Tag: Frank Mir

Daniel Cormier Wants a UFC Title Shot If He Beats Frank Mir

Daniel Cormier’s rise in MMA has been almost mythical. He entered the sport as one of the top blue chip prospects due to his experience wrestling internationally. Since making his debut in Strikeforce, he’s picked up some really incredible wins over An…

Daniel Cormier’s rise in MMA has been almost mythical. He entered the sport as one of the top blue chip prospects due to his experience wrestling internationally. Since making his debut in Strikeforce, he’s picked up some really incredible wins over Antonio Silva and Josh Barnett to win the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.

Heidi Fang over at MMAFightCorner.com had the opportunity to speak with the heavyweight standout about his upcoming fight with Frank Mir in September. Mir is making his way over to Strikeforce for this one fight to finish out Cormier’s tenure in the promotion. With a win over Mir, Cormier wants a shot at a UFC belt.   

“I want to throw my name into the hat, if I’m able to get past Frank Mir,” he said. “Hey guys don’t forget about me over here. I’ve been chuggin along and if I get through this fight, that’s three top ten guys in a row. I should be in line for a belt. I should get a shot at either of those divisions.” He later added: “Hey Dana and Lorenzo, don’t forget about me over here. If I win this fight, give me a shot.”

I can’t say that he’s off on his logic. Wins over “Bigfoot,” Barnett and Mir would definitely be considered one of the most impressive runs at heavyweight over a three-fight period. However, Cormier is unsure of what he would do if his teammate and friend Cain Velasquez was the UFC heavyweight champion.

We’ve heard this before from fighters out of AKA. Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck came under a lot of heat when they publicly refused to fight against each other. The idea of teammates fighting teammates isn’t unique to AKA either. The fighters at Greg Jackson’s academy have a similar agreement.   

“Let’s see what happens. A lot of things are going to be in play,” Cormier said. “If I come over to the UFC as the number one contender and Cain’s the heavyweight champion, then I have some things to think about. But if somebody else is holding that belt, then yea, I’m gonna stay up at heavyweight.”

As a fan, I’d love to see Cormier fight Cain. It’s an incredibly intriguing matchup and would test the wrestling of both fighters. To add to the intrigue, both have very heavy hands. However, I’m alright with Cormier setting his sights on current UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. 

While people are focusing on Dan Henderson, Lyoto Machida and Alex Gustafsson as the fighters with the best shot at testing Jones, it may be Cormier who will prove to be the man to dethrone the champ. 

“Standing across the cage from that guy would be great for me. I’d love to do at some point in my career. Even if I am maybe the heavyweight champion and there’s a chance to make a super fight, we could figure something out him and I, because I would not back down from that opportunity.”

If you aren’t familiar with Daniel yet, I’d recommend finding his fights with Antonio Silva and Josh Barnett. You’ll see a fantastic display of punching power and high-level wrestling. You will want to jump on his bandwagon before he blows up into a superstar in the UFC. 

And if you know who he is, then you need to start getting hyped for the Frank Mir bout and the hypothetical fights with Jon Jones and Cain Velasquez. 

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Frank Mir Ready to Utilize Advantages Against Undefeated Daniel Cormier

Many fans believe Daniel Cormier is a UFC-level talent right now. We will have the chance to gauge his ranking amongst the top heavyweights in the world, as Cormier is now set to face former UFC champion Frank Mir. Although Mir will surely be the under…

Many fans believe Daniel Cormier is a UFC-level talent right now. We will have the chance to gauge his ranking amongst the top heavyweights in the world, as Cormier is now set to face former UFC champion Frank Mir.

Although Mir will surely be the underdog once the betting lines open, he revealed to MMAFighting.com that he had no qualms about facing the former Olympian.

“I was asked and I was like, ‘Sure,’” said Mir.

Mir found himself in quite a conundrum after dropping a title bout against Junior dos Santos. Many of the top guys in the division were already booked, and a fight against a lower-ranked opponent wouldn’t do much for his career.

Cormier found himself in a pickle as well following his dominant showing against Josh Barnett. Cormier has yet to taste defeat, and he has looked better each time he steps into the cage en route to winning the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.

If he were in the UFC, Cormier would be on the cusp of a title shot, but he instead finds himself stuck in the Strikeforce bubble.

So while it may seem odd that a UFC fighter would choose to walk over to Strikeforce for a fight, it’s actually a fight that makes a lot of sense. The normally brash Mir was even complimentary of Cormier’s skills.

“The Barnett win actually impressed me extremely,” Mir said. He continued, “I was kind of curious to see how he would do against submissions, and there was a couple times, one that I can remember right now when there was a pretty legitimate attempt on his leg, and he didn’t panic and had the defense to get out of it.”

 

The jiu-jitsu part of this fight is the one area where Mir has a clear advantage over Cormier. Mir is one of the best BJJ practitioners in the division, if not all of MMA, and is the only man to submit Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. However, Mir believes it’s not his only advantage.

“I think that if we fight each other, I’d have the advantage in striking and submissions,” Mir said.

The former UFC champion acknowledged the wrestling advantage possessed by Cormier, but he is obviously confident in his jiu-jitsu game as a countermeasure. Another advantage for the former champion will be his size.

Mir stands at 6’3” and usually comes in around the heavyweight limit. He also sports a 79-inch reach. Cormier will be the much smaller fighter standing at only 5’11”, nearly 20 pounds lighter, and will also have to deal with eight inches of a reach disadvantage.

With that said, we may see a new Mir when he steps into the cage against Cormier. Mir weighed in at 261 pounds for his fight for dos Santos, and he believes it may have affected his game.

“I didn’t really move as well,” he said. “Against one of the guys who probably moves the best in the division, that was a recipe for disaster.”

Mir decided to bulk up in weight after getting manhandled by Brock Lesnar at UFC 100, and he has physically looked like a much different fighter since then. He is still learning to use his new-found strength and size; something he will definitely need to figure out before stepping into the cage against Cormier.

The bout does not currently have a set date, but it is expected to take place later this fall.

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UFC on Fox 4 Upset Alert: Brandon Vera vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

  When you look at the headlining fight for the UFC’s fourth show on Fox, most fans would predict that the heavily favored man with more name recognition and career success will win, that being Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. I would be a liar if I sa…

 

When you look at the headlining fight for the UFC’s fourth show on Fox, most fans would predict that the heavily favored man with more name recognition and career success will win, that being Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.

I would be a liar if I said that at first glance this fight didn’t appear to be a one-sided mismatch.

The facts are that after Brandon Vera defeated Frank Mir, Vera has only posted a record of 4-5 with one loss that resulted in Vera being released from the company, only to be brought back when the contest was overturned to a no-contest. 

So why would anyone even consider picking against the previous UFC Light Heavyweight champion?

First off, let’s focus on the history of Mauricio Rua since he has entered the UFC.

Rua came into the UFC being regarded as the best light heavyweight in the world defeating such men as Quinton Jackson, Rogerio Nogueira, Kevin Randleman and Alistair Overeem.

His debut match inside the Octagon came against someone who many would believe was just a stepping stone, Forrest Griffin.

Griffin would go on to not only defeat Shogun but actually submit him much to the amazement of the majority of fans and experts alike.  

Rua would go on to have another very poor performance against Mark Coleman, a fighter who was well past his prime but earned a stoppage victory.

Next up were the the remnants of Chuck Liddell, a fighter much like Coleman who had seen his better days pass him by.

Rua would soon after win the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, lose it in his first defense, redeem himself against a declining Forrest Griffin, and then he came up short in a historic fight against Dan Henderson.

Now with the history lesson concluded, let’s focus on the real statistic and a very important, somewhat shocking fact.

Mauricio Rua is only a .500 fighter in the UFC with a record of 4-4. Three of those wins are over fighters who were well past their primes and really showed it.

Still though this doesn’t give a direct answer to the outcome. It just shows that Rua isn’t the untouchable fighter who he has been made out to be.

Vera will enter this fight standing 6’3″ tall and having a reach of 78″ which will give him a 2″ reach advantage which will be multiplied with his height advantage of 3″.

Furthermore, Vera is a kickboxer who knows how to use a reach advantage. Let’s not forget that of Vera’s recent losses, two of them were very close contests.

 

Overlooking Vera would be Rua’s biggest question mark, and personally I just feel that he isn’t going to show up in the best condition that he can and should.

Vera will be at the disadvantage if this fight hits the ground but should be able to defend himself. However, if the match stays standing I fully expect Rua to be at the disadvantage.

What is completely overlooked here is the hunger that Vera has, and now is the time for him to show that he isn’t just the guy who never turned the corner.

Vera is searching for a win that would catapult him back into the mix as a contender, and Rua would be the perfect opponent to get him where he wants to be.

Vera should be considered a very dangerous opponent for Shogun if not for anything else than he has everything to gain and nothing to lose, but Shogun’s biggest obstacle may just be himself.

Rua has all the tools to win this fight, but if he steps into the Octagon looking past his opponent and isn’t fully prepared, I expect Brandon Vera to pull off a massive upset victory.

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Breaking Down the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Top Heavyweights in MMA

The heavyweight division will make history this year as Frank Mir is going to fight in Strikeforce in October. But that’s not the only story that the heavyweight division has on its horizon.Junior dos Santos vs Cain Velasquez has been postponed. Alista…

The heavyweight division will make history this year as Frank Mir is going to fight in Strikeforce in October. But that’s not the only story that the heavyweight division has on its horizon.

Junior dos Santos vs Cain Velasquez has been postponed. Alistair Overeem returns at the end of the year. Travis Browne has been elevated into a main-event role at UFC on FX 5. Mark Hunt is amid one of the most miraculous comeback stories in the sport’s history. 

To better understand what’s going on in the heavyweight division, it’s important that we know more about the top guys at 265 pounds. Here is a breakdown of the strengths and weaknesses of some of the top heavyweights in mixed martial arts today.

On a side note, I would love it if nobody sent this article to any fighter on the list. I would prefer to not have 10 of the world’s deadliest fighters wanting to break my face for talking about their shortcomings. 

Begin Slideshow

[UPDATED] Daniel Cormier’s Final Strikeforce Fight Will Be Against…Frank Mir?!


(Drunk foul shots are always the toughest foul shots.) 

Well…this is interesting. According to a report by USA Today and in accordance with both Strikeforce and UFC officials, it appears that Daniel Cormier’s first and last Strikeforce title defense against none other than former UFC Heavyweight champion Frank Mir. The fight will go down as the co-main event of the Gilbert Melendez vs. Pat Healy headlined Strikeforce event on September 29th, a decision that will in no way come back and bite them in the ass. Seriously, the co-main event? WHO IS MAKING THESE DECISIONS?! The guy who invented the Candwich?!

[UPDATE] It appears that the fight is now being looked at for an October or November Strikeforce card, likely as the main event. 

Minor rant aside, Dana White informed USA Today that Mir would make for a perfect test for Cormier:

There has been a lot of speculation as to who Cormier would fight next, and this is the fight that makes the most sense. 

The reality is, Cormier is one of the best heavyweights in the world. He just won the grand prix and beat Josh Barnett. He needs to fight opponents of that caliber, and Frank Mir is that guy.

A surprise considering Mir is on the heels of a second round (T)KO loss to Junior Dos Santos? Further proof that the remaining Strikeforce belts aren’t worth the pleather and scrap metal they’re made of? A little bit of both?

Help us decide.

More on this story after the jump.


(Drunk foul shots are always the toughest foul shots.) 

Well…this is interesting. According to a report by USA Today and in accordance with both Strikeforce and UFC officials, it appears that Daniel Cormier’s first and last Strikeforce title defense against none other than former UFC Heavyweight champion Frank Mir. The fight will go down as the co-main event of the Gilbert Melendez vs. Pat Healy headlined Strikeforce event on September 29th, a decision that will in no way come back and bite them in the ass. Seriously, the co-main event? WHO IS MAKING THESE DECISIONS?! The guy who invented the Candwich?!

[UPDATE] It appears that the fight is now being looked at for an October or November Strikeforce card, likely as the main event. 

Minor rant aside, Dana White informed USA Today that Mir would make for a perfect test for Cormier:

There has been a lot of speculation as to who Cormier would fight next, and this is the fight that makes the most sense. 

The reality is, Cormier is one of the best heavyweights in the world. He just won the grand prix and beat Josh Barnett. He needs to fight opponents of that caliber, and Frank Mir is that guy.

A surprise considering Mir is on the heels of a second round (T)KO loss to Junior Dos Santos? Further proof that the remaining Strikeforce belts aren’t worth the pleather and scrap metal they’re made of? A little bit of both?

Help us decide.

In an interview with MMAWeekly, Cormier stated that he could not be more thrilled to be fighting a big name in Mir, considering he was angling for a fight with Tim Sylvia beforehand:

You’ve got to tip your hat off to the executives at Zuffa for doing something like that and to Frank Mir for doing it. I respect Frank greatly for stepping in and taking this fight. This fight can elevate my status in the sport a ton.

Tim Sylvia’s accomplished a lot, but he just hasn’t really fought in the top of the sport for a while. No disrespect to Tim, but this is a much easier fight to get pumped up for. I dropped my phone a couple of times while I was trying to look at Twitter.

Now that it’s official, I honestly can’t help but feel a little bad for Frank (yes, that’s possible). Aside from the fact that he is essential dropping down to the Triple-A’s for a fight, the guy has suffered more than a couple rather brutal KO losses as of late, and although he stands as good a chance of beating Cormier as any heavyweight not named Junior Dos Santos, lord knows what another knockout loss will do to both his mental well being and his status as a top-tier heavyweight.

On the other hand, this is probably one of the best possible matchups for the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix winner, and should make for one hell of a fight for the heavyweight division to go out on. There is also the fact that Cormier will likely break one, if not both of his hands in the first two rounds, making it much easier for Mir to avoid permanent brain damage if he is able to drag the fight into the latter rounds.

Currently our top pick for the greatest undefeated fighter in the sport today, Cormier is fresh off the aforementioned win over Josh Barnett, in which “Black Fedor” used a combination of effective striking and a few beautiful slams to keep Barnett off balance en route to a unanimous decision victory. A two-time Senior Freestyle Olympic trials winner and an NCAA Division 1 All American with incredible knockout power to boot, Cormier poses many similar threats to Mir as Shane Carwin did in their interim title fight at UFC 111. Let’s just hope that the ref can step in a little quicker this time should Cormier manage to put Mir’s lights out. Otherwise, Mir is going to have to start tattooing information onto his body and taking photos of his friends and family to deal with his inability to form new memories. Always remember Sammy Jenkis, Frank.

But what do you think, Potato Nation? Is this a good matchup for either man, and how do you think it will go down?

–J. Jones

Frank Mir to Fight in Strikeforce: Who Could Be Next?

It was announced on Wednesday that former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir would be moving to the Strikeforce cage to square off against the Heavyweight World Grand Prix Champion Daniel Cormier (via Josh Morgan of USA Today).Mir is coming off a loss …

It was announced on Wednesday that former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir would be moving to the Strikeforce cage to square off against the Heavyweight World Grand Prix Champion Daniel Cormier (via Josh Morgan of USA Today).

Mir is coming off a loss in a UFC title fight against Junior dos Santos, where he was TKO’d in the second round. Prior to that, he had won three straight over Mirko Cro Cop, Roy Nelson and Minotauro Nogueira.

Meanwhile, Cormier is undefeated at 10-0 and recently won a unanimous decision over Josh Barnett to be crowned the GP champ.

With the announcement that Mir will fight in Strikeforce, he has become the first UFC fighter to cross over and fight there.

Could there be more of this to come?

Obviously, this wouldn’t happen in the heavyweight division, as the heavyweight division in Strikeforce will be absorbed into the UFC after both Cormier and Barnett have their final fights, but I think it could happen in the lightweight division.

Another fight that was recently announced was Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez facing off against Pat Healy.

Melendez is considered by some to be the No. 1 lightweight in the world, is considered by many to be in the top three and is considered by most to be in the top 10.

Healy is not and is nowhere near that.

Meanwhile, the UFC has a lightweight title fight coming up as well, at UFC 150 between Benson Henderson and Frankie Edgar.

This fight is a rematch of their UFC 144 bout, which saw Henderson walk away with the unanimous-decision victory and leave Edgar in a kind of limbo.

Dana White wanted Edgar to drop down to featherweight, but Edgar wanted a rematch with Henderson. The two went back and forth on the issue for weeks until Edgar was granted his rematch.

If Edgar loses again, he could move over to Strikeforce and fight Gilbert Melendez.

If he really doesn’t want to drop down to featherweight, but he knows he won’t get another shot at a UFC title, a fight against Melendez would make sense.

He’d get to stay in the lightweight division, he’d be facing a fighter who many consider to be a top opponent and he’ll get a chance to wear a belt again.

Then Melendez would get some legitimate competition, and we’d get to see how good he really is.

 

Tim McTiernan is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. For the latest news on everything MMA, follow him on Twitter @TimMcTiernan.

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