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At UFC 169: Barao vs. Faber II, former champions collide as Frank Mir (16-8 MMA; 14-8 UFC) faces Alistair Overeem (36-13(1) MMA; 1-2 UFC). This 3 round Heavyweight fight is the third of five on the PPV card. The UFC Rankings have Overeem as the #9 Heavyweight contender, with Mir just below him at #10. UFC 169: Barao vs. Faber II airs live on PPV from Newark, NJ this Saturday, February 1 with a fight time of 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT for the main card.
This is an interesting fight as it is do or die for both men. Between them, Mir and Overeem have lost their last 5 fights, and to varying degrees, have looked pretty bad in those losses. These are two fighters who are used to being in title contention, and have in the past showed the skills to get there. Now, they are potentially fighting for their jobs in the UFC. That should make this striker vs. grappler battle very intriguing.
Here's Kid Nate, Dallas Winston and Connor Reubusch giving their analysis of this fight on the MMA Vivisection:
How do these two stack up?
Overeem: 33 years old | 6'4" | 80" reach
Mir: 34 years old | 6'3" | 79" reach
What have these two done recently?
Overeem: L - Travis Browne KO) | L - Antonio Silva (KO) | W - Brock Lesnar (KO)
Mir: L - Josh Barnett (KO) | L - Daniel Cormier (UD) | L - Junior dos Santos (KO)
How did these two get here?
Alistair Overeem is one of the most controversial fighters out there today. The former K-1, Strikeforce, and Dream champion arrived in the UFC with great fanfare, knocked out Brock Lesnar, earned a title shot, and was seen as a major player. Then it all fell apart with a failed drug test and back to back KO losses. Overeem can pack a punch, no doubt, but his striking defense has been highly questionable in his recent outings. For this fight, he left his recent training camp with the Blackzilians, working instead in Thailand and at Mike's Gym, the renowned kickboxing gym in Holland.
More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC 169: Barao vs. Faber II
Former UFC Heavyweight champion Frank Mir made an amazing comeback to the highest levels of the sport a few years back, managing an incredible recovery from a near career-ending motorcycle accident. But lately he has really had a hard time finding a way to win. One of the division's greatest submission fighters of all time, Mir is always a threat on the ground, but his recent fights have seen him frequently beaten up on the feet. Mir has stated that this will not be his last fight no matter the outcome, but you have to wonder where he would go next if he sees a 4th straight loss tonight.
Why should you care?
Some people are down on this fight, and it's true that if it goes long it could get ugly. But the first round should by dynamic, with Mir looking for the quick, violent sub, Reem gunning for the equally quick and violent KO. I'm interested to see how it plays out.
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