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MMA veteran gears for showdown against wrestler Lesnar
By MMAMemories.com

You might think that Frank Mir was almost born to be an MMA star. He started in mixed martial arts at an early age, studying Kenpo Karate because his father ran a school for it in the city of Las Vegas. It is fair to say that Mir was probably one of the first youngsters who was inspired by the first-ever UFC telecast who later went on to become a champion. When Royce Gracie swept to victory in UFC I, the 14-year-old made up his mind that he could compete one day with these new gladiators, but that he could do so using Kenpo and wrestling rather than Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Mir became a high school wrestling standout and won a Nevada state championship in 1998.

Eventually he began to familiarize himself with all the disciplines that would be necessary to compete at the highest level in mixed martial arts. And he made his professional debut in a July 2001 Hook ‘n Shoot event where he defeated Jerome Smith. In November of that same year he made his debut in the UFC and tapped out Roberto Travern in a minute and five seconds. He was on his way.

That is not to say he didn’t have to negotiate through a few speed bumps. In UFC 36, which was held in England, Mir engaged in a brutal fight with Ian Freeman and allowed Freeman to rain heavy blows upon his head from a position of side control. Mir, cut badly, wanted to fight on, but the referee had had enough, and declared him the TKO loser in what was without a doubt a valuable learning experience.

Mir chalked up an important win - not because it was a title fight but because it was against a “name” opponent - in UFC 41 when he made Tank Abbott submit in just 46 seconds. After a couple of more wins, Mir has earned himself a championship opportunity. The heavyweight title had become vacant by virtue of a positive steroids test on the champ, Tim Sylvia. But Sylvia found himself back in the bout for the vacant crown at UFC 48. The opponent was none other than Frank Mir, who quickly applied an armbar, broke Sylvia’s forearm, and became the UFC’s new heavyweight champion in the space of 50 seconds.

All of this was about to lead to a reign that could have been memorable. But just three months after winning the title - in September of 2004 - Mir was involved in a major motorcycle accident that left him with torn ligaments in his knee and a broken leg. Because he was going to be out of action for a while, the UFC decided to declare an interim championship. Mir failed to come back to action within a year, and Andrei Arlovski, who had beaten Sylvia for that interim crown, won undisputed recognition.

For Mir, the road back proved to be rougher than expected. Eventually he made his return in February of ‘06. But rust certainly was a factor, and virtual unknown Marcio Cruz stopped him on stirkes. Again, as in his loss to Freeman some time earlier, Mir was badly cut. In UFC 65, Mir was beaten once more, and again in the first round, this time by Brandon Vera. Mir subsequently tried his hand at the exacting MMA variation of submission grappling, and lost a decision to Renato Sobral.

In August of 2007 Mir returned to the Octagon and scored a submission in a minute and 17 seconds over Antoni Hardonk at UFC 74. This set the stage for a challenge that could be like no other he’s faced: a man with great credentials in both the amateur and professional wrestling rings, former NCAA and WWE heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.

A win for Mir could bring him right back into the title picture, and that would provide for a great comeback story indeed.