UFC 107 Analysis: Frank Mir Is a Superstar, and Other Assorted Thoughts

Mir looked great, so great that in the coming hours the bitching about him will probably hit an all-time high as more butthurt fanboys got their feelings hurt.

Struve looked good, he’s young talented and if he continues to grow and develop could be a threat in a couple of years.

Kenny also looked great and better than he’s ever looked, I wonder where that guy was when he was fighting BJ.

Speaking of BJ, he truly was dominant and he’s silenced all the critics he is without a doubt the best LW in the world and it’s going to take a great gameplan and fighter to beat him.

Also i’d like to add that Sanchez for all his faults is tough as hell anyother guy would have been out after taking all of that punishment.

Far as Guida goes well obviously working with Jackson’s camp did nothing for him because he’s never looked worse. I guess it’s time to go back to basics because he’s put on great performances by just working with his brother so if I was him i’d rethink things quick and go back to what got me where he was.

Cheich Kongo vs Kimbo Slice

I would love to see Diego fight Kenny Florian next. I know it probably won’t happen for a while because Kenny gained some momentum with the win over Guida, but it’s an intriguing fight.

If/when BJ moves up to 170, I think Koscheck is a good matchup for him. Good wrestler with above average to good boxing. Could be interesting.

Yeah Mir pretty much picked, packed and sold this fight on his own.

A new “art” is emerging in MMA… along with BJJ, Wrestling, Muay Thai AND that’s “Kayfabe”.

If a fighters going to spend 40 hrs plus per month learning BJJ they’ll get just as much value in ROI (earnings) by spending 4 hours a month learning Story’s, Character, and a Signature move. Look at how much Tito and his record can still command based solely on his shtick. This skill is as important as knowing how to wrestle.

Believe it or not “Yus” adds value and differentiates BJ’s brand, same with Clay Guidas shtick. Frank Mir has become a “Lead Character” now.

His antics aside this Mir has come from a freakin Motorcycle accident… what he has done is amazing.

Cool, I never get bored of seeing Murr take a beating so can live with a rubber match.

Before Florian gets another title shot, he must avenge his loss to Sanchez. It doesn’t have to be Florian’s next fight – Edgar or the winner of Maynard vs Diaz would do nicely. But especially if Sanchez wins his next fight, Florian vs Sanchez would be most appropriate!

where does this hate for Mir come from. I think the guy just wants a little respect for 1. beating Brock and 2. being the first to stop Nog…I would buy a PPV to see a rematch of Mir vs Nog and a rubber match for Mir vs Brock.

no – i want to see BJ vs GSP again

I’ll go ahead and admit it. I’ve always sort of liked Mir. Not sure why. On paper I hate him, but I always end up cheering for him, and he’s doing what he needs to do to make sure his career pays him well. Maximizing ROI as was earlier mentioned.

And focusing on Lesnar is smart too (assuming he’s not looking past his current opponent). Focusing on Lesnar allows him to feast off the huge draw and emotional whirl pool that Lesnar generates. Now Mir is swimming in that pool, and he’s working the story like nobody else. I’ve never really liked Brock, and only his fight against Mir was the least bit impressive to me. Didn’t think Mir would ever provoke interest in a rematch, but look at this, he did it.

Penn too. Gotta give him props. If he really wants a rematch with GSP, it just looks like he might get it if he pushes hard enough. Then after that a fight with Jose Aldo might be interesting, though I think Aldo needs to fight a couple more times at 145, and maybe even fight Miguel Torres.

But Penn has beaten Hughes, fought GSP twice, fought Sherk and Florian and Lyoto Machida and the who’s who of MMA, It feels a little bit premature to be talking about him fighting Jose Aldo. I mean, he had an impressive win against Brown, but that’s all that I know about him. I’m sure he’s had other great wins, but BJ? I think Aldo needs atleast another 3 or 4 dominant wins. Faber and 2 others.

Ok so Mir looked decent on Kongo.. Someone he “did not” have to worry about being a stronger more dominate wrestler with good take downs.

Kongo is not some “dominate” HW. He has a piss poor ground game. His only dominate fights were against the low level HW’s. Sure he had never been submitted. But there is a huge difference between “surviving” and knowing how to compete on the ground.

Sanchez “survived” Penn..

Fitch “survived” GSP..

Kongo “survived” Cain..

Leites “survived” A. Silva..

The point is.. Kongo has never been in a fight with an upper level fighter and looked good. Give Kongo credit for taking the fights, and surviving. But I’m not buying into Mir being a totally dominate HW after 5 months of weight training. Mir’s ALWAYS had suspect cardio. Anytime Mir has been pushed deep ina fight against someone with better cardio, he’s gassed. He has 1 decision win against Christison.. He looked like ass..

The point I am trying to make is.. Mir can lift all the weights he wants and try to pack on as much muscle as he wants. It wont change the mechanics of his movements or give him extra gas in the tank against the elite wrestlers that can put him on his ass at will. His body is not used to carring around that kind of weight and fighting for lengths of time. All his fights have ended at the halfway mark of the 2nd round except for the weak decision win.

I’m not saying is not a good fighter. But it wont change the outcome against someone like Lesnar. Lesnar is always going to be stronger and more agile than Mir. Lesnar has been training his whole life that way. His body is adapted to that weight and muscle function. He is always going to be faster than Mir. Mir’s problem is he thinks he lost because of pure strength.. He doesn’t understand that he lost because of strength and technique. Lesnar beat him with intermediate wrestling moves.. His strength helped.

I’m not buying the Mir hype until I see him in with a couple wrestlers like Cain or Carwin or a better striker like Dos Santos.. I think Dos Santos would maul Mir like he did against all his previous opponents.. Mir is SLOW.. He telegraphs his punches.. Kongo has never been good at defensive striking techniques. He stands straight up !!! The punch the dropped him, did not knock him out.. He was clearly caught off balance and ate a good shot. He could have survived but made the stupid mistake of putting his head down against a fresh Mir in the beginning of the first round.. Simple as that..

If you feel Cro Cop was good at that time.. then so be it..

I didn’t think Cro Cop looked good in any fight in the UFC.. Not even his LONE win over Eddie Sanchez..

You have missed the point. I’m not claiming Carwin or Cain to be more or less dominate than Mir. I made a simple claim that I’m not buying into the hype that Mir is a drastically “different” fighter after only 5 months of weight lifting. None of the questions that would conclude anything were answered last night. Mainly because Mir wasn’t facing someone who could threaten his major weakness.. “wrestling.”..

Kongo is “all of the sudden” a deadly striker? And Mir beat him at his own game? Maybe I missed something here?

Name one time Kongo has shown “deadly striking” in a fight with a superior fighter than himself? Cro Cop is not a plausible answer.. He hasn’t done well in the UFC against anyone.. Maybe it was level of competition all along?

Mir didn’t “destroy” Kongo on the feet.. He hit him with “1” overhand left that staggered Kongo.. Kongo was still coherent enough to attempt to stand back up.. He made a classic mistake against a great ground fighter with submissions early in the fight. Did anyone have any doubts as to the outcome of this fight? Other than Kongo having a “punchers chance” ??

It was always going to be Frank baiting him to get in range and get the TD. From there it was as close to a sure thing that the fight would end for Kongo.. Kongo has a WEAK ground game.. He is good at “surviving”.

No one can make a non-subjective statement about Mir’s abilities being drastically different after 5 months after last nights performance..

You guys seem to think I’m dissing Frank Mir.. I’m not.. I just said I don’t think he’s a different fighter than he was the last time he fought Lesnar. So what he lifted weights and added some weight.. That’s not going to change anything in the short-term for Mir unless we get an opportunity for him to prove it, first hand..

Is Mir’s striking THAT GREAT??.. Again.. subjective..

Is Mir a drastically different fighter than his last fight?? Again.. subjective.

Has Mir closed the gaps on his weakness like Penn has proved?? Again subjective..

Nothing anyone can say is going to make this a non-subjective issue..

Where as, Penn has shown drastic improvements in his game over the last 2 years. His cardio issues have been answered. His poor training and preparation habits have been publicly critiqued and fixed..

All I’m saying is.. I’m not going to jump on the Mir is the “greatest threat to the HW division” after beating an opponent who was stylistically tailor made for Frank to look good against.. It’s no different than A. Silva fighting Griffin.. It was a stylistic match up that favored the “better fighter”. Sure Griffin had a “chance” as anyone who fights does.. But the odds were always severely stacked in favor of the better fighter..

Mir looked no different in Lesnar 1 fight as he did in Lesnar 2 fight. Mir was getting dominated in both fights. The difference was Lesnar’s increased ability dictating the outcomes. Mir looked good against a guy in Nog that had staph infection. Should that discredit Mir’s victory? No and yes.. It’s subjective… Anyone who has ever had staph infection will tell you it’s not something to be taken lightly. Blame Nog for taking the fight..

But the proof is right there for everyone to see.. Frank did nothing in the Kongo fight to warrant a drastic change in his abilities.. There wasn’t enough action to prove anything, other than what we all already knew and expected.. Kongo to get tapped if it went to the ground..