If he is able to take Hunt down and control him, Hunt has been known to get tired on the ground and get fatigued,” Mir said. … “It really comes down to who is able to get their game plan.”
The rubber match between the two rivals was then mentioned, as Mir claimed that a huge payday would be made available to both men if it was to come to fruition:
“I think that’s he’s a competitive guy,” Mir said. “If he’s going to step in the Octagon, he’s gonna want to get paid as much as he can for that appearance. I mean, he’s closing in on 40. So why not a fight with me?
A fight with me is going to be a much bigger payday, the two of us together is going to make much more of an impact than him versus anybody else. The storyline just isn’t going to be the same. The interest is not gonna be the same.”
“I think even two years from now when I come out of the suspension, a fight with Lesnar is still — if he still wants to come back again — is still a huge fight,” Mir said.
“It’s massive because of what he brings to the table, what I bring to the table and the history we have together.”
If Mir had to bet on the UFC 200 heavyweight co-main event, his money is on Hunt claiming Lesnar would have a difficult time trying to take down the vicious knockout artist:
“I’m betting on Mark,” Mir said. “He’s been in there more consistently the last couple of years against really game opponents. I think that once their strengths match up against each other, it’s a hard takedown. You’ve never really seen anybody come through and just blast Mark onto his butt in the first minute or two of a match.”
Lesnar and Hunt will throw down in the co-headliner of UFC 200, which is set to go down live on pay-per-view (PPV) from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday July 9, 2016.
Mir spoke on this subject and many more in his most recent 
The rubber match between the two rivals was then mentioned, as Mir claimed that a huge payday would be made available to both men if it was to come to fruition:
If Mir had to bet on the UFC 200 heavyweight co-main event, his money is on Hunt claiming Lesnar would have a difficult time trying to take down the vicious knockout artist: