Why Frank Mir should beat Mirko Cro Cop
Posted on September 23, 2010, 08:30 AM by Anton GurevichSometimes I wonder, what Frank Mir should do for people to start giving him the deserved respect. Former two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir will try to prove critics wrong for another time, this time squaring off against the legendary Mirko Cro Cop. And just like against Minotauro Nogueira and even Cheick Kongo, some people consider Frank Mir an underdog.
To tell you the truth, I can’t see how it’s even possible. With all due respect for Mirko Cro Cop and his impact on Mixed Martial Arts, I can’t see him beating Frank Mir. More than that, I was never so sure in a victory of a fighter, than in Frank Mir’s triumph over Mirko Cro Cop.
There’s no need to talk about the past. Yes, Cro Cop proved his worth more than once, and he has nothing to prove when it comes to achievements. But this fight is not taking place at the Saitama Super Arena in 2006. It’s 2010. The Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and Mirko Cro Cop is not the same Mirko Cro Cop he was before. Just to look at his recent history; Today’s Cro Cop was knocked down couple of times by Pat Barry, defeated mentally and physically by Junior Dos Santos. His victims Anthony Perosh, Mostapha Al-Turk, Hong-Man Choi and the same Pat Barry (who I consider as one of the best prospects in the UFC HW division) are nowhere near Frank Mir’s level.
Mirko Cro Cop in 2010 is a slow counter-striker. Cro Cop rarely kicks and mostly uses his experience advantage to get W’s against fighters, who are unfamiliar with fighting someone that experienced, not speaking about being a co-main event in the UFC. Frank Mir in 2010 is probably the most underrated striker in the game, who hits hard and will have no troubles standing with Mirko Cro Cop. Mir is by far more aggressive, more powerful and more precise than Mirko Cro Cop. In every Frank Mir fight we see an excellent display of deep and quality striking, including the fights he was defeated.
Frank Mir will defeat Mirko Cro Cop on his feet, and not on the ground. Obviously, if the fight goes to the ground, it will be all Frank Mir’s world and a short way to victory; but again, I truly believe that it’s stand-up where Frank Mir has the best advantage. It’s much easier to survive on the ground, than absorbing powerful strikes on your feet.
Mirko Cro Cop’s victory would be a pleasant surprise, but it’s Frank Mir’s fight to lose. Mir via TKO in the First.
Comments
couldnt agree more
Agree as well. I guess to get some respect he has to beat one behemoth a second time and another behemoth a first. The guy has had my respect for a long time and will still be a force in whatever division he chooses to fight in.
i agree with you that its ludacrious to assume mir is the underdog, he is the overwhelming faveourite...mir is a top 5 HW, and crocop is barely top 15...its a massively mismatched fight (i would say a less extreme version of couture & coleman at 109) crocop in his prime would have destroyed mir, his sprawl was legendary and he would have embarrassed mir in the standup, but like you already said, crocop is NOT in his prime, and mir is
one thing i dont agree with is that hes 'the most under-rated striker in the game', because its simply not true...he boxed with nog who looked AWFUL and was never known for his standup, then he threw a massive haymaker against kongo and it made contact- anybody can do that! i didnt see this supposed standup against carwin or brock
I agree too, and it's not just me being a Frank Mire fan, he's definitely got the skills to take on anyone in the Heavyweight division, and a lot of the time it's a matter of game planning on his part.
intelligent, well thought out, and bias free. Awesome article and agreed with everything you said
rivalling fletch blog lol
but yea i agree
I just posted the link to this thread in Fletch's thread as my rebuttal lmao
Well said. Agreed.
Been saying the same thing for months, totally agree. I hope it goes longer than 1 round though. I would really like to see at least 10 minutes of these two going at t.
I read this over and i think you are right Anton, i picked Cro Cop to win cause hay who doesnt love Cro Cop but I just realize now that Cro Cop doesn't really have a good chance at all to win...
Mir and Cro Cop have beat good guys but Mir defeated the better fighters...
I am changing my prediction: Mir via 1st round submission, maybe and armbar or somthing
Why is this so low?
I don't understand why we have main events that are so predictable, I don't understand why they didn't give mir Roy Nelson or even Matt Mitrione would have gave him a better run for his money. Cro Cop should have been given Joey Belltrain or somebody like that. This is just a money making event for the UFC because of Cro Cops name, but let's face it he has not shown anything in the UFC thus far deserving him of Main Event status. Give me exciting fights! Not predictable ones.
With a name like "boner" I shouldn't be surprised. This is the dumbest comments i have heard all week. Really Mr. Boner? Matt Mitirone? Listen, I think Mir is going to win this fight. Probably decisively. But he is a legend. And the fact that you suggested Matt Mitirone as a more qualified opponent shows me that you have little respect/knowledge of the sport. Then you had the audacity to say, "This is just a money making event for the UFC because of Cro Cops name." Come on. How are you going to say that Cro Cop is just a name and then suggest Mitirone as a worthy opponent. If any one is just a name, it is Matt. Who has he fought? The only reason you know that name is because he was on Dana's little $how. AND Did you watch the Kimbo fight? Can you imagine what Cro Cop would do to Kimbo? (Honestly, you seem like a Kimbo fan, so maybe I should not say that.) Listen, if you don't like the main event don't order it. But to say a bum like Mitiron (who couldn't even finish Kimbo) is even close to being a more deserving opponent than the Legendary Mirko Cro Cop after all he has accomplished in MMA, we don't want you to be a fight fan. Look at the resume of the Cro Cop (Barrnett, Werdum, Fedor's brother, Wanderlia...the list goes on... Instead of ordering the PPV and watching what could be the legend's last fight, maybe you should just watch all the Ultimate fighter: heavyweights that you DVR'ed and call it a night. Matt Mitirone. As Gob Bluth would say,"COME ON!"
I agree! Mirko deserves to have the Main Event! He has been one of the most exciting fighters in MMA history. He proved that high kick does matter, just like Royce Gracie with his BJJ. It could be his last fight and no matter who he is facing, I still watch Mirko over any other main events.
Mirko vs Mir cannot be better! I hope Mirko goes for a high kick kill!
You just proved my point, you will buy this pay-per view because of Mirko even though he will be flattened. Listen I love Cro-cop I mean who couldn't, but what has he done in the UFC besides ripping off a un-impressive victory over Berry?? I'm just saying give me something better than this as a main event. Give me a fight that will actually be entertaining. Mir shouldn't even be in this main event unless he gets a rematch with Shawn or fights Nelon or Dos Santos. We all want Cro-cop to win, but we all know he won't. thats all I'm saying.
Every word you type makes you sound dumber. First off, im not too sure who "Shawn" is......??.......but besides that, the original main even was mir and nog.....and the fact that nog pulled out of the fight gave cro cop this opportunity. It also doesnt make sense that you say people will watch this fight because of cro cops name.....watching kimbo because he is kimbo, would be watching for the name. But saying that a legend of the sport is just a name? how does that add up? I think people will be watching to see if an MMA legend can pull off one more impressive victory with the most lethal left leg in history......so go watch matt mitrione, cause hes a lot more entertaining than cro cop to anyone who knows nothing about this sport
bahaha have fun watching ur legend get stomped.
He is looking a little thinner in this pic.... maybe that move to LH will come sooner than we think.
@ JPG23 (AKA "(The Wise")
I thought the same thing, myself.
Finally an article that gives some respect to Mir.
I agree with the comments about Frank's stand-up and his being under rated and not getting respect.
I too, think Mir will take him out on in the first, but I think it will go the Cheick Kongo, route; punched, knocked down, chocked out.
This is an easy fight for a hungry Frank Mir (IMO). A bad fight for an aging vet, with limited game; one who has recently been considering retirement.
IMO - Frank walks right through hm.
I wish Cro Cop the W,but realistically I feel will handle him.
I agree that this is Frank Mir's fight to lose. While I expect him to stand with Mirko early and showcase his improved striking abilities, I think he will likely transition by countering with a takedown and submit him in the first or early second.... Depending how long it takes him to get tired of beating him up on their feet.
Ill go against the grain here and stick with mirko. Hes no slouch and very experienced. Even if hes past his prime, If he shows up to fight this wont be an easy fight for mir.
Split decision mirko
Not sure why people call for split decisions - you assume that two judges may see it for one fighter and another judge will see it for the other? Strange prediction. Anyway, I think Frank Mir does have improved standup, but don't kid yourselves. I think people are forgetting how skilled CC is in standup and giving a bit too much credit to Mir's standup. He faked a takedown and caught Kongo. He knocked out a staph-infected Nog who in my opinion, looked horrible on his feet. I think if the fight stays standing CC will pull this off.
what I meant to say was win 29/28
Yeah I sound totally amateur now :P
Mirs stand up is top 5 in the HW division and if any1 thought he was an underdog in the kongo fight they know nothing about mma.
Mir has a lot more tools than cro cop but come on first round TKO? thats just disrespectuful
I hope CRO COP can get the KO or TKO if not i think CRO COP will win by decision. NO ONE should ever count out CRO COP
"Sometimes I wonder, what Frank Mir should do for people to start giving him the deserved respect?" I got this one- two things, to-wit: 1) Start winning and, 2) Stop being an arrogant, but thin-skinned, tool.
Hmm this article is rated so negatively, but people suck up in here probably because of who wrote it...interesting. Yea, this fight really IS selling on crocops name. Mir has only been beat by the two most dominant heavyweights so it's not as if he's nobody anymore, despite the fact that one loss seems to mean ömg he sucks now"for anyone but Fedor.
And it's true, Mirko really hasn't done much in the UFC. I mean i REALLY wanted him to win his last fight, but the win seems more of a result of Barry not wanting to finish off his Idol than a hard-fought comeback win. It was heartbreaking to watch really, it's no picnic watching a fighter fight past their prime.
Please defend fighters INTELLIGENTLY. Bringing up the left high kick or totally irrelevant fights from the past do nothing to speak on who will win. A fool and his money are soon parted.