Dana White on Lesnar vs Mir

[Dan0]

Las Vegas, NV (USA) – On the night before the biggest football game of the year, Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) organization takes center stage with an immense night of hard-hitting heavyweight fight action. At UFC 81, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir will put former WWE Champion and world-renowned superstar Brock Lesnar to the ultimate test, as Lesnar makes his move from the squared circle into the Octagon™ to prove that he is for real. This will be a feature fight of the night at UFC 81: BREAKING POINT taking place live from Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Feb. 2, 2008, on the eve of Super Bowl XLII.

“It’s an interesting matchup,” said UFC President Dana White. “Lesnar is a great wrestler, a good athlete, and this is definitely gonna be a big test for him. Frank Mir is a former world champion who is coming off a big win over Antoni Hardonk, and he’s looking to get his career back on track while Lesnar’s looking to walk into the UFC and prove what type of fighter he’s gonna be by trying to knock him off.”

The 6-3 ½, 265 Lesnar (1-0) comes to the UFC with stellar college wrestling credentials that saw him earn All American status four times, win Big Ten Championships twice, and also win the 2000 NCAA National Championship. After leaving the University of Minnesota, the South Dakota-born Lesnar gained fame as a professional wrestler and also had a stint with the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings. In 2007, he made his mixed martial arts debut and annihilated Min Soo Kim in just 69 seconds on June 2nd.

“This guy’s not trying to duck anybody,” said White of Lesnar. “He knew once he got in the UFC that he was gonna fight tough guys.”

28-year old Las Vegan Frank Mir (10-3) was destined for stardom from the moment he stepped in the UFC Octagon, and he lived up to all expectations when he submitted Tim Sylvia in 50 seconds in 2004 to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Unfortunately, Mir’s career ground to a halt when a serious motorcycle accident later that year forced him to the sidelines for almost two years. His eagnerness to return forced him into some spotty performances when he did return in 2006, but at UFC 74 in August, Mir was back in top notch form as he submitted Antoni Hardonk in just 77 seconds.

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[2mcgrath]

im pretty stoked for this fight,i want to see where brock stands in the hw division..but i think mir will win via submission

[da@LARGE]

What I think is most interesting about this fight is whether Mir will have the advantage on his feet. He's been training so much longer than Lesnar that you'd assume he'd have better striking.

I know people expect Mir to try to go for some submissions off his back, but Lesnar made a guy tap from punches in the closed mount.

[Severn]

It's still funny to see the words "Big Win" & "Hardonk" in the same sentence without laughing a little bit on the inside.

[DonFrye]

Hardonk is dangerous, but definitely was never a contender with his glaring holes. It was a big win for Mir, but not for a true contender. I say with Mir's background he has the advantage in a lot of positions including on the feet and on his back. He will probably be on his back quite a bit in this one. I still see Mir winning by sub if he doesn't gas.

[Dan0]

Originally Posted by da@LARGE

What I think is most interesting about this fight is whether Mir will have the advantage on his feet. He's been training so much longer than Lesnar that you'd assume he'd have better striking.

I know people expect Mir to try to go for some submissions off his back, but Lesnar made a guy tap from punches in the closed mount.

Well Kimbo made a guy tap standing, from an air elbow. JK

[2mcgrath]

i dont think brock will stand with him much at all.i think he is gonna do what he knows best at this point and thats wrestling.so i think brock will try getting this one to the ground pretty quick.and i could see him slipping up and get caught in a submission.

[DRExLOC]

its gonne be a bad ass fight... but i see Mir taking this...his experience should pull him through, not to mention his a great fighter as well....hell submitt Lesner in less than 2 rounds..maybe even the first.... and those guy at UFC.com suk ballz.... how do they go off saying "Mir submitted Tim Sylvia in less than 50 seconds"..... dont they think people actually watched that fight.... they need to open up a dictionary and look up the word submission because Tim Sylvia did not submit in that fight, it was a referee-doctor stoppage, they always try to make a fighter look good(or pump up his fights) by trashing another fighter

[integer]

Originally Posted by 2mcgrath

im pretty stoked for this fight,i want to see where brock stands in the hw division..but i think mir will win via submission

Exactly. Mir is definitely not his "old" self, but I'm almost positive Lesnar will be submitted in the first. Being a one dimensional fighter just doesn't fly in mma anymore. Hopefully I'm wrong, and it'll prove to be an awesome fight.

[vore9000]

A lot of people are less than enthusiastic about this fight, but I'm pretty excited about it.

Hard to call this one, because there's just so much we don't know about Brock's game.

It should prove interesting.