UFC newcomer Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva has welcomed Octagon veterans Mark Hunt and Thiago Silva to his training camp leading up to his co-main-event showdown with Cain Velasquez. He has also recruited a wrestler who defeated Velasquez, a former UFC …
UFC newcomer Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva has welcomed Octagon veterans Mark Hunt and Thiago Silva to his training camp leading up to his co-main-event showdown with Cain Velasquez.
He has also recruited a wrestler who defeated Velasquez, a former UFC heavyweight champion, three times on the mats in high school.
“I brought a couple of wrestlers to help me out. One of them (Steve Mocco) fought Cain Velasquez three times in high school and defeated him every single one,” Silva told Tatame.com. “He’s spending a couple of weeks here to give me tips and tell me why I should worry about Cain Velasquez.”
“He’s a good guy. He’s very strong, about the same height as Cain and has a lot of experience for having fought him before. It’s a great thing for me,” he added.
Silva enters the fight as a huge underdog, with many fans and analysts alike saying he will be no match for Velasquez’s striking, wrestling and non-stop cardio.
That’s why he has brought in a couple of high-level strikers as well in an attempt to level the playing field: “There’re some strikers coming to support me too, like Mark Hunt, who’s being really helpful. There’s Thiago Silva, who’s a great helping hand at this point.”
The former Strikeforce fighter is looking forward to the fight and encourages fans to tune in for it.
“I was really glad about the opportunity. It’s my UFC debut, and they are giving me a chance to fight one of the top two guys of the division, a former champion. I have two-and-a-half weeks ahead of me and I guarantee it’s going to be a good fight”, the Brazilian heavyweight said.
Bigfoot said he is “focused” on Cain Velasquez but still hopes to work his way up to an eventual title shot:
I guess there’re many people ahead of me on the line. It’s my UFC debut. Fighting for the title is the consequence of a long-term work. Just like the champion had to do like four or five fights, knocked out everybody who crossed his way and got his chance at the title and earned it. It’s a longer way, but I guess that, in the end of the day, it pays off.
Velasquez was originally scheduled to face another fellow UFC heavyweight champion in Frank Mir in a title eliminator bout.
However, Mir now meets reigning champion Junior dos Santos, the man who defeated Velasquez for the belt, at the May 26 event hosted at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Does anyone feel like these additions to Bigfoot’s camp can lead him to an upset over the former Arizona State Sun Devil, Cain Velasquez?
A young champion that has dominated every opponent in the Octagon with his boxing vs. a veteran ex-champ whose ground-wizardry has carried him to his second career comeback. Sure, it would have been nice to see JDS vs. Overeem, but we’re staying positive here, and you couldn’t write a better storyline for this May 26th heavyweight title fight. Also featured in the new hype video for UFC 146 is the return of heavyweight phenom Cain Velasquez, who promises a victory against promotional newcomer Antonio Silva — a gigantic opportunity for both men. Can Bigfoot make a splash in the UFC, or is he just a speed-bump on the way to Cain’s next title shot?
A young champion that has dominated every opponent in the Octagon with his boxing vs. a veteran ex-champ whose ground-wizardry has carried him to his second career comeback. Sure, it would have been nice to see JDS vs. Overeem, but we’re staying positive here, and you couldn’t write a better storyline for this May 26th heavyweight title fight. Also featured in the new hype video for UFC 146 is the return of heavyweight phenom Cain Velasquez, who promises a victory against promotional newcomer Antonio Silva — a gigantic opportunity for both men. Can Bigfoot make a splash in the UFC, or is he just a speed-bump on the way to Cain’s next title shot?
Junior dos Santos has Frank Mir in his sights and he is aware of all the trash-talking coming from his opponent, but he does not seem phased.When the two heavyweights square off at UFC 146, it will be the Brazilian’s first title defense. He won the UFC…
Junior dos Santos has Frank Mir in his sights and he is aware of all the trash-talking coming from his opponent, but he does not seem phased.
When the two heavyweights square off at UFC 146, it will be the Brazilian’s first title defense. He won the UFC heavyweight title after knocking out Cain Velasquez at UFC on FOX last November.
As Dos Santos prepares for the former heavyweight champion, one thing he won’t be focused on is avenging the loss of fellow teammate and mentor, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who was submitted by Mir at UFC 140.
“For us who know Minotauro, it was really sad to see that. But that has absolutely no bearing on my fight against Frank Mir,” Dos Santos told USAToday.com. “I fight because of my own determination, my desire to win.”
Dos Santos, who was originally scheduled to meet Alistair Overeem, also doesn’t buy into Mir’s trash talk, as he believes it is only to promote the upcoming bout.
Mir has tended to get under his opponents’ skin in the past, leaving a bad impression on his image that portrays him as arrogant.
While he might not care about Mir’s opinion, that doesn’t mean the champion agree with some his choice words when comparing his skills to the Brazilian’s, especially stylistically.
Said Dos Santos:
I think when Mir’s in a good spot in the fight — when he’s in a good moment and in a good position — he’s very dangerous. But Mir doesn’t really know how to get through rough spots in a bout. What happened against Nogueira in his last fight was really an anomaly, because Mir got caught standing up. … Usually when Mir gets into a little bit of trouble during a fight, he can’t come back from it.
(In defense of Dana’s flip flop, who could say no to that face?)
By Josh Hutchinson
As some of you may remember, I recently attempted to make a case for why Alistair Overeem vs. Junior Dos Santos had to happen at UFC 146, testosterone-levels be damned. And though that fight didn’t quite pan out, we’ll instead be treated to an even better fight that evening in Frank Mir vs. Junior Dos Santos (assuming that no other weird shit happens beforehand). That’s right, I said even better. “But you just tried telling us why the UFC needs to keep Overeem vs. Dos Santos,” I hear you screaming. To that extent I have two retorts. The first being that apparently my hypocrisy knows no bounds. The second being that a quick look at Frank Mir vs. any of the other potential replacements makes the case loud and clear. Take for instance the man that Mir is officially replacing…
Yes, Overeem and Dos Santos would have been an epic slugfest, with a near-guarantee of someone being knocked stupid, but if you look at the quality of opponents the two men have faced in recent years, the nod clearly goes to Mir. Since moving up to heavyweight full time, Overeem has compiled a record of 12-1-1, which while sounding impressive, is actually rather deceiving. The majority of the fighters he beat in those twelve wins resemble less of a contender list, and more of a “MMA Fighters: Where Are They Now?” list. I of course am talking about guys like Paul Buentello, Tony Sylvester, James Thompson, Brett Rogers, you get the point. Frank Mir on the other hand, has been wading through the UFC’s heavyweight elites since UFC 34 back in 2001, picking up big name wins like Tim Sylvia (before he was a joke), Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (2x), Cheick Kongo, and others. Besides there is still a great chance of seeing someone get knocked the hell out. We all know Dos Santos likes to do it, and if you ask guys like Cro Cop and the aforementioned Nogueria, Mir likes to dabble as well.
(In defense of Dana’s flip flop, who could say no to that face?)
By Josh Hutchinson
As some of you may remember, I recently attempted to make a case for why Alistair Overeem vs. Junior Dos Santos had to happen at UFC 146, testosterone-levels be damned. And though that fight didn’t quite pan out, we’ll instead be treated to an even better fight that evening in Frank Mir vs. Junior Dos Santos (assuming that no other weird shit happens beforehand). That’s right, I said even better. “But you just tried telling us why the UFC needs to keep Overeem vs. Dos Santos,” I hear you screaming. To that extent I have two retorts. The first being that apparently my hypocrisy knows no bounds. The second being that a quick look at Frank Mir vs. any of the other potential replacements makes the case loud and clear. Take for instance the man that Mir is officially replacing…
Yes, Overeem and Dos Santos would have been an epic slugfest, with a near-guarantee of someone being knocked stupid, but if you look at the quality of opponents the two men have faced in recent years, the nod clearly goes to Mir. Since moving up to heavyweight full time, Overeem has compiled a record of 12-1-1, which while sounding impressive, is actually rather deceiving. The majority of the fighters he beat in those twelve wins resemble less of a contender list, and more of a “MMA Fighters: Where Are They Now?” list. I of course am talking about guys like Paul Buentello, Tony Sylvester, James Thompson, Brett Rogers, you get the point. Frank Mir on the other hand, has been wading through the UFC’s heavyweight elites since UFC 34 back in 2001, picking up big name wins like Tim Sylvia (before he was a joke), Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (2x), Cheick Kongo, and others. Besides there is still a great chance of seeing someone get knocked the hell out. We all know Dos Santos likes to do it, and if you ask guys like Cro Cop and the aforementioned Nogueria, Mir likes to dabble as well.
It’s easy to understand why so much attention was focused on Hunt after Overeem shit the bed. The man is a world renowned kickboxer with most of his MMA wins coming via KO/TKO, and since he is currently riding a three-fight win streak, he would have been a great replacement for the “stand and exchange till someone drops” fight we’d been looking forward to. Now I mean this with the utmost respect, but had this fight happened, it would have been nothing more than feeding Dos Santos a quick victory. I know, I know, blasphemy, but hear me out: Six out of Hunt’s seven MMA losses have come in the form of a submission. Since Dos Santos has been knocking fools out left and right, people have a tendency to forget that he also has a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under the Nogueiras. Would Hunt have a punchers chance? Absolutely, but you can damn well bet that if Dos Santos was rocked in the stand-up he’d move to Plan B on the mat. While that would most likely spell disaster for Hunt, it won’t be a problem for Mir.
After Velasquez and Dos Santos first squared off, a lot questions arose. Was Cain hit with a lucky punch? Is Dos Santos’s striking impossible to deal with? Why the hell were we so excited for UFC on Fox in the first place? All questions that at this time are impossible to answer. I wholeheartedly believe Velasquez should get another shot at the heavyweight title, but not immediately. It’s not like we’re talking about a five-round Maynard vs. Edgar-esque draw here. Being trounced in roughly a minute hardly warrants an rematch. Let Velasquez pick up a win or two, then throw him back in the mix.
Have you guys ever day-dreamed so hard that shit just spiraled out of control? I’m talking about starting off with a normal one like, say, beating the guy in front of you in line to death with his own shoes for taking the time to write a three-dollar check, and then just letting your mind wander. When unregulated, the human brain goes to some very weird places. Before you know it your brain has set up a fantastical universe where you not only put that check writing asshole in his place, but also the cashier that always takes a little too long to count back change, the bully you had in high school, and a squad of no less than 20 ninjas, before carrying off a beautiful blonde for days worth of mind numbing sex.
Well that’s the kind of thing the MMA world did when left to its own devices in regards to a replacement for Overeem. I must have heard twenty different suggestions, all as horrible as the one before it. At this point in his career there is a snowman’s chance in hell of Fedor taking this fight. Hendo is more than content to wait for his light heavyweight shot. Werdum is guaranteed to fight in Brazil next, and the rest of the suggestions were so damn stupid I refuse to even address them. But hey, it’s fun to dream.
So Nation, we now have a fight between Mir and Dos Santos, for better or worse. Will Frank get knocked out as fast as Velasquez? Will we finally see Junior’s ground game tested? Most importantly, who will walk away the champ? Tune in to UFC 146 on May 26th to find out.
In what could be his last possible chance to regain the UFC heavyweight title, former champion Frank Mir (16-5) knows where his best chance of success is in his upcoming bout with Junior dos Santos (14-1) at UFC 146, and it’s where he th…
In what could be his last possible chance to regain the UFC heavyweight title, former champion Frank Mir (16-5) knows where his best chance of success is in his upcoming bout with Junior dos Santos (14-1) at UFC 146, and it’s where he thinks his opponent has “no chance.”
“Obviously, we’re fighting a guy who’s made his career now of not going to the ground,” Mir said on HDNet’s Inside MMA. “The only time I’ve ever seen him take a shot is if he’s pretty handily winning the fight. He just does it to, maybe a change of pace to throw something out there. But as far as, you see when people engage him, he’s a ‘throw punches and run’ kind of guy.”
“He doesn’t wanna sit there and get grabbed and taken down,” Mir continued. “He’s not gonna fight that battle. If he was capable of doing it, we probably would’ve seen it already. The fact is that he avoids it like it’s poison. I think for two reasons—one, I don’t he’s probably that very good on the ground, and two, he is so good on his feet.”
Without more than a glimpse of dos Santos on the ground in his UFC career, it should be pointed out that his only loss came by an armbar in 2007. Mir has submitted nine of his opponents, including Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who he submitted with a vicious kimura at UFC 140.
On a card that has already had some major changes, including a main event between JDS and Alistair Overeem being replaced with JDS vs. Mir, fans expect it to be a great night of fights featuring 10 of the UFC’s best heavyweights.
In the co-main event, former champion Cain Velasquez will fight Antonio Silva in a must-win fight, as both of them are coming off of first-round KO losses. Velasquez was beaten for the first time in his career last November when dos Santos knocked him out. Originally, Mir was supposed to fight him on the card before Overeem got removed.
“The only difference that I feel with dos Santos is that dos Santos is the better boxer, quicker hands,” Mir said. “He just isn’t as multi-faceted as Velasquez is. As far as, when you fight dos Santos, I don’t think it’s any secret, he has no chance of winning the fight if it goes to the ground. If we go into a wrestling match, he’s in trouble. He has to keep it where he’s best at, and you know, he’s the best boxer in the heavyweight division.”
The pay-per-view event will go down May 26 in Las Vegas. Other main card matchups include Roy Nelson vs. Dave Herman, Shane del Rosario vs. Stipe Miocic and Mark Hunt vs. Stefan Struve.
Frank Mir is relishing the opportunity to challenge for a UFC heavyweight title once again.The 12-year veteran previously held the heavyweight strap in 2004, before vacating the title after a motorcycle accident nearly cost him his career. After earnin…
Frank Mir is relishing the opportunity to challenge for a UFC heavyweight title once again.
The 12-year veteran previously held the heavyweight strap in 2004, before vacating the title after a motorcycle accident nearly cost him his career. After earning three consecutive victories, Mir now finds himself facing current UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos at UFC 146 on May 26th.
Mir said he is honored to face a competitor of the Brazilian’s caliber, but it is only dos Santos’ boxing that he sees as his primary concern.
“Junior dos Santos is always submitting people on their feet and he’s a better boxer, but that’s all he brings to this scenario,” Mir told TATAME.com. “He may be good at Jiu-Jitsu, he can be a great wrestler, but his strongest point is Boxing, so his game plan is not to be on his punching zone so he won’t find me.”
Mir was originally slated to meet former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez that same night, however, he was put in the main event after learning dos Santos’ original challenger Alistair Overeem had failed a pre-fight drug test.
Mir said he wasn’t surprised to learn that he would replace the Dutchman and believed he was the only other contender who was worthy of challenging “Cigano.”
“I wasn’t surprised at all. Obviously I heard Dana’s version and in my mind I don’t think they’d put another person instead of me to fight Junior dos Santos,” he said. “I thought there would be a great chance I wouldn’t fight for the title, but it never happened and here I am.”
And now that Mir is competing for a title shot again, he is focused on recapturing the belt and he expects dos Santos to be ready as well.
Despite his last victory over dos Santos’ mentor and friend, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mir doesn’t believe the champion’s intention will be to avenge Nogueira’s loss. Mir fought Nogueira at UFC 141 last December and broke his arm after submitting the former PRIDE FC star in the first round.
“I guess he’s only fighting me because I’m trying to take that belt off him,” he said. “I know it would be nice for him if he could win this fight and come back having revenged his friend’s loss, but in the end of the say he will be more focused on fighting me for his own reasons, after all, he wants to remain as the champion.”
