Tonight, many questions will be answered in the heavy weight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship when former heavy weight champ Frank Mir meets octagon newcomer, former WWE champion Brock Lesnar at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
Lesnar is best known for his stint in the WWE (which he compared to a “traveling circus” in an interview with the AP), he has a college wrestling background and limited MMA experience (he won his first—and only match—in 69 seconds).
Despite the lack of octagon experience, Lesnar is a natural athlete, and he’s not afraid of Frank Mir.
“This is nothing new to me. Being in front of you people, I’ve had eight, 10, 12 years now, through college and whatnot and this, that and the other,”Lesnar said in an interview with Yahoo!. “It’s going to be an honor to get into the Octagon finally.”
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On the flip side, if you think Frank Mir is taking Lesnar lightly, think again.
“Anybody that wins an NCAA title has a lot of drive and devotion,”Mir said during the UFC 81 press conference.
Mir also praised Lesnar on his wrestling background, citing wrestling the “dominant” style in the UFC because a wrestler can determine where the fight goes—standing or to the ground.
Tale of the Tape
Frank Mir
6’1”, 240 lbs.
MMA Record: 10-3-0
Fighting Style: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Notable Victories:
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Tim Sylvia via submission (UFC 48)
David “Tank” Abbott via submission (UFC 41)
Wes Sims via KO (UFC 46)
Brock Lesnar
6’3”, 265 lbs.
MMA Record: 1-0-0
Fighting Style: Wrestling
Notable Victories:
Moo Soo Kim via submission from strikes (K-1 Hero’s- Dynamite)
Fight Analysis
Many highly touted MMA fighters have folded under the pressure in the octagon. Lesnar will have to overcome limited MMA experience to win the fight. Lesnar is a natural athlete and should have no problems concerning conditioning during the fight—an issue that has plagued many heavy weight fighters. To win, Lesnar may have to duplicate his first MMA victory and simply pound Mir into submission—or unconsciousness, which is no easy task.
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Mir is an MMA veteran and is dangerous standing or on the ground. Lesnar’s height and weight advantage may be nullified by Mir’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills and proficiency with submissions. Lesnar will have to stay off his back and be careful at all times—even when it appears he has Mir in a dangerous position.
Lesnar’s best shot at a victory will either be to knock Mir out while standing or scoring a knockout if he can secure a full mount.
Regardless of the outcome, don’t look for this fight to be decided by the judges.
DX Prediction: Mir via second round submission.
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Tune into HipHopDX tonight starting at 7 pm. PST for live coverage of UFC 81: Breaking Point
