UFC.com recently confirmed several bouts for UFC 86: “Jackson vs. Griffin” at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 5.
However, one fight that was mysteriously removed from the card is the heavyweight showdown between former division champion, Frank Mir, and Justin McCully.
No explanation was given. In fact, the match up simply disappeared from the Web site.
So what gives?
It’s likely that Mir has more important responsibilities on the horizon, including perhaps a role as coach on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) show opposite UFC Heavyweight Champion, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
Of course, if the scenario plays out Mir would challenge “Minotauro” at a later date and attempt to reclaim his world title. He’s coming off a big submission win over Brock Lesnar at UFC 81: “Breaking Point,” which has catapulted him back into serious title contender discussions.
And it appears that with the division in a bit of turmoil right now it was enough to get him another crack at championship glory.
What a difference a knee bar makes.
TUF 8 will feature lightweights and light heavyweights and is scheduled to debut some time in late August or early September, meaning that a fight between Mir and “Big Nog” would not take place until after that timeframe if it is indeed in the works.
Another option is that Mir vs. McCully will be moved to the UFC 85 card to help make up for the loss of Chuck Liddell. That’s certainly a possibility. However, more intriguing, BloodyElbow.com speculates that TUF 8 will be bypassed altogether and Mir-Nog will go down in London.
Oh the possibilities.
Stay tuned for more details on this developing story.
51 Comments »
I just don’t think Mir deserves a title shot yet
Forget deserving a title shot..I say fuck having a champion on a TV show…I hate title fight’s being held up for TUF..
I agree. It’s getting old.
I have to whole-heartedly agree with what you said, Stagger-Lee. TUF coaching and final bout should be for title contention, NOT the title itself.
An idea could be that the TUF coaches are the 2nd and 3rd in line for a title shot, and while the season goes on, the title between the champ and 1st contender is disputed. That way you build double-cliffhanger material simultaneously.
Unfortunately, the HW division doesn’t seem to go that deep…
I like your idea but Dana probably feels that non-champs won’t draw enough attention to the show.
I understand your idea, but wouldn’t that hold up the title fight as well? I mean if the number 1 and 2 are on the show, then who is the champ gonna fight? the number 3? I guess you could feed the champ a gimme while viewers watch the “real” contenders on the show. I just don’t see that working.
*edit* I should’ve read ahead more…they make sense…
Franklin and Hughes never fought and that was a fine season. Tito and Shamrock never fought for the title, Tito was probably #3 at the time… it worked out perfectly. Actually during that season they watched Liddell/Couture 3 and eventually it worked to Liddell and Ortiz fighting. I’d still watch regardless of who’s coaching.
I agree. I love TUF, but I hate it when belts get held up because of it. However, if there was a division and a time for it to get held up it would be now with the HW division because no one really is ready for a title shot (except Arlovski, but good luck with that).
Yet another person who agrees with you. I mean, it’s been bad in the past, but didn’t the Serra vs. GSP saga not teach us something? I mean, what happens if one of them gets injured, it’ll take a year before they have another title fight in the division. That’s ridiculous.
yeah i’d really like to see that belt defended ASAP.
Couldnt agree more. They should just get two fighters who have heat between them and that would build up the show more as time goes by and make for a great fight. The GSP and Serra story should have taught Dana a lesson. Now if Rampage gets injured it would be even worst as he is alot more popular than Serra as a champion. It just wouldnt go down well and its too risky as well as having the fans wait a stupid amount of time to see a champion defend his belt. A champion should fight at least 3 times a year.
I was thinking the same shit…what happened???
Most likely moved to 85..thats my guess.
mir vs big nog!!! that sound like a good fight. but i think big nog’s bjj is better, and i don’t see mir ko’ing big nog. so i’m giving this fight to nog.
mir broke his leg.
Lesnar should be the one fighting McCully. He should have fought him the first time around instead of Mir. Lesnar needs a gimme win, which he’ll get against Coleman, but at least the UFC isn’t babying him like Kimbo.
I agree 100%..The opponants should have been the other way around..
Mir/Coleman
Lesnar/McCully
Why have Mir fight a nobody, when he is one of the only HW’s right now that the UFC could promote for a title fight…Unless they(ufc) decides to give the winner of Werdum/Vera a title shot??.or who know’s what the hell is going on with Arlovski??
Bottom line is the UFC could have Mir and Coleman as TUF coaches, and have Nog fight the winner of Vera/Werdum in the mean-time..Damn listen to these options(pathetic).Wow the HW division needs to be rebuilt….
I have to agree with this..
The UFC should have had it the other way around..
Mir/Coleman
Lesnar/McCully..
This would make alot more sense…
Mir is one of the only HW fighters the UFC could promote in a title fight right now..Unless they plan on giving the Winner of Vera/Werdum a title shot??..and/or who knows what the hell is going on with Arlovski???
IMO: the UFC should have Coleman and Mir be coaches on TUF, and have them fight for a title shot after..And in the mean time the winner of Vera/Werdum could challenge Nog…Wow this is pathetic how the HW division has dwindled down over the past half/year or so…There is not that many match-ups to have to line up a title shot..
Mir and Tim Sylvia would of been better for TUF coach’s..I don’t like title fights getting held up for a TV show…
Tim Sylvia is no longer with the ufc
no shit.
I was just saying it would be better..It would of set up a good rematch between the two..
Tim is hoping that he beats Fedor, so Dana will love him and pay Tim what he want’s…But Timmy will need his arm when he goes back to the UFC, too bad Fedor will be taking it back to russia…
Im with you on that for Sure Stagger Lee. Fedor’s going to take Big Poopy’s arm back to Russia and give it to Putin as a christmass gift!
Whoo Ha! I got you all in check! lMFAO!
with the HW division as struggling as it is, it makes no sense to hold off on Nog fighting until after Dana can pimp his show some more. This is getting ridiculous already. ENOUGH!!! Make all champs and fighters in general fight 3 times a year. Holding up all these belts is annoying. It will be what 9-11 months since we saw Rampage defend his belt. Dana is really alienating the true longtime MMA fans to get a few new ones by doing this. Rewarding fan loyalty does not seem to be high on his agenda. Good thing he never signed Fedor. We probably wouldn’t get to see him fight for a year after he signed so he could be a coach on TUF 8-10. Ridiculous Dana.
McCully pulls out of almost every fight that he is given, and it wouldnt suprise me if he did the same with this one. i like the guy and i really like who he trains with (punishment) i just dont think that he will take the cake with any big names in the division.
Don’t you people understand that due to leagal reasons, Nog is not the true Heavyweight champion. Randy couture is! The UFC is prob not going to have Nog fight again until Couture’s contract is up and he becomes the heavy weight champion. It works out perfect for the UFC to use TUF as a way to avoid the Heavyweight title debacle.
so true…so true…
I am very happy to hear that Mir will not face this I knew this guy is not a decent opponent for Mir to face, he has a lot to lose and nothing to win.Mir is my favorite fighter and I cant wait for him to be a champion again after everything he went through.
I guess I’m on my own when i say I like the format with the Tuf Delays. Yes it sucks when one gets injured, but if Dana got them fighting that much people might not anitcipate there next match as much. Hold a very popular fighter up for a little bit and then everyone can’t wait to see him. I see that as good business. Look at Huerta, he fought a gang load in 2007, not once in 08 but everyone is talking about his next fight like crazy, they can’t wait. The delay hasn’t hurt him one bit.
We have a lightweight title fight next month though, which is my (and I think most people’s) main gripe.
As for McCully/ Mir, good riddens to that horrible match up!!!!!!!!!!!
Like a previous post suggested legally because the UFC is still placing Randy is their Heavyweight Champ, if this rumour is true then it would give them time to sort it out.
I am a big Frank Mir fan but I can see where people are coming from who say he does not deserve to fight Nog. Heres a quick question though, who in the UFC HW division does?
Werdum? Already fighting Vera.
Herring? Maybe but who the hell wants to see Herring vs Nog 4?!?!?
Thats about it for HW contenders I can think of.
UFC needs to sign Arlovski
WTF Mir??? Vera beat him bad!!
Yeah, but I think everybody agrees that Mir wasn’t fighting at his best during those times.
Vera just lost to Tim so he’s not going to get a title shot. Mir has momentum now with two wins.
I’d be interested in Vera v Mir II but I don’t think that’s gonna happen.
STUPID STUPID TUF
Lock up the “champ” for 6-8 months just to promote a fucking reality show?
This shit is going to ruin the UFC….all the other promotions will let their champs fight 2-3 times a year, the UFC champs fight 1 time a year, at most
It does suck, but ruin it to the point where the viewers leave the UFC to watch another organization? I don’t know about that. The quality of the UFC fights would still be better. Wanderlei Silva vs Keith Jardine or Chuck Liddell vs Shogun or Machida vs Tito, are three fights that are not championship fights, nor are they #1 contender matches (Chuck wins, then maybe, but I hope not). You mean to tell me that since the LHW belt it tied up with Rampage and Forrest doing TUF 7 while thier injuries heel that you would prefer to watch Brian Stann fight Ariel Gandulla or whoever else is in the WEC LHW division instead of those blockbuster fights above?
Or who would chose to watch a title fight between KJ Noons vs ANYBODY on EliteXC Roster as opposed to any two Top 10 UFC LW’s going at it? I watch other orgs, but I wouldn’t stop watching the UFC becuase the belt was tied up - I’d be frustrated but wouldn’t quit.
…….1 time a year at most?
Rampage had a broken hand, Forrest got surgery, Silva fights 2-3 times a year, BJ fought in January and has a fight next month.
Silly silly ufcpreivew.com
I have a Q. why do they have HW. coaches with LW, and LHW, they can’t even role with their students crazy.
UFC needs to stop pulling fighters to coach TUF. This may have been an effective strategy in UFC’s infancy but I believe its counter-productive now. Everybody wants to see the fighters fight. Leave the coaching to actual coaches! MMA coaches all over the world would be much better as coaches on the show.
“Everybody wants to see their favorite fighters fight.”
That statement is so true. However, most of the “newer fans’s” favorite fighters are coaches from TUF because that’s how they were first exposed to them. If you watch a UFC event, you get to see like 45 seconds of a prefight interview with a fighter, and if he luckily wins, he gets to talk with Rogan for like 1 minute, with 40 seconds of it thanking his sponsors.
On the TUF show, newer fans get to see the personality of the UFC fighters that are coaching, and competing on the show. That is why so many of the kids from the TUF show have so many fans and are so successfull = EXPOSURE!
You aren’t going to become famous to the casual fan fighting and even winning on UFC undercards. However, Gabe Reudiger as his colonics will never be fogotten. How about the names Danny Abadi, Wayne Weems, Josh Rafferty, Noah Inhoffer, all the junk from the show. We all remember their names and can recognize them on the streets. However, if it wasn’t for the clip on the website of him destroying Ed Herman, I bet 99% of the people on here can be eating dinner across the table form Damian Maia and not even know that the guy is a fighter. Meanwhile, he is tearing up the UFC on the undercards!
“What a difference a knee bar makes.”
hahhahahhhahahha
to beat hardonk and lesnar and get a title shot is ridicolous
If any division could stand to be put on ice for awhile it is HW. It’s just good timing for Mir, and I’m glad for him, if this goes down. It doesn’t matter whether he “deserves” it, he got the right W at the right time, in a match EVERYONE had on their radar because of the Lesnar freak show appeal. It doesn’t hurt that he’s a former champ with a well-known comeback story. That makes for good TV.
In general it’s not great to have the belt locked up for extended periods, but sometimes the timing is right to do just that. Rampage was coming off an injury. Right now the HW division is in turmoil, do to legalities and top guys jumping ship. TUF buys you some time to promote your champ and his possible successor, while organizing the division below you in the meantime. Usually by the time the show is over, you know for sure who the next in line is (ie: Fitch).
You gotta love Frank Mir!
I don’t really understand the concept of Frank Mir getting a title shot. He beat Brock Lesnar who hasn’t proven himself. So what. Werdum just beat Gonzaga he should be the #1 contender.
I’m curious as to how much McCully weighs. From what I’ve seen of him before, he looks like he should drop a few pounds and fight at LHW. At least 5 pounds could be dropped if he got rid of that idiotic haircut.
how many fights does arlovski have left? if he still has one, then make it mir vs. arlovski for #1 contender. that would draw…i think…but arlovski’s almost been forgotten…
I really dont see the point in the UFC having ppvs without having title fights. It really is pointless having these guys hold up belts for TV shows.
I thought the winner of the Werdum vs. Vera fight was going to get Nog next. Now is the winner going to get the winner of Nog-Mir? Oh well, at least all 4 of these guys are willing to fight.