Tag: Frank Mir

UFC 140: The Nogueira Brothers Will Shock the World and Both Win Saturday

The Nogueira brothers,  Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira and Antônio Rogério Nogueira, are the best pair of brother-fighters in mixed martial arts history.  They’re the only pair of identical twins to both post highl…

The Nogueira brothers,  Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira and Antônio Rogério Nogueira, are the best pair of brother-fighters in mixed martial arts history.  They’re the only pair of identical twins to both post highly successful MMA careers.

Not only do they look exactly alike, but their parents apparently thought it would be amusing to name them both after their father Antônio.  With only the subtlest of differences in their given middle names, there is no way to differentiate between the two by using their given names.  They even have the same moniker—Minotauro.  

For those who are unfamiliar with the brothers, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira has been dubbed “Big Nog” because he fights at Heavyweight.  Antônio Rogério Nogueira fights at Light Heavyweight, so he’s “Little Nog.” That way, MMA fans can keep track of which Nogueira their talking about.

There is also one important thing that almost nobody knows about the Nogueira brothers: They’re both going to win and win decisively this coming Saturday at UFC 140. 

Big Nog will be facing Frank Mir, a former UFC heavyweight champion with a ton of momentum. Frank Mir is coming into this fight overconfident and slightly under-prepared. He beat Big Nog a little so easily in their first fight that he just can’t help it: He views Big Nog as an over-rated under-skilled fighter who is way past his prime.

Come fight night, we’re going to see the larger Nogueira brother come in more determined than we’ve ever seen him. He is on the brink of being released from the UFC and fading into irrelevance.

Also consider that coming into their first fight, nobody ever heard of “Frank Mir the knockout artist.” I think that fight is where Mir realized that he actually might be a lot better striker than anyone thought he was. Being the 38th fight to face Big Nog and the first to knock him out is a huge confidence builder.

Big Nog didn’t know that Frank Mir was a one-punch knockout threat back then. Nobody did. This time around, Mir has no new surprises to bring to the table. He knows very well how to nullify power strikers and he will nullify Frank’s stand-up game this time.

At UFC 140 we’re going to see the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu clash of the titans we all thought we were going to see at UFC 92 and Big Nog is going to win that chess match by submitting Frank in the third round.

Little Nog is also on the brink, but he’s got an even bigger reason to put on the best fight of his career this Saturday. Unlike his larger brother, Lil Nog has always been a step or two shy of becoming a world champion but he’s never been able to seal the deal. The saying, “It’s now or never” was never truer than it is now with Lil Nog.

So how will he beat Tito Ortiz? It’s a lot simpler than you might think. Since his recent return to the octagon, Tito has been very consistent at one thing: Being inconsistent. After having his career resurrecting moment against Ryan Bader, he put on another disappointing performance against Rashad Evans.

The trouble is, Tito is already a living legend in the UFC and mixed martial arts.  He doesn’t really have anything else to prove at this point. And Rogério has all the skills to equal Tito across the board. At any stage of both fighters’ careers, this would have been a close fight. 

A very motivated and hungry Little Nog is going to light Tito up with punches all night and Tito won’t be able to keep the fight on the ground where he is safer. “Nogueira-light” wins this fight by unanimous decision. 

There is one thing that I can’t for the life of me sort out: Why on earth is this card booked to happen in Canada?? When you have the most famous pair of brothers in MMA history on the same card, if you have any common sense at all, you put that card where it does the most for your bottom line.  So why on earth are these two fights happening in Brazil?

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Frank Mir Criticizes Brock Lesnar’s Commentary During UFC on FOX Broadcast

While Brock Lesnar’s appearance on UFC on FOX 1 had audiences turning their heads and looking at the former UFC heavyweight champion in a new perspective, Frank Mir wasn’t too impressed. Mir, who is scheduled to face Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira this …

While Brock Lesnar‘s appearance on UFC on FOX 1 had audiences turning their heads and looking at the former UFC heavyweight champion in a new perspective, Frank Mir wasn’t too impressed. 

Mir, who is scheduled to face Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira this weekend at UFC 140, spoke to MMAWeigh-In.com about Lesnar’s involvement on UFC on FOX and criticized the 265-pound heavyweight’s analysis of the card. 

“Brock did such a great job, I don’t know if I could ever replace that. He was so articulate and well-spoken that I think he pretty much slammed it into the ground,” Mir said sarcastically. “You know how bad it was? I felt bad for watching it. I sat there and I said ‘ Man, cut the mic, pull (the camera over) do a three-shot’.”

Mir’s history with Lesnar goes back to the former WWE star’s UFC debut at UFC 81 where Mir submitted Lesnar in the first round. The two heavyweights would meet the following year at UFC 100, and Lesnar would defeat Mir in the second round. Mir has been open to a trilogy bout ever since then. 

However, when asked to give his own analysis on Lesnar’s upcoming bout against Alistair Overeem at UFC 141, Mir picks Lesnar to earn the victory.

“I don’t think Overeem moves his feet well enough to get out of the way. I think that he might think the guys he’s wrestling with, their doubles are something he can sprawl on. He’s not stopping Brock’s shot,” he said. “If they fought each other 100 times, I think Brock is going to get the takedown 99 times and I just don’t see how Alistair is going to get up.”

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Frank Mir Sees Positives in Having to Fight Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Again

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TORONTO — Watch below as Frank Mir talks about his UFC 140 rematch against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, the positives he sees in fighting “Big Nog” again, their first meeting, his weight, his media work, and where a win over Nogueira would place him in the heavyweight division.

 

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TORONTO — Watch below as Frank Mir talks about his UFC 140 rematch against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, the positives he sees in fighting “Big Nog” again, their first meeting, his weight, his media work, and where a win over Nogueira would place him in the heavyweight division.

 

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Hump Day Headlines with Stephanie Ann Cook

GSP injured, with blown out ACL and laid off for ten months. Carlos Condit will fight Nick Diaz at UFC 143 for Interim Welterweight title. TUF 15 on FX will feature Dominick Cruz and Urijiah.

GSP injured, with blown out ACL and laid off for ten months. Carlos Condit will fight Nick Diaz at UFC 143 for Interim Welterweight title.

TUF 15 on FX will feature Dominick Cruz and Urijiah Faber as coaches.

UFC on Fox 2 adds Michael Bisping vs. Demian Maia to the card.

Efrain Escudero returns to the UFC, faces Jacob Volkmann at UFC 141.

Ramsey Nijem injured. Danny Castillo to replace Nijem against Anthony Njoukani at UFC 141.

Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar feud continues as Mir disses Lesnar’s commentating skills.

Frank Mir: Brock Lesnar Beats Alistair Overeem 99 Times out of 100

Frank Mir may have been unimpressed with Brock Lesnar’s TV debut as an MMA analyst on Fox, but he fully expects the former UFC heavyweight champion to take care of business against Alistair Overeem at UFC 141.MMA Weigh-In caught up with Mir on the red …

Frank Mir may have been unimpressed with Brock Lesnar‘s TV debut as an MMA analyst on Fox, but he fully expects the former UFC heavyweight champion to take care of business against Alistair Overeem at UFC 141.

MMA Weigh-In caught up with Mir on the red carpet of the World MMA Awards to get his thoughts on bad commentating and the upcoming heavyweight showdown between Lesnar and Overeem.

“You know how bad it was? I felt bad for watching it,” said Mir, when asked about Lesnar’s commentating skills at UFC on Fox. “I’m sitting there going like man, somebody cut the mic, pull [the camera] over, do a three shot.

“I think I could pull it off a little bit better. Obviously, it’ll be competitive when we fight each other, but as far as speaking terms, not so much.”

There is still unfinished business between Lesnar and Mir, who both own a victory over one another.

Despite their ongoing rivalry, there still remains a certain level of respect between the two heavyweight superstars.

At UFC 141, Lesnar is slated to face a fellow behemoth in Overeem, who is a former Strikeforce heavyweight champion, Dream Interim Champion and K-1 World Grand Prix Champion.

Mir may not see eye to eye with Lesnar on most issues, but he feels strongly about his adversary’s chances of stopping “The Reem” and moving on to challenge Dos Santos for the UFC title.

“I think Overeem doesn’t move his feet well enough to get out of the way. I think that he might think the guys he’s wrestling with, their doubles are something he can sprawl on. He’s not stopping Brock’s shot,” Mir said.

“I think he has to come out with the mindset that he better land a shot and knock Brock out before he gets going. I just don’t see that happening. Percentages say that when a striker and grappler, and they are pretty much as pure as we’re gonna get in this sport. A pure grappler versus a pure striker, you’ve got to go with the grappler.”

This entire bout will likely be decided by whether or not Lesnar is able to secure takedowns and control from top position.

Despite being arguably the best striker in the heavyweight division, Overeem’s submission skills shouldn’t be overlooked. People tend to forget that the vast majority of his wins have come by submission.

Still, Mir doesn’t see submissions being much of a factor in this bout. It will depend on the takedowns, which Lesnar shouldn’t have problems securing according to Mir.

“The takedown is so much higher percentage than trying to land a one punch knockout. They fight each other 100 times, and I think Brock’s gonna get the takedown 99 times, and I don’t see how Alistair’s gonna get up,” Mir stated.

“I know that everybody looks at [Overeem’s] traps and arms, and they see a big guy. I look at the guy’s waist, and legs and I see a guy who’s just a well-muscled up light heavyweight.”

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UFC 140: Can Frank Mir Become a Heavyweight Contender Again?

It wasn’t a long time ago that Frank Mir was one of the best heavyweights in the world. He’d overcome championing a thin division on his own youthful hubris, a serious motorcycle accident that almost crippled him and some losses to guys tha…

It wasn’t a long time ago that Frank Mir was one of the best heavyweights in the world. He’d overcome championing a thin division on his own youthful hubris, a serious motorcycle accident that almost crippled him and some losses to guys that didn’t even deserve to fight him.

He’d just knocked out Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira—the first man to ever do so—and was ready to show the world that his win over Brock Lesnar wasn’t a fluke, that he truly had the former WWE star’s number.

What happened from there was a veritable roller coaster that has seen Mir toil in mediocrity and struggle to find traction in the heavyweight division.

He was smashed by Lesnar in their rematch. He did some smashing of his own against Cheick Kongo. He was on the wrong side of a smashing again against Shane Carwin. He put together uninspiring wins over Mirko Filiopovic and Roy Nelson.

And now he’s back at Nogueira’s door, looking to show once again that a past win wasn’t a fluke. He’s hoping it goes better than the Lesnar rematch did.

It’s been a long road for one of the truest UFC veterans out there. Mir has contested 18 of his 20 career fights in the famed Octagon, and has held heavyweight gold on a couple of occasions. However, as the sport has evolved Mir has slipped, often struggling with the raw power of bigger, stronger men in a division that has quickly grown full of them.

He’s made attempts to combat those issues, toying with putting on more muscle or dropping weight to become smaller and faster. He’s worked on his wrestling, developed better standup. He’s done the things a man can do to contend, and some things that not every man will try. He just hasn’t gotten consistent results.

It comes down to Mir knowing what he is, accepting it and working with it. He’s not a man who should cut weight to make 265 lbs. He’s not a collegiate wrestler. He’s not a K-1 kickboxer.

He’s a jiu-jitsu guy, and a great one at that. He’s a decent boxer who has made tremendous strides in his striking overall. He’s at his best when he weighs in around 245 lbs. He’s a guy who has one great tool and some other decent ones. That’s Frank Mir.

And even with all that said, he’s still not that far out of contention. A win at UFC 140 puts him on a three-fight win streak over three name guys, and has him back in talks as a top-5 guy in the promotion.

Frank Mir’s biggest enemy is often Frank Mir. He needs to stop overthinking and just go fight. When he does that, as he did against Nogueira the first time, the sky is the limit.

That’s the only way that he can become a contender again.

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