UFC Quick Quote: Frank Mir on the difference between beating Brock and possibly Minotauro
By: MMAmania
“Beating Nogueira would be so significant to me, because of who he is. He’s a legend in our sport. Whether he wins or loses his next fight, he’s the Minotauro. Brock hasn’t earned that yet. Brock’s not a legend in our sport. He’s not even an icon in our sport yet. He’s an entertainer who is famous and who’s had a slight amount of success in our sport with two wins. Nogueira, I don’t have to say anything else about him. Just say his name and you get a reaction, you see the respect. Anyone who knows even a little bit about this sport knows what he’s about.”
– Former heavyweight champion Frank Mir talks to Yahoo!Sports.com about what it will mean to him to defeat current interim titleholder Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira at UFC 92: “The Ultimate 2009″ at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 27. It will mean much more to him than beating Brock Lesnar … and it’s not just because there is a belt on the line.
63 Comments »
i think Frank has a crush
ya…its almost like he’s setting himself up to lose….If I lose to NOG, oh well, he’s the best, a legend
I feel the same way……talking great about the guy who just submitted me, sounds like a plan
I actually respect what he said, because it’s true. He can see the difference between someone like Nog and Brock. Not to say Brock isn’t a formidable opponent. But Brock is still very new to the sport, and has quite a few holes in his game.
I don’t think anyone could argue against Nog’s legacy. The reason he isn’t considered the greatest heavyweight in mma history is a certain Russian who will be making Arlovski look foolish next month.
Mir is staring to act like Overeem! Everytime he has something to say (Brock) is in his comments!
lol not his fault in interviews they ask him about being the only guy that has beat the current ufc champion
It’s perfectly acceptable to have a mancrush on Nog.
lol. agreed.
you guys are CRAZY. some guys just can’t win with this crowd. When Mir says something that you guys deem as not giving Nog his due you will jump all over him…. but if he does give the guy the credit due to him…you will say stuff like he “has a crush” or is afraid or psyching himself out about the guy. That’s not the case. Frank is much smarter than u guys give him credit for. Perhaps b/c he acted like a dick on TUF but he knows the sport. He knows his place in the sport and NOG’s place in the sport and is trying to get himself even close to that point, but I don’t for a second believe that he is afraid of Nog in any way. I wouldn’t be surprised if he did something crazy next week….like win. I may even throw some money on him in a parlay and try to temper the whole Xmas bill.
I agree with you on this one. It’s kind of a going trend with mma fans to never be satisfied with anything a fighter may say. It’s hard to find fans that justlisten to what fighters have to say and appreciate how much the sport has evolved without actually picking a side.
Brock is a phenominal athelete but it is true that not know much about him due to the fact that we’ve only see him fight 3 times. I don’t think it’s best to describe that that he has any holes in his games, but better to accurately say that we just don’t know what he’s capable or incapable of. But you can’t deny the guys athletism – it’s truly on a different level from the guys we’re used to seeing in the HW division.
Mir does like to talk a lot, I can’t disagree. But you guys seem to forget the talent he had before his accident – and it’s hard to argue that he isn’t a true ambassador for the sport and that he isn’t good for it all around. There are not many that possess a submission game at this level in the HWD.Nog is obviously one of the best HW’s in the world period.
This will be a great fight to watch, redargless of who wins. It’s something you should be excited about as a fan.
Frank has won me back as a fan. the interview last week we’re he seemed more humble and explained the show and now this. I like Mir, I don’t think he can beat Nog, but I give him a better shot than all you guys do!
Mir scored big points with me as well because of the same interview you mention. Nog should take this fight but Mir stands a real chance here. Especially if he’s been taking to time to close all the holes in his game.
I think he turned into a complete wuss – shiat – if it weren’t for those other 2 fights – I might even skip this ppv – after wimping like this – he almost certainly will lose.
I liked him better when he was a dick – at least it was fun to hate him – now I just don’t care
I think he turned into a complete wuss – s*** – if it weren’t for those other 2 fights – I might even skip this ppv – after wimping like this – he almost certainly will lose.
I liked him better when he was a d*ck – at least it was fun to hate him – now I just don’t care
He shouldn’t have even beaten Brock. It was a lame stoppage by the ref that allowed him to escape Brock’s ground and pound.
what your doin is called “counter-history” it’s when you say this woulda happened if this didnt happen or whatever…there is a serious flaw in saying things like that…you don’t know what woulda happened Mir coulda grabbed hold of his arm while he was hittin him with hammer fists and layed down an arm bar or put up a triangle choke and won…you don’t know what would have happened so you cannot assert things you have no knowledge of and thats a fact…
The stand-up has nothing to do with the fact that Brock was not able to defend against the submission. Aggression does not equal skill or technique. Can it catch an opponent off-guard and win fights? Sure but most times no. There’s 1,000’s of years of documented combat data to support my claim.
I agree the stoppage, and especially point deduction, were bullshit. But I don’t think you can say 100% certain that Brock would have won. He was doing damage, but it isn’t as if he had Mir on queer street or anything.
“queer street” I laugh every time I hear that!
No on knows what would have happened if the fight wasnt stopped. However, it was one of the fastest point deductions I have ever seen.
I think the reason the Ref took the point so fast was because 1.) Brock was super-green & 2.) because he was flailing so quickly that there was too much potential to make a mistake and land 3 or 4 to the back of the head.
Just my guess.
check the replay you can hear Mazagatti yelling watch the back of the head AT LEAST 3 times and Brock never stopped…you can seriously hear it if you listen real close…
if that is the truth then he was yelling at brock well before he ever got close to the back of mir’s head. he only caught mir on the back of the head 2 times with those stupid quick punches and that was only because mir rolled over.
I’ll go back and watch it again.
yea for sure he was yelling it before he actually hit him in the back of the head…Mazagatti did a great job, he knew Brock was green so he gave him MULTIPLE forewarnings not to hit him in the back of the head…which he did anyways
It looked to me like Mir turned his head intentionally to take a shot to the back of the head. Kinda hard to stop mid-punch.
I heard Frank say he was in the best shape of his life so that better be an old photo cos he has a bigger gut than most of the locals down the pub!
thank you Kev. I don’t know why, but I always seem to see things in a similar light to you. Is it because we’re both from the NE area??? anyway, the POV’s of some cats on here just doesn’t make sense to me. keep makin sense, keep posting all the time to keep ppl engaged, you are one of the few who keep this site goin. I try but with my hours, can’t comment all the time and if a thread has been up for a bit and everyone’s already commented, i don’t feel the need to say the same thing or comment on how much i don’t care about the subject(John…I’m looking in your general direction/ but keep the news coming). This is by far the best MMA site on the web and is becoming a community. I hope the regulars continue what’s been going on and new guys appreciate what is goin on here…….end of diatribe
All I can say is damage control. I used to really like Frank and was rooting for him agaisn’t Brock the 1t time. Since then I have done a 180. Frank is becoming one of the biggest douches in MMA while I continue to root for Brock.
i agree, i think he just heard all the feed back from the show and how people think he is a douche now and is just trying to back peddle and kiss ass now.
kissing asses is worse though – at least it was fun to hate him;
Also what pissed me off is that whatever Mir caught after TUF – so did Junie – I did not like one bit of him sucking up to Mir
Mir for the win!
mir fell off his bike when he was in prime physical condition and hasn’t been the same ever since. nog was ripped in half by a motherf***ing truck as a child and has come back to be one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. nuff said.
i agree with Mir’s above statemant. IMO.. Mir is in Big Trouble in Little Octagon. come 12.27.08
exactly nog is a fucking legend, only heavyweight more respectable than him is fedor and thats it
I think Mir was drinking the night before he took that photo because he has a big “hangover” going on there.
should probably train with a shirt on……. looks like he is going all “Ricco Rodriguez” on us.
Yeah but that might be an old photo. Let’s hope so at least, because if he come’s in out of shape it won’t even be a fight. But if he is in shape, I think he can make it a very exciting fight. Huge underdog for sure, but I’m not counting him out.
i thought he got attacked by a shark?
Mir seems really sore about this subject. Look everybody knows Brock is a former pro wrestler, with little MMA experience. But he has the same number of victories in title fights as Mir does, and really the biggest wins of Mir’s career are Sylvia and Lesnar. Unify the belts, then talk trash. ‘Cuz if Lesnar manages to do it, he’s going to end up with a lot of egg on his face.
Lesnar has 3 total MMA fights in his career. 3!!!!! I really dont understand why people keep trying to compare Brocks win ratio to that of a seasoned veteran who’s already earned their stripes.
You cant compare a guy who’s had a multi-fight win streak, to someone who’s only had 3 total MMA fights.
Random Example: If Fitch wins his next fight then he’ll be on a 1 fight streak but his previous record is what would justify him getting #1 contender or even another title shot. The same cant be said about Brock. The win-streak arguements need to stop permanently.
If we go by top 10 opponents faced, Brock has 1 and Mir has 1
Says a lot about how protected Mir has been when both of his title shots involved fighting unranked fighters.
You bring up an interesting point but honestly, what HW’s were ranked during that era? I mean who was really around to fight at that time? You cant knock the guy if he had no real opportunity to fight anyone else can you?
Comparing records was more about accomplishments than about win ratios. Mir is 11-3, but hasn’t really defeated much top competition. Brock getting a title shot says more about that division than anything, given that they didn’t feel that there was anyone else that they could market to put in that fight. It was based more on potential and marketability. By normal standards Brock didn’t deserve it, but it’s not a normal situation. Most guys don’t step in right away against the type of competition he’s faced. He dominated Herring, who took it to Big Nog in ther last fight, and he was destroying Mir when he made a mistake. He dominated Couture, as much as that may pain everybody. Bottom line is Brock is in the title unification bout, and Mir is the underdog in his fight. I don’t like Lesnar, I think he’s an ass. But I understand why he’s in the position he’s in, and he is the only guy I can think of that can step in there at his experience level, and be successful. You also can’t really hold it against Lesnar if ther is better competition for him than there was against Mir.
I think we can all agree that marketability and $$$ was the sole motivator behind Brock’s shot at the title. But we all don’t have to like it. The sort of treatment Brock is getting is a slap in the face to those in the sport who have sacrificed years to cement their status and have yet to get the Title shots that they’ve earned. Also, there are and will be a ton of fighters with incredible gifts and proven athletic backgrounds equal to or greater than Brock’s that will never get the same opportunity he did unless they come into the game with a solid preexisting fan base.
As far marketing someone more deserving, the UFC has never had a problem with justifying any other title shots in the past. They’ve always used they’re hype machine to woo the casual fan into believing certain fighters are title contenders or simply better than they really are (Huerta anyone?). Cheick Kongo put in a dominating performance against Cro Cop and has rebounded from his split decision loss to Herring. Cro Cop has a legacy while Herring is just a journeyman. Throw together the right highlight reel and the AVERAGE fans would have bought into a Kongo vs Couture match. Then we have Werdum who previously took the real champ (Nog) to a decision and beat Gonzaga and Vera who are obviously already well known. I know its a subjective situation but my point is that an equal argument can be made for others to have gotten the same title shot he did.
Unfortunately this goes on in every UFC weight class. It’s not always the best fighter that ends up at the top because the main motivator is money. I just feel that a sport rooted in martial arts should reward those that excel at it.
As far as Brock’s performance against Randy, I wouldn’t dare call it domination but he did win convincingly. My only beef with Brock vs Randy is the HUGE weight difference. You scale down that 40 pound advantage to a 10-15 pound difference and I think we’d have seen a completely different outcome. But it is what it is at this point.
Nah he was attacked by the Hulk.
Could have said that “Mir is setting himself up to loose” when the first comments he made about the fight were said. He is planning on going the full 5 rounds. He said he wont be able to finish NOG. Any fighter at that level that admits that they cannot finish a fight in the first round or believe that is doomed before they even enter the cage. You have to believe in yourself first and believe it 100% and invision winning. Dragging a 5 round fight and hopeing for a decision is pointless
I disagree, and think out pointing Nog is the best way to beat him. In fact, it’s the only way anyone has beaten him in mma (4 losses, all by decision). I just don’t think Mir has the gas tank to do it.
His cardio is somewhere between Overeem and Tank Abbott. Lasting 5 rounds and winning a decision would shock the hell out of me.
I hope that’s an old picture of Mir. His tummy doesn’t look ready to go 5
Look at that gut, reminds me of Karo, flabby
Mir looks like Gabe Reudeger in this shot. Will the Buddha belly give him the technique he needs?
if it would mean more to beat big nog why keep mentioning lesnar?hes fighting big nog soon and in every interview its brock this brock that.i really hope mir wins so brock can tear him a new asshole and send him back to getting smashed by the likes of pe da pano and ian freeman!!
You gotta try and remember that these quotes that get posted are direct responses to specific questions that the fighters were asked. I’m pretty confident the question contained some sort of a comparison between Brock and Nog.
ahahah that dude str8 up cried on the show hahaahah!!! he is like guida’s brother, who by the way used to come to the prior gym i kickboxed at and is HUGE, compaired to me that is…
Frank Mir is a fag, never liked him in my eye he never be anybody legit ext. Tim Sylvia and Brock Lesnar. His standup sux he take down sux, the only thing he has is his crazy guard. He lost to Vera who is a LHW and Ian Freeman who is a good fighter but when was the last time u have heard of Ian. The only reason why frank was HW champ was because guy like Barrnet and Rizzo not around and was lucky he didn’t face guys like Arlovski and Coutore. In my eyes Frank Mir sux and was all hype, in a world with complete MMA fighters Frank Mir will not last.
I like Mir but for those remarks about Lesnar (as true as they are) I hope Brock beats the crap out of him if they fight again!
Is that a recent pic of Mir?? He has a HUGE gut in that pic. No way does he have the stamina to keep up to Nog’s pace. All Nog has to do is survive the first round, and this fight is in the bag.
Im lost on some of the comments regarding the ref. stopping the fight between Mir and Lesnar, Ummmm its called a tap out and had the ref not stopped it Lesnar still wouldnt be walkin right to this day. So you wrestling fans that watched Brock tell the audience he wasnt tappin during one of his wrestlin shows, need to wake the fck up and realize that crap is entertainemnt, mean fake as well as 95% of the crap they say. So go blog on that soap opera crap on some wrestling site and stay the hell off the real deal blogs. Oh and one last note, you Lesnar fans should be so lucky if Mir was to pull something out of his hat to somehow get by Nog ( i dont see it happening ) because you dont want Nog on your boi !!!
This is the first I’m hearning about any controversy regarding the tap. What specifically are you refering to? There was some controversy over halting the fight and deducting a point, then standing it up. But as far as I no the tap was so obvious, no one questioned that he did it.
…as far as I no = know. Oops.
There was no controversy with the tap. The controversy was earlier when Mazagatti stopped Lesnar from pounding on Mir.
FRANK IS FAT, SLOPPY, AND PATHETIC. HE WILL NEVER WIN AGAIN!!
FRANK, RETIRE NOW!