5. Jiu Jitsu
Let’s get the obvious out of the way first. Frank Mir has some of the best jiu jitsu in the history of the heavyweight division. I would even argue that if we’re talking about it’s application for MMA, it’s the best ever. Especially when he opens people up with punches on the ground, his submission skills are not only technical, but come with incredible torque. Just ask his numerous victims of broken bones that include former UFC champion Tim Sylvia and legend Minotauro Nogueira. Bottom line: Mark Hunt does not have the defensive jiu jitsu to stop Frank Mir.
4. Underrated Takedowns
When I brought up the possibility of Frank Mir dragging this fight to the ground on the Top Turtle MMA Podcast, my co-host Dave Tramonte pointed out that he only has two takedowns in the last six of his fights; a scary statistic when his main path to victory is on the ground. However, what is overlooked about those fights is the level of grappling defense in those fights and the lack of time he had. Ignoring the weird fight with lack of energy against Andrei Arlovski, he finished both Bigfoot Silva and Todd Duffee in under two minutes each. So, he didn’t have much time to take them down. Next was Alistair Overeem, who sports a 77% takedown defense rate, and noted grapplers Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier. The reason that he hasn’t gotten many takedowns in recent fights actually has little to do with his abilities.
3. New Focus
When he fought against Andrei Arlovski, there was a notable difference in Frank Mir. No, I’m not just talking about the lack of gas tank and a little extra weight. That was of course alarming, but I am talking about his game plan. While it seemed like before he was willing to stand and trade with anybody when his takedowns were not working, he was relentless with going to the cage work in this fight to try to bring it into his realm. This marks a major shift for him as he moves back to what we know works for him.
2. Road Warrior
Frank Mir has fought very few times internationally. Being from Vegas, it only makes sense for him to fight there as much as possible. However, when he has fought internationally, he has been a stud. In recent history he’s fought twice outside of the States. The first was his recent match up with Bigfoot Silva, that took place in Bigfoot’s home country of Brazil. Mir posted one of his best performances with an early first round knockout. The other international fight was in Toronto, where he took on Minotauro Nogueira and notoriously broke the Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt’s arm. Mir’s not afraid to go into the home of the beast and take their supper. Let’s see if he can do it in the land down under.
1. Striking
Wait, striking? Striking? Frank Mir’s striking? Against Mark Hunt?
Yes, I’m actually going to tell you why his striking makes sense in this fight as a positive. Since Frank Mir has started working with striking coach Angelo Reyes, his head movement has improved greatly. It’s kept him safe in his last few fights and has him lighting people up on the feet too. Now, this is not to say that I expect him to knock out Mark Hunt. Hunt’s head is, to steal a line from Joe Rogan, “made of concrete and stuff”. However, I do think it’s enough to keep Hunt thinking and get Mir to where he feels comfortable: the ground.
Prediction: Frank Mir by key lock in the third round
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