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Dos Santos vs. Mir: Should Frank Mir Consider Retirement?

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.

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UFC 146 Results: Can Stipe Miocic Become a Legit Heavyweight Contender?

Don’t let the shorts fool you, Stipe Miocic isn’t trying to be Mirko Cro Cop. The 29-year-old heavyweight prospect seems to be having too much fun knocking guys out with his hands and tossing them around like rag dolls, so I wouldn’t …

Don’t let the shorts fool you, Stipe Miocic isn’t trying to be Mirko Cro Cop.

The 29-year-old heavyweight prospect seems to be having too much fun knocking guys out with his hands and tossing them around like rag dolls, so I wouldn’t bank on a high-kick finish any time soon.

Miocic has been slowly gaining recognition as a fighter to watch in the UFC for almost a year now, but last night was his coming-out party. He passed the toughest test of his career, in the form of fellow undefeated heavyweight prospect Shane Del Rosario, with relative ease.

Sure, Miocic ate a few kicks to the body in the first round and wasn’t completely without flaws, but he showed the ability to hang on the feet with one of the most talented strikers in the heavyweight division. Once he took the fight to the mat, he had a clear advantage.

After getting Del Rosario to the mat in the closing seconds of round one, Miocic saw where his advantage was and made sure he used it in the second round, forcing Del Rosario to fight off of his back and beating him up with some extremely brutal ground-and-pound.

Eventually, Miocic started landing some of the most brutal elbows we’ve ever seen and the referee was forced to stop the bout in the second round.

While it will likely be a while before we see Miocic in title contention, it’s just a matter of time. His wrestling is extremely good, he has knockout power in his hands and his striking is improving by leaps and bounds each fight.

Simply put, Miocic is a scary fighter in the heavyweight division.

Prior to beating Del Rosario, Miocic was already riding a two-fight UFC win-streak with wins over Joey Beltran and Philip De Fries, and now it’s time to see what he can do against some of the upper-tier fighters in the division.

If Miocic can perform this well against guys like Pat Barry, Matt Mitrione or Brendan Schaub, he could easily find himself knocking on the door of the top 10 in the division by the year’s end, and if he can win a fight against one of the resident gatekeepers in the division, he will be in title contention before anyone knows what hit them.

Consider last night’s victory your first notice, Stipe Miocic could be the next big thing in the heavyweight division.

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UFC 146 Results: How Does Dan Hardy Stack Up Against the Welterweight Elite?

After losing four straight fights in the UFC, many thought Dan Hardy was living on borrowed time as a Zuffa-employed fighter going into UFC 146. That still may be true, but Hardy certainly bought himself some time last night when he knocked out Duane &…

After losing four straight fights in the UFC, many thought Dan Hardy was living on borrowed time as a Zuffa-employed fighter going into UFC 146.

That still may be true, but Hardy certainly bought himself some time last night when he knocked out Duane “Bang” Ludwig with a solid left hook that sent the muay thai specialist crashing to the mat in the very first round.

Now that Hardy is coming off of arguably the most impressive win of his UFC career, it won’t get any easier for “The Outlaw,” and it may not be long before he finds himself competing against the welterweight division’s elite once again.

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Dos Santos vs. Mir: Cigano’s Lopsided Victory Sets Up Epic Rematch

Junior dos Santos’ violent fists ended Frank Mir’s heavyweight title hopes in UFC 146 on Saturday night, and will look to dispel Cain Velasquez’s dreams in the coming future.Dos Santos’ second-round TKO of Mir cemented Cigano among UFC’s greats, at lea…

Junior dos Santos’ violent fists ended Frank Mir‘s heavyweight title hopes in UFC 146 on Saturday night, and will look to dispel Cain Velasquez‘s dreams in the coming future.

Dos Santos’ second-round TKO of Mir cemented Cigano among UFC’s greats, at least for the time being. Beating Velasquez for the second time, in about a year, would make his elite position permanent.

Velasquez dominated Antonio Silva in UFC 146. Dos Santos pummeled Mir.

This sets up a clash between UFC heavyweights, sure to be even better than their first battle.

Let’s take a look at Dos Santos and Velasquez’s first matchup last November and what to expect the next time.

What Happened the First Time?

Dos Santos embarrassed Velasquez one minute into their first fight last November. He knocked Velasquez out on national television with his vicious striking power.

Dos Santos attacked Velasquez with relentless precision, knocking him out in 64 seconds. Knocking Velasquez out so quickly was incredible, especially considering Dos Santos’ questionable health coming into the fight.

Don’t think both fighters will not remember this first clash.

Velasquez will remember getting knocked out in FOX’s first main event in decisive fashion. Dos Santos will remember every winning ingredient and try to perform to those standards again.

Now, let’s examine the upcoming matchup.

How Will Each Fighter Adjust?

I don’t see how Dos Santos needs to adjust, but he will if Velasquez does his homework.

Velasquez should be healthier, stronger and more prepared this time around. He needs to use his fitness and conditioning to turn this fight into his ideal situation.

Dos Santos is not comfortable on his back and has never been chased around the Octagon. Velasquez is a physical freak, definitely capable of wearing Dos Santos down over the course of multiple rounds.

Dos Santos wants to stay on his feet and dictate the tempo. His fists inflict ridiculous damage, something Velasquez is familiar with and Mir just found out.

If Velasquez wants to win the rematch, he must take Dos Santos’ strengths away. If he can force Dos Santos to fight his type of fight, he has a chance of stealing the UFC heavyweight belt.

Dos Santos wins easily if Velasquez allows this to become a fist fight. However, if Dos Santos winds up on his back, this fight could be over quickly.

Two great fighters with different approaches creates a very interesting situation in the coming months. The fact that the two have already squared off once recently, with explosive results, creates an even bigger stir about the pending rematch.

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UFC 146 Results: Is Frank Mir Still a Threat in the Heavyweight Division?

In short, the answer to the question is yes. But an apter question is, to what degree is the former champion a threat?The UFC Heavyweight Championship bout on Saturday night was not competitive. All credit goes to the outstanding skills of the champion…

In short, the answer to the question is yes. But an apter question is, to what degree is the former champion a threat?

The UFC Heavyweight Championship bout on Saturday night was not competitive. All credit goes to the outstanding skills of the champion, Junior dos Santos. But the question has to be posed about the longtime contender.

In the past three years, Frank Mir is 4-3. All losses in a championship bout. All losses to heavy-hitters.

The victories also must be looked at. Roy Nelson is a solid feather in his cap. Mir put together a solid performance that led him to a decision victory. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, while a legend, is not a top contender anymore. Neither is Cro Cop. Was Chieck Kongo ever truly a threat to the division’s crown? No.

That is not to take away from those performances, but they must be laid out for perspective.

Mir’s ground game is devastating. He has shown this. However, he does not have the dynamic wrestling to consistently put himself in top position or the strength of powerful wrestlers to make the bottom a dangerous choice. Fighters with moderate takedown defense have been able to stuff his shots.

The elite heavyweights have passed Mir by. Powerful strikers with good takedown defense or champion wrestlers with incredible positioning and control. Mir has a specific path to victory against the elite of the division and it requires the fight to be fought in one area, and that is not a formula for success at the championship level.

Regardless, Mir remains a threat to anyone who wants to play with fire.

His biggest asset is his brain. The former champion is a fantastic analyst who can break down his opponent’s game to find holes and he is also great at mental warfare.

UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture has already shown that even though one’s skills dip later in his career, the mind remains the biggest asset to a fighter.

Despite his struggles against championship fighters, Mir proves time and time again that he remains at the top of the division. His jiu-jitsu game makes him a constant threat in any fight.

The majority of the heavyweight division still lacks an all-around game that Mir can exploit to put himself back in title contention. If the opposition wants to take the fight to the floor, you can expect Mir to keep himself relevant in the heavyweight division.

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UFC 146 Results: Is Junior dos Santos Unbeatable?

Junior dos Santos retained his UFC heavyweight title in impressive fashion Saturday night in Las Vegas in the main event of the UFC 146 pay-per-view. Dos Santos stuffed an early takedown attempt from challenger Frank Mir and would go on to batter the f…

With the win, Dos Santos effectively cemented his place among the top of the heavyweight rankings and validated his championship by defending the belt.

JDS has not only racked up a handful of wins inside the Octagon, but he’s also dominated virtually everyone he’s fought. The champion has defeated jiu-jitsu specialists, strong wrestlers and kickboxers, as well.

It seems he’s impervious to any style an opponent might throw at him and has looked about as close to unbeatable as one could imagine en route to becoming top dog.

But is the champion unbeatable?

Dos Santos has shown great takedown defense as powerful wrestler Shane Carwin was unable to wrestle him to the mat, Roy Nelson failed to capitalize with his jiu-jitsu skills and both Cain Velasquez and Mir were unable in their attempts, as well.

Mir, in particular, had a deep single leg and tried about every variation of a takedown from that position that he could think of. Yet JDS fended him off with his back to the cage and walked away, leaving Mir questioning his confidence.

If you were to tell another fan that JDS is unbeatable, you wouldn’t exactly be stretching the truth too much. Although he only brings one skill set to the Octagon, it’s an elite-level skill that few men would be able to handle.

Two possible opponents to dethrone the champion would be the man he defeated to win the belt, Velasquez, and JDS’ original opponent for UFC 146, Alistair Overeem.

Velasquez came in a little rusty and clearly tentative in his bout with Dos Santos and it cost him the title. But just watch the bloodbath that was Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva last night and you’d have to bet a rematch could possibly go a different direction.

The former champ wanted to make a statement in his bout with Silva and it’s clear that Velasquez is one scary guy at heavyweight. A rematch is likely in the cards for Velasquez and if he comes out with that same kind of intensity we could see a very different outcome.

Another fighter who could end JDS’ reign of terror over the division is Overeem. The former Strikeforce champion can lay the claim of having world-class striking as he’s a K-1 champion and could give Dos Santos a run for his money on the feet.

While most fighters are forced to play Dos Santos’ game because they are ineffective with their grappling, Overeem would be able to compete on equal terms in the stand-up game. Overeem also has a slick submission game that could give Dos Santos’ some problems should he find himself in the wrong position.

The main problem with a potential showdown with Overeem is that he will be out until December and may not last in the UFC given how Dana White has responded to Overeem “lying” to him.

Many fans will begin to make claims of JDS’ invincibility but as well all know any fighter can lose. Dos Santos has holes and weaknesses in his game just as everyone does, but we haven’t seen anyone be able to capitalize on them.

The Velasquez that showed up at UFC 146 certainly has the talent to do so and, lucky for us, that will likely be the next heavyweight title matchup.

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