Many feared the worst for UFC 146. They saw an all-heavyweight main card as an accident waiting to happen. The image of the UFC’s big boys sloppily swaying their way into the latter rounds of a fight brought tremors of fear to those who plunked d…
Many feared the worst for UFC 146. They saw an all-heavyweight main card as an accident waiting to happen. The image of the UFC’s big boys sloppily swaying their way into the latter rounds of a fight brought tremors of fear to those who plunked down the cash to buy the pay-per-view.
Those fears went unrealized as not one of the five main-card fights went past the 3:14 mark of the second round. And yet, the fight card still had its detractors. These naysayers said, among other things, that the main card bouts were mismatches, they went by too fast and that there wasn’t enough action to justify the cost of the pay-per-view.
I don’t know what any of that says about fans of MMA other than they’ll never be a fight card that makes every fan happy. Speaking of unhappy, the suspensions from UFC 146 were released. There will undoubtedly be some unhappy campers when the list of suspended fighters is perused, and they see the length of some of the suspensions that the combatants were handed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. (via MMAWeekly)
Full list of suspensions:
Frank Mir: Suspended until July 23 with no contact before July 11.
Cain Velasquez: Suspended until November 20 if left hand is broken but can be cleared early by doctor; At a minimum, Velasquez is suspended until June 26 with no contact before June 17.
Antonio Silva: Suspended until November 20, if nose is broken, but can be cleared early by a doctor; At a minimum, Silva is suspended until July 23 with no contact before July 11.
Dave Herman: Suspended until July 23 with no contact before July 11
Shane Del Rosario: Suspended until July 23 with no contact before July 11
Lavar Johnson: Left elbow needs to be examined by a doctor. At a minimum, Johnson is suspended until July 11 with no contact before June 26.
Darren Elkins: Suspended until June 26 with no contact before June 17 due to left ear hematoma
Diego Brandao: Suspended until June 26 with no contact before June 17
Edson Barboza: Suspended until July 11 with no contact before June 26
Jamie Varner: Suspended until November 20, if right hand is broken, but can be cleared early by doctor; At a minimum, Varner is suspended until June 26 with no contact before June 17.
Jason Miller: Suspended until November 20 but can be cleared early by doctor pending examination of his left knee and right thumb. At a minimum, Miller is suspended until July 11 with no contact before June 26.
C.B. Dollaway: Suspended until November 20 but can be cleared early by doctor pending examination of his left thumb; At a minimum, Dollaway is suspended until June 26 with no contact before June 17.
Duane Ludwig: Suspended until July 23 with no contact before July 11.
Jacob Volkmann: Suspended until November 20 but can be cleared early by doctor pending examination of his left elbow.
Mike Brown: Suspended until June 26 with no contact before June 17 due to a forehead laceration.
Daniel Pineda: Suspended until June 26 with no contact before June 17.
(That awkward moment when fireballs fail to shoot out of your hands.)
The UFC paid out $1,513,000 in disclosed salaries and performance bonuses for last Saturday’s UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Mir card, with Junior Dos Santos, Frank Mir, and Cain Velasquez‘s matching $200,000 checks eating up about 40% of the total. The full salary list is below via MMAJunkie. Keep in mind that these figures don’t include additional revenue from sponsorships, undisclosed “locker room bonuses,” or percentages of the pay-per-view revenue that are in some fighters’ contracts.
Junior Dos Santos: $200,000 (no win bonus)
def. Frank Mir: $200,000
(That awkward moment when fireballs fail to shoot out of your hands.)
The UFC paid out $1,513,000 in disclosed salaries and performance bonuses for last Saturday’s UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Mir card, with Junior Dos Santos, Frank Mir, and Cain Velasquez‘s matching $200,000 checks eating up about 40% of the total. The full salary list is below via MMAJunkie. Keep in mind that these figures don’t include additional revenue from sponsorships, undisclosed “locker room bonuses,” or percentages of the pay-per-view revenue that are in some fighters’ contracts.
Junior Dos Santos: $200,000 (no win bonus)
def. Frank Mir: $200,000
Mike Brown: $52,000 (includes $26,000 win bonus)
def. Daniel Pineda: $10,000
Underpaid:Jamie Varner, mostly for the fact that his thrilling and completely unexpected K.O. of Edson Barboza was passed over for a knockout bonus. Also, his $10,000 show money was noticeably less than what he used to make in the WEC. You’d think he’d at least get his old salary to step in on short notice against an undefeated killer. Luckily, Varner made the most of his opportunity and will hopefully be able to re-negotiate after another win.
Overpaid:Antonio Silva. Including his last loss to Daniel Cormier in Strikeforce, that’s two fights in a row where Bigfoot has done little more than offer target practice to AKA’s heavyweight roster. What’s the point of being a terrifying behemoth if you can’t use your freakish size to your advantage? And why should Silva’s to-show money be that much higher than UFC veterans like Roy Nelson and Stefan Struve in the first place?
UFC 146 was a rough outing for Frank Mir.The former UFC heavyweight champion had the chance to reclaim his gold but came up well short, losing to current champ Junior dos Santos via second-round TKO.Mir just wasn’t able to fight his fight. He…
The former UFC heavyweight champion had the chance to reclaim his gold but came up well short, losing to current champ Junior dos Santos via second-round TKO.
Mir just wasn’t able to fight his fight. He wanted to get things to the ground, and dos Santos would have none of it.
Forced to stand, Mir was trading with the best boxer the UFC heavyweight division has ever seen, and that generally doesn’t work out too well.
He held on as long as he could, but dos Santos’ power was too much for Mir, who was eventually rocked and finished with a flurry of punches and an emphatic hammer fist.
After his somewhat underwhelming performance at UFC 146, here are four questions we have about Frank Mir.
Was he in shape for the dos Santos fight?
Mir’s cardio is always a question mark.
We saw him gas against Roy Nelson,and against dos Santos he seemed exhausted by the second round.
More than that, Mir looked a little chunkier than we’re used to seeing him in the cage.
Given all that, it’s hard to wonder if Mir was in the shape he need to be for this one.
Is his heart still in fighting?
I think it’s fair to say that most wouldn’t describe Mir’s performance as motivated.
Indeed, halfway through Round 1, Mir seemed to have already abandoned his game plan and was content to play into dos Santos’ strengths.
At 33 years old, having accomplished so much and being faced with the reality that’s just not as good as the new breed of fighter, Mir doesn’t seem to be the hungry fighter that he used to be.
How many fights does he have left?
Age 33 is not ancient for a heavyweight, but Mir has been in the sport for a long time and fought his share of battles.
It has been apparent over the past few years that Mir’s body—his chin, especially—is starting to let him down.
In the heavyweight division, fighters need to be able to eat a good punch, and it’s rare these days that we don’t see Mir rocked in a fight.
He’s one of the best ever and it will be sad to see him go, but you have to think that Mir doesn’t have much more than two years left in him.
What does the future hold for Mir?
Mir is one of the smartest and most articulate fighters in MMA history. His ability to analyze fights and break down positions in a way that a general audience can understand is unrivaled.
After Mir retires, it would be a shame to see him just fade away from the sport.
Hopefully, once it comes time for him to call it quits, Mir will stick around as a guest—or possibly full-time—commentator and MMA analyst.
Andrew Barr is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a stand-up comedian. Check him out on Twitter @AndrewBarr8.
After sitting out a few months thanks to injury and a late opponent change, Junior dos Santos finally had his first UFC heavyweight title defense at UFC 146. Dos Santos met former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, who filled in for the …
After sitting out a few months thanks to injury and a late opponent change, Junior dos Santos finally had his first UFC heavyweight title defense at UFC 146.
Dos Santos met former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, who filled in for the suspended Alistair Overeem.
Like many predicted, Dos Santos was able to use his quick and precise boxing to out-strike and eventually knockout Mir in the second round.
Although Mir did land a few leg kicks and counter-strikes, none of them seemed to phase Dos Santos.
Mir’s only hope was to get the fight to the ground.
But after Dos Santos avoided a leg lock attempt early in the fight, Mir did not really have an answer for him.
As Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan stated in the video above, Dos Santos had excellent takedown defense and footwork.
With the win, Dos Santos is now 15-1 (9-0 in the UFC). The win was his 11th by knockout.
Mir, on the other hand, is now 16-6 with each of his losses coming by knockout.
Mir has the most heavyweight wins in UFC history and is a two-time champion.
But Mir has lost the last three title fights he’s been in. Although he is still a great heavyweight, Mir may have had his last chance at a title belt.
With Dos Santos as champion, he already has wins over many of the top heavyweights in the division, including Roy Nelson, Stefan Struve and Cain Velasquez.
Thanks to his combination of great striking and defense, there may not be anybody who can defeat the champ for a long time.
Junior dos Santos is a walking, terrifying public relations smashing machine. Not only did he Babe Ruth it and fulfill his prediction of winning by 2nd round stoppage over former two-time champion Frank Mir Saturday night, but he also provided the best feel-good photo op of the year so far.
Junior trains out of Luis Carlos Dorea’s Champion Boxing gym in Brazil which, in addition to being headquarters for world-class fighters, is home to a vibrant youth boxing program. After training one day, the UFC Primetime cameras caught one of the little tikes hanging asking Junior to take him with him to the states for his title fight.
At the time, Junior said, “we’ll see.” But he ended up bringing the 9 year-old kid and his family to Vegas to watch him win. After beating Mir, he lifted the lucky young fighter onto his shoulders and posed for the cameras along with his coaches.
Dos Santos definitely appears to have the Wanderlei Silva nice guy/maniac fighter balance down pat. Try as I might, that image warms my cynical heart, and I don’t give a damn how orchestrated it may or may not have been. Who doesn’t like watching a kid’s dream come true before their eyes?
Junior dos Santos is a walking, terrifying public relations smashing machine. Not only did he Babe Ruth it and fulfill his prediction of winning by 2nd round stoppage over former two-time champion Frank Mir Saturday night, but he also provided the best feel-good photo op of the year so far.
Junior trains out of Luis Carlos Dorea’s Champion Boxing gym in Brazil which, in addition to being headquarters for world-class fighters, is home to a vibrant youth boxing program. After training one day, the UFC Primetime cameras caught one of the little tikes hanging asking Junior to take him with him to the states for his title fight.
At the time, Junior said, “we’ll see.” But he ended up bringing the 9 year-old kid and his family to Vegas to watch him win. After beating Mir, he lifted the lucky young fighter onto his shoulders and posed for the cameras along with his coaches.
Dos Santos definitely appears to have the Wanderlei Silva nice guy/maniac fighter balance down pat. Try as I might, that image warms my cynical heart, and I don’t give a damn how orchestrated it may or may not have been. Who doesn’t like watching a kid’s dream come true before their eyes?
Mir’s dream of becoming the second ever three-time UFC heavyweight champion came crashing down on him, however, when he could not drag dos Santos down to the mat. Mir eat huge hellacious shots to the dome in the latter part of the first and into the second, until the final hammer fist prompted the ref to step in and stop the action.
It has been easy for this writer to continually underestimate dos Santos in some of his biggest bouts on account of his “only” having his hands. What are the chances, I’ve often found myself thinking, that he can go a whole fight without getting put on his back? Well, so far, those chances are much less likely than the chances that his opponents can go an entire fight without being hit by him.
When dos Santos touches an opponent, they drop. That’s the way it goes, we’ve come to learn.
Who’s next for him? How about a rematch with the man he beat to win the title, Cain Velasquez?
Cain got back on the winning track by dominating and brutalizing Antonio Silva, stopping him in the first round with ground strikes. Cain made Silva bleed his own blood, a lot of it, with elbows and punches, and by the end of the brief bout he looked like he was trying out for a horror flick.
He was trying out for a title shot, and I think he earned it. The only guy I’d rather see get it next, his AKA teammate Daniel Cormier, will be out for a long time with a broken hand.
Yeah, Velasquez vs. dos Santos would be a rematch but so what? Elite fighters often hang around the top of divisions together and, if we’re lucky, we get to see the best of the best go at it over and again.
Cain lost quickly to dos Santos last fall, but before that he was unbeaten and devastated the, at the time, invincible-looking champion Brock Lesnar. Modern-day Antonio Silva only loses to the best guys out there, like Fabricio Werdum, Velasquez and Cormier, and recently dominated Fedor Emelianenko. Taking him out so impressively counts for a lot, and with the timing working out, it is time for dos Santos vs. Velasquez II.
Roy Nelson found the mark with his over hand right early and knocked Dave Herman silly. He went in to add to the punishment on the ground but thankfully the ref got in there fast and stopped it. Only way Nelson could have added to the damage would have been to eat Herman, and we all know he’s watching his boyish figure these days.
Dan Hardy showed why he was still employed after four-straight losses in beating solid veteran Duane Ludwig via first round TKO. Hardy always come in shape, always gives an entertaining fight and has only lost to the best in the welterweight division. It has to feel good for the “Outlaw” to finally get back in the win-column. Now he can go get high as a kite. Hardy joined Nelson as a “knockout of the night,” bonus check recipient.
To pull guard in MMA you have to either be suicidal or a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu boss. Paul Sass and Stefan Struve were the latter in securing submission wins off of their back at UFC 146. They shared “submission of the night,” honors. All bonus winners earned extra $70,000 checks. No “fight of the night” bonuses were given.
Jamie Varner showed why he is a former world champion by beating formerly unbeaten wrecking-ball Edson Barboza via TKO after taking the fight on short notice. Way to make a re-entry to the big leagues, Jamie. Perhaps the biggest underdog of the night, scored the huge upset.
Jason “Mayhem” Miller pleaded with the UFC to give him another fight in the organization after losing badly to Michael Bisping and he got one, against C.B. Dollaway. Miller fought well and lost a close decision to Dollaway. But still, looks like, he gone. Reports are that he pulled a stunt backstage after the fight that sealed his fate. Maybe he ran into Team Cesar Gracie.
One final note, Glover Teixeira looked great in his long-awaited UFC debut. He submitted Kyle Kingsbury with an arm-triangle choke in the first round. Is it too soon to want to see Glover against some of the best in the 205lb division?
Frank Mir was on the losing end of the UFC Heavyweight championship last night, but it wasn’t from a lack of effort. He was simply outgunned by the more well-rounded, athletic fighter.Mir has been a mainstay in the UFC since 2001, which is a long time …
Frank Mir was on the losing end of the UFC Heavyweight championship last night, but it wasn’t from a lack of effort. He was simply outgunned by the more well-rounded, athletic fighter.
Mir has been a mainstay in the UFC since 2001, which is a long time for any fighter. In that time he has faced some of the best heavyweights in the history of the sport.
At this point in his career, it is doubtful that Mir will ever receive a title shot again. The former champion has had his fair share at attempts, and in his last three title fights he has failed to gain the strap.
He lost a title unification bout against Brock Lesnar, he failed to earn the interim title against Shane Carwin and last night he lost the championship bout against dos Santos.
With the loss, should Frank Mir consider retirement? It isn’t a crazy idea, as he is an 11-year veteran of the sport. 11 years does not seem long, but in a sport where injuries are abundant and training is year round, a heavy toll is taken on the body.
Mir has made his money, he has had his glory and earned his fame. Maybe his future is in training future stars, as Mir would make a fantastic jiu-jitsu coach at any gym. He could even just be a full-on MMA coach.
Mir has nothing left to prove. He is the first man to ever knockout Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and the only person to ever submit him. He has tapped out Brock Lesnar, knocked out Mirko Cro Cop and snapped Tim Sylvia’s arm.
Let’s not forget, Mir had a motorcycle accident earlier in his career that almost put an end to his competitive MMA career. That could begin to take its toll as well, even though Mir is just 33 years old.
In my opinion, I think Mir has a few fights left in him. But at this point, retirement isn’t a bad option. He could still be involved with the UFC without taking the damage to his body.
Hopefully, we see Mir a few more times in the Octagon, as he is a fantastic competitor. If not, a salute is in order to one of the greatest heavyweights ever.
