Frank Mir: My experience will give me an advantage against Junior dos Santos
Posted on May 23, 2012, 04:11 PM by Mike DrahotaFrank Mir is no stranger to high-profile UFC Heavyweight title bouts, with this Saturday's UFC 146 marking Mir's chance at a third title run. Throughout the buildup to his title fight with current champion Junior dos Santos, Mir has spoken about the vaunted standup of dos Santos as if it were not a problem in his eyes. Mir has even gone as far as to remark that he hits harder than his opponent. He obviously thinks that if the fight touches the ground, he will gain one of his patented submissions with relative ease. Today, Mir came out with another aspect of fighting that he believes will help him emerge victorious Saturday, speaking about his superior experience as a benefit to him. Mir told The Telegraph that the vast media exposure may be something new and detrimental to Junior dos Santos:
“There’s a lot of fighters that have alluded to after fights that all the interviews and press and obligations of being a champion or being in a main event, it can be very hard to juggle training and keep focused at the same time. They’ve admitted to not handling it as much as they should have then second time round they realised how to do it. I’ve been around this many times before and I know how to compartmentalise all the different areas of what has to be done leading up to the fight. Dos Santos, this is the first run being a champion and I’m sure he’s done more media this fight than he ever has for any other fight in his life. How well is he handling that and how well is he juggling that around? It’s another factor that I feel I have the advantage on that he doesn’t. If he is able to handle it’s because maybe people around him are trying to help him out, I purely understand it from first hand experience.”
With that said, it appears that Mir has a lot of confidence heading into the epic UFC 146 card. He has always been a confident fighter, but this time he has been rated as a substantial underdog. That means nothing to Mir who looks to translate his perceived advantages in striking, grappling, and experience into another UFC title belt. There is no doubt that Junior dos Santos has some of the best striking in MMA, will Mir truly be able to weather the storm and pull off the upset?
Further Reading: Frank Mir: I hit a lot harder than Junior dos Santos
Comments
Hate to say it, but I got Mir pulling this one off (somehow). Sure the hell hope I'm wrong, but I got that bad feeling.......
is that a bad feeling? it can go either way...
I'm wrong more often than I'm right but I also have Mir for well roundedness.
I have that same problem....always picking the underdog. Mir could very well submit him but JDS is the fastest heavyweight we've seen since Fedor and Mir's weakness is early KO's
I would be delighted if Mir won--but I am afraid that Frank's experience in getting KTFO'd is superior to JDS's.
Jds never lost in the ufc....the only time he was taken down EVER in the ufc was against Gonzaga and he bumped right back....I beleive he is the most underated champion of all 7....of course everything can happen in a HW bout, he could have a bad day but logic is all in his favor....Mir almost got KOed by Nog, Nog got KOed silly by Cain....Cain got....you know.
MMA math rarely works.
Well to bad for Mir that this fight isn't a math problem but a skill problem.
Funny part? When this fight was first announced, I didnt see anyone giving Mir a chance, but now media has played its tune. I see many who are predicting him to win. hmmmm
Mir tko'd Nog so where does that make the math go....in a circle
its sleepy sleepy time for Franky, 1st rd tko bang!! uppercut!!
Don't count Frank out too soon ! He's fight smarter each fight. But Frank good enough to pulls it off this fight with another level of fighter like JDS will be an answer soon.IMO
prediction: JDS hurts Mir with a left to body and right to head, Mir stumbles....JDS comes in for the kill with a uppercut and misses....Mir counters with an overhand left.....JDS goes down!!! Mir jumps on JDS for gnp.....JDS tries to escape but ends up in a nasty knee bar or guillotine choke....JDS taps out in first rd.....Mir becomes the only three time ufc hw champion....THE END....
For some reason I am feeling Mir is going to win this aswell. The win over nogeira has raised his confidence. I just have a feeling he is going to submit JDS.
while taking shots to the face? how?
This "I have a feeling" thing that I keep seeing from people is interesting, I guess it can only be a feeling since there is no logical way that Mir stands a chance in this fight.
Logic for you, Mir doesn't get KO'ed on his feet. Every single person that has finished him with strikes has done so by following with Ground and Pound (Ian Freeman, Marcio Cruz, Brandon Vera, Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin). Junior Dos Santos is going to look to keep this fight entirely on his feet, because his mentor (a much better BJJ practicioner than himself) got dismantled on the ground by a Mir who was almost unconscious. If he follows Mir to the ground, it gives him a chance to work. If he waits for Mir to stand up, that's another opportunity he's giving him to look for the takedown. I think that JDS will be timid enough on pulling the trigger that Mir will have several more opportunities than he would otherwise.
Aside from the ground, Mir has better kicks, knees, and clinch game than JDS. JDS has speed in spades, but he loses a kicking match, and I think Mir would give him problems in the clinch, where he could bring his extra muscle to bear with knees or looking for the takedown. JDS needs to dictate the range and keep it a boxing match. If he can't do that, Mir has more skill than him in every other area.
Maybe, but I don't think the win over Big Nog raised Mir's confidence. After all, Mir was outboxed by Nog and Nog basically presented a victory to Mir, of course, it does not undermine Mir's BJJ skills. JDS is to fast with this hands and if he lands one, Mir is out because Mir has a weak chin and JDS hits harder and more precise than Nog or Vera. Carwin could not take JDS down being more powerful than Mir. I don't see any upset here, but there is always a room. I would go with JDS.
I too see Mir winning. I see him using his strength and size advanatage to some how drag..not a takedown but a drag JDS to the ground and grabbing onto something. Most people really dont understand how easy grabbing a limb on somoene is for Mir. Just as easy for him as it is for JDS to knock someone out.
When was JDS takendown last? I actually can't remember seeing JDS on the ground ever.
War Frank Mir...
I see Mir breaking JDS hands with his head.
But seriously Im rooting for Mir I think a win for him is more impressive than a win for JDS.... because if his chin/ some previous losses saying that though I'm not sure discussing a guys chin is relevant in the HW class is relevant
I am so confused, do people actually think Mir can take JDS down? Or do they think he can actually strike with JDS? Or how is it that people see him beating JDS exactly?
Just looked it up JDS has 85% takedown defense...
Yes I think Mir can take him down, but I see him doing it from the clinch rather than shooting in for a double. Big Country may not be the best fighter in the world, but he's still a heavyweight fighter who'd only been taken down once in his career (by JDS while he was seeing stars)). Mir took down Big Country six times, tossed him around like a ragdoll, and controlled him the whole fight. Yes, I think Mir can take down JDS given the opportunity.
As for striking, JDS will be looking to avoid the takedown or clinch, so he'll be a bit more rangey than normal I think. Mir can do some damage with a kick or a well timed knee while JDS lunges in. It's not going to be his preferred mode of attack, but if he wears down JDS or hurts him, I think it'll make the takedown much easier to get. Mir may be a bit outmatched on the feet, but I still think it's possible for him to win there. I can't say the same for JDS if the fight hits the ground.
Frank Mir really clutchin at straws here trying to boost his confidence, hoping that JDS has not been preparing because of all the media attention, only way mir can beat JDS is if its on the ground, Mirs wrestling aint so hot, and he is pretty slow and sluggish on the feet compared to JDS...I just cant see him winning unless JDS slips on sum blood lands on his back and Mir jumps on him....
Unfortunately, Mir, your chin will give you the biggest disadvantage. You are going to have to work more for your take down than JDS will have to to put leather on your face.