“He can go out there like his last fight and fight somebody that’s subpar. The only problem is that you have to go out there and really be devastating to get any kind of positive criticism…He’s in a situation right now where I don’t think many people were even moved by his fight. I think the most impressive thing he did in the whole fight was calling me out.”
Throughout his relatively brief MMA career, Cormier has proven to be the kind of fighter who rises to the level of his competition — so maybe he’ll look a whole lot more impressive when he’s tearing through a top-level heavy like Mir. Or as Cormier himself puts it, “he really doesn’t wanna piss me off.”
Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir was thoroughly dominated by Junior dos Santos when he held the title, but he still had some choice words about the Brazilian’s recent loss to Cain Velasquez. In an interview with Studio MMA, Mir ripped “Ci…
Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir was thoroughly dominated by Junior dos Santos when he held the title, but he still had some choice words about the Brazilian’s recent loss to Cain Velasquez.
In an interview with Studio MMA, Mir ripped “Cigano” for getting controlled and ground-and-pounded by Velasquez for five rounds and not attempting a single submission (via MMA Mania).
Everybody says Junior has submissions on the ground, I think after now we can go close the book on that, after 25-minutes he went for zero attempts, so.
Even losing he didn’t jump for nothing, so. I think that after the second or third round of being taken down, I expected him to do something else besides stand up again. I think that, you know, knowing, you know, on the feet he’s obviously looking for the knockout, then why on the ground aren’t you looking for the knockout submission?
While dos Santos did manage to get back to his feet and land some clean shots on a few occasions, it is impossible to argue that he tried to make anything happen on the ground.
This was at least a little surprising for most fans, as the Team Nogueira fighter—who recently received his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt—said he was “ready to submit someone” just a couple of weeks prior to his UFC 155 showdown with Velasquez (via MMA Mania).
Mir went on to blame dos Santos’ struggles in the fight on a lack of emphasis on jiu-jitsu in his everyday practice schedule
If you’re taken down why aren’t you still moving your hips to go and move for things? But obviously just things he probably doesn’t do very well because I think he’s a victim of his own success. He’s so successful at boxing and avoiding the ground, he probably honestly I mean how much training does the guy do on the ground? It was pretty evident in the fight not a lot.
Prior to losing his belt, dos Santos had won 10 in a row, including eight finishes (seven knockouts).
In his career, he only has two submission victories, though only one was a submission hold (a victory via guillotine choke back in Dec. 2006). The other was when Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic verbally submitted due to a fractured orbital bone in their UFC 103 showdown in Sept. 2009.
Mir’s comments are a bit shocking considering how easily dos Santos put him away at their UFC 146 meeting in May, with the submission specialist having no luck in getting the fight to the ground.
Does Mir bring up some valid points here or is he just bitter over his most recent lop-sided loss?
Daniel Cormier appears to be on a collision course with former UFC heavyweight champ Frank Mir.After defeating Dion Staring at “Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine,” Cormier announced that he had signed a UFC contract, and he would be facing Mir in A…
Daniel Cormier appears to be on a collision course with former UFC heavyweight champ Frank Mir.
After defeating Dion Staring at “Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine,” Cormier announced that he had signed a UFC contract, and he would be facing Mir in April.
The two heavyweights were originally slated to headline the Strikeforce finale, but an injury in training forced Mir to withdraw from the bout.
Mir, who is coming off a TKO loss to Junior Dos Santos, will be looking to rebound and reposition himself as a top contender for the UFC title.
With wins over Josh Barnett and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, Cormier has already proven himself as one of the best heavyweights in the world.
He’ll finally get an opportunity to show off his skills on the big stage when he makes his UFC debut against Mir.
Here is a head to toe breakdown of the upcoming heavyweight tilt.
There was a lot of pressure on Daniel Cormier’s shoulders going into Saturday night.The buzz regarding his eventual UFC debut was building solid momentum, but in the pre-fight lead-up to his bout with Dion Staring, the former Olympic wrestler remained …
There was a lot of pressure on Daniel Cormier‘s shoulders going into Saturday night.
The buzz regarding his eventual UFC debut was building solid momentum, but in the pre-fight lead-up to his bout with Dion Staring, the former Olympic wrestler remained tight lipped about his intentions for the next chapter. Rather than talk about what “could happen,” Cormier was focused on talking care of what had to happen, and that was handling business with Staring in impressive fashion.
Despite being heavily outmatched in the fight, the Dutch special forces fighter came into the Strikeforce cage looking to give his all, but in the end that effort wasn’t anywhere near enough as Cormier pounded out the second round-stoppage victory.
For all the high-drama moments the actual fight lacked, Cormier made up for it tenfold in his post-fight speech. He put an end to the speculation about his UFC path and told Pat Miletich exactly what he intends to do.
“I signed my UFC contract,” Cormier said. “April 20, on Fox, Frank Mir let’s do it. It was supposed to happen, and we were supposed to fight in Oklahoma, so he owes it to me.”
The statement got a rise out of the Oklahoma crowd and sent the media cracking away on their keyboards, but the 33-year-old wasn’t quite finished. He made one more declaration before exiting the cage by calling out one of the most dominant champions in the sport, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
“I’m going to let Jon defend his belt in April, and then I’m going to kick his ass in the fall.”
Both were bold statements from Cormier, who over the past two years has been on a surge that has carried him from prospect to one of the world’s best heavyweights. Now with his time in Strikeforce behind him, the former Oklahoma State wrestling standout is set to face the biggest challenges of his career.
Unfinished Business
The matchup between Cormier and Mir was originally slated to take place back in November, but the former two-time UFC champion was forced to withdraw due to injury.
Eventually the entire card was scrapped, and Cormier was forced to face an unknown in his final Strikeforce appearance. While the bout between Cormier and Mir has not yet been officially confirmed, all signs are pointing to an eventual showdown in San Jose.
On paper, the bout carries all types of intrigue.
Mir has defeated some of the best heavyweights in the history of the sport, and his submission skills are legendary. When the action hits the canvas, the Las Vegas native isn’t the merciful kind. For proof of this, ask former champions Tim Sylvia and Antonio Nogueira how it feels once Mir locks in a hold.
Mir’s style is interesting because the ground is exactly where Cormier is going to take the fight. While his striking is coming along with solid progression, wrestling will always be D.C.’s bread and butter. There is no doubt he is going to attempt to dump Mir on his back and look to grab victory where his opponent is the most dangerous.
The key to victory on Cormier‘s side is not giving up position while he looks to impose his will in the ground-and-pound.
In his fights with Josh Barnett and Staring, Cormier showed a disciplined approach as he set about his game plan. He had plenty of opportunities to go for a submission against Staring, but with that portion of Cormier‘s game still developing, he chose to keep position the No. 1 priority and continued to score with ground strikes.
Of course, those things won’t come easily against a savvy veteran like Mir. The two-time “Submission of the Year” winner has made a career of turning the tables on his opponents when things appeared to be going heavily in their favor.
In bouts against Brock Lesnar and Nogueira, Mir was under fire after being rocked only to latch onto a limb. Once he grabs a tight grip on whatever limb is presented to him, Frank Mir sets about doing what Frank Mir does, and the results often make for gruesome, highlight-reel material.
Should Cormier come in and rag doll Mir the way he did Barnett in the finals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, the next step of his plan should be delivered on a silver platter.
A Grudge Match With Substance
Cormier may have called out Jones Saturday night in Oklahoma, but the two have been trading barbs for some time. With the talk of Cormier possibly dropping to light heavyweight, the UFC champion has been asked about the potential matchup and has dismissed Cormier as a serious opponent.
With Strikeforce’s doors officially closed and Cormier‘s Octagon debut a reality, the Team Thirsty member is directly on Jones’ radar. A scheduled bout against ChaelSonnen will no doubt be the priority for Jones, but you have to think Cormier has at least made it onto the young champion’s agenda.
The matchup between Cormier and Jones presents a lot of interesting angles.
Jones uses his range and reach to batter his foe before finally putting him on the mat, but in a bout with a compact fighter like Cormier, Jones’ length will be an even bigger advantage. The biggest fear when facing Jones is that he is eventually going to get a hold of you and put you on your back. Once that happens, it is only a matter of time before elbows rain down and end your evening in brutal fashion.
In his professional mixed martial arts career, Cormier has never given up a takedown. Jones may have a solid wrestling pedigree, but he is nowhere near Cormier‘s level.
Cormier has shown the ability to take the fight to the floor at will. It would be interesting to see how Jones would react to the smothering top game that Cormier brings to the table.
Another angle to pay attention to in this possible throwdown is the weight class. In interviews over the past two years, Jones has stated his intention to move up into the heavyweight division after he is done handling business in his weight class.
That being said, Cormier is issuing a challenge to Jones, and the MMA fighter is going to want the fight on his terms. That means Cormier is going to have to cut the weight and come down into Jones’ world.
From everything Cormier has shown in his 11 professional fights, there is no reason to doubt his determination about dropping down to 205 pounds. While a heavyweight tilt against a veteran as dangerous as Mir is exciting, a potential scrap with Jones could be one of the year’s best.
Whether or not Cormier presents the biggest threat to the dominant champion’s reign remains to seen, but the buzz to make the fight happen will only grow from here.
In the week leading up to his final fight in Strikeforce, Cormier had to keep everything under wraps, but now that he is officially a UFC fighter, he’s coming out of the gates with guns blazing.
Daniel Cormier won in style at the final Strikeforce card on Saturday night, but he dropped a few bombshells in his post-fight interview.Just minutes after a second-round TKO stoppage against overmatched opponent Dion Staring, the Oklahoma crowd looked…
Daniel Cormier won in style at the final Strikeforce card on Saturday night, but he dropped a few bombshells in his post-fight interview.
Just minutes after a second-round TKO stoppage against overmatched opponent Dion Staring, the Oklahoma crowd looked on as Cormier revealed two huge pieces of MMA news.
Moreover, the American Kickboxing Academy star vowed to move down a weight class and take away the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship from current title-holder Jon Jones:
Right now, I’m telling you. April 20 on Fox. I signed my UFC contract. Frank Mir, you and me. Let’s do it.
I’m going to let Jon Jones defend his belt on April 27 and then I’m going to kick his ass in the fall.
Cormier is currently among the top 10 heavyweights in MMA, and should be similarly ranked if he does indeed move down to 205 pounds. He’ll come into the UFC with an impressive 11-0 record that includes dominant wins over the likes of Antonio Silva and Josh Barnett.
Cormier was originally scheduled to face Mir as part of the main card in Strikeforce’s final event, but Mir pulled out of the match due to an injury in training.
Although Cormier currently fights at heavyweight, his friend and training partner is none other than UFC champion Cain Velasquez.
Less than a month ago, Velasquez regained the heavyweight title at UFC 155 from Junior dos Santos, the very same man who took the belt from him at the inaugural UFC on Fox event in November 2011. Members of the American Kickboxing Academy are well- known for their refusal to fight each other, so as long as Velasquez holds the belt at heavyweight, Cormier is unlikely to challenge for it.
Daniel Cormier knows that the final opponent on his Strikeforce contract, Dion Staring, is a dangerous man. But the heavyweight says that he’s looking forward to getting his fight at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City on Jan. 12 out of …
Daniel Cormier knows that the final opponent on his Strikeforce contract, Dion Staring, is a dangerous man. But the heavyweight says that he’s looking forward to getting his fight at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City on Jan. 12 out of the way so that he can concentrate on his career in the UFC, possibly debuting against Frank Mir.
Speaking on The Ultimate Show, Cormier suggested that his career had led him to face increasingly dangerous men, culminating in his victory over Josh Barnett at the Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament final last year. Mir, as his next opponent, made sense to Cormier.
I just had my mind set on that as being the first humongous fight I’ve been in following Josh Barnett, it followed the pattern—my career got from the better guy to the better guy to the better guy. Frank Mir may not have been better than Josh Barnett, but he followed the pattern of going up in terms of my opponents and my opposition.
Cormier, who’s only been fighting since 2009 but is already being spoken of as one of the top five heavyweights in the world, was originally scheduled to face Mir on Nov. 3 to complete the last fight mandated by his contract with Strikeforce.
However, with Mir’s injury, those plans were sidelined, and Staring, the little-known Dutch heavyweight, has been brought in to replace him.
Cormier can barely hide his frustration at this turn of events.
I think Frank’s a great guy. He’s the former champion two times, he’s done great things in the sport. But my focus was on him for eight weeks of a training camp for a fight that never happened. By the time Frank got hurt, I was already six weeks into a training camp.
Cormier says that considering the time that he spent focusing on Mir, he would like to fight the former UFC heavyweight champion.
Mir is already healed, and he says that he is ready to welcome Cormier to the UFC, whose parent company, Zuffa, purchased Strikeforce in 2011.
There has been much speculation on whom Cormier would face if he joins the promotion where his close training partner, Cain Velasquez, is champion. While Junior Dos Santos was the titleholder, there was still a chance of him going for the heavyweight belt, but with Velasquez at the top of the pile, it is likely that Cormier will eventually drop to 205 pounds and face young light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
But in the meantime, he has two heavyweights, Staring and Mir, in front of him.
Cormier takes on Staring at the Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffedine event in Oklahoma this Saturday.
There was a lot of pressure on Daniel