Issue 087
April 2012
Frank Mir on adding ‘Big Nog’s right arm to his collection of calcified trophies, his disappointment in all things Brock Lesnar and his loathing of leaving Las Vegas
What was running through your mind as you defeated Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 140 by kimura?
“When I actually had his arm and was applying pressure I was just surprised that it went that far to be honest. I was looking up at Herb Dean, while I was cranking and it started to go, I was looking up at him and I was like, ‘Is he tapping or going or what’ and so when Herb jumped on me I was just relieved that it was over.
“I honestly thought that I had Renzo Gracie’d him. I thought it was like the Renzo Gracie vs Sakuraba situation, where his elbow had just dislocated.”
Do you feel validated with that victory?
“Yeah, I feel very good about it. The submission stuff I love and as far as submission and grappling and who’s the better fighter, obviously people will constantly make excuses and be like, ‘He almost had you but the referee did this or didn’t do that.’ But I can say, ‘Listen we were both just fighting and both times it was my hand that got raised.’ If I am really just that lucky then, I’ll take that. I’m glad.”
Do you regret your kimura on Nogueira got to the point where you ended up breaking his arm?
“Of course, I feel bad that his arm had to break, but I don’t regret doing it. I applied pressure on a hold and I didn’t go so fast that he didn’t have time to tap. So in my opinion, it’s his fault. Had I jumped on it and jerked it so quick that he didn’t have time to adjust for it then, yeah, that would have been a very poor sportsman-like move on my part. But he was in the kimura for a good four or five seconds before the damage occurred. That’s plenty of time for him to recognize and get out of there. I think that anybody who says I should have done things differently, I don’t know, say let go and take that chance he had got out. Then, with him being a world-class fighter, what if I don’t get back in that position again, or worse still he puts me in that position. All because he didn’t tap and I didn’t wanna hurt him.”
This marks the third arm you’ve broken in the UFC even though you’re quite a sedate person outside of the Octagon. Do you become a different person in the ring?
“Not at all. People can see the kind of guy I am, I’m pretty laid back. It’s just martial arts. It’s mechanics, and one move leads to the other. Being in side control and applying the kimura and then adding the pressure, it’s just one step leads to the other. It’s really no mind-set difference on my behalf at all.”
Does a matchup with someone like Josh Barnett interest you considering he’s another aggressive grappler?
“Yeah, fighting Josh Barnett would be interesting. I think he is a good fighter and also a good submission grappler so I can see the appeal in that match.”
Your fight against Brock Lesnar at UFC 100 was one of the most successful MMA events ever. What about your relationship with Brock do you think made the bout so compelling?
“I think it’s down to the fact we are just complete opposites. I am more articulate and I like to think about the things that I do. He’s a little more quiet and more of a bruiser type, so it was kind of like a brawn vs brain type of thing and the fans responded to that. That was always kind of the way it played out between the two of us.”
Did you, and do you now, legitimately dislike Brock Lesnar?
“Honestly, right now, I’m kind of just disappointed in him. After seeing him quit like that, after the Alistair (Overeem) fight. I understand about adversity and trying to come back from it and I see he’s now dealing with some adversity regarding his health issues and possibly not being able to train to the best of his ability. But to see him just hang it up with so little fire and so little effort on his part in the end, that’s actually what just did it in for me.”
You were criticized for some of your remarks towards Brock. Do you regret any of them?
“Yeah, I think that any time you are on a public field you have to realize that you can say things to hype up fights but you’ve got to be careful you don’t say things that can be taken the wrong way and ultimately be the wrong type of role model for people.”
Are you disappointed a rematch with Brock is unlikely ever to happen?
“I would have liked to have fought him again for sure. But seeing the way he handled himself after his last fight, it was kind of a let down for me. I am perhaps most disappointed by the fact that he’s not the same guy that I faced. He had that diverticulitis and, having never had it, I accept that every injury is different with each person. And obviously, it’s taken its toll on him mentally. He just doesn’t seem to be the same person that I faced.”
Do you think it was too early for Brock to retire?
“If he’s going to perform the way he performed last time out and has no ambition to get better then it was probably the safest thing for him to do.”
You’ve been with the UFC for over 10 years. How have you managed to stay relevant?
“By constantly trying to improve and work on things. I’ve never really stuck to one thing or been stagnant in my career. People can see that I have had adversity but I have always fought hard to come through it. I’ve never had back-to-back losses, for example. Every time I’ve had a setback I’ve come back and had a victory afterwards and tried to come through and persevere.”
Are you happy with fans’ perception of you?
“For the most part. Most of the fans I meet I like and they say nice things about me. The guys I speak with seem to be well spoken and educated, successful people in their own right, and I get along with them fine. The few fans that I’ve perhaps heard talking bad about me and stuff I look a little further, listen a little harder, and they turn out to be the least educated or successful in their own life. So those guys I don’t miss having as fans, so they don’t upset me too much.”
Which is your favorite win of your career?
“The first time I fought ‘Minotauro,’ mostly because I was such a heavy underdog. To go out there and defeat him so decisively, especially as I also had so many question marks hanging over me about my injuries. That was the one fight, after that, where I could really put my injuries behind me. That was the beginning of a new chapter in my life.”
What do you still want to achieve? Does the prospect of fighting in Japan or Brazil excite you?
“I love to go to Japan and Brazil on vacation, and actually experience their cultures. But as far as fighting there, no. For me, fighting is very family orientated. People see me travel and I do so with my wife, my children and my father. I have my closest friends too, that’s a lot of people I like to have with me. That’s also a lot of plane tickets. There are a lot of people that take time off work to travel with me, so there are many family members that get left behind and so there is no place that I could go and fight that means as much as having all of those people around me. So fighting in Vegas is ideal for me as I am constantly surrounded by the people that love me and I love them, and that’s what means most to me.”
THE HATE ISSUE
FRANK MIR / BROCK LESNAR
“Honestly, right now, I’m kind of just disappointed in Brock. After seeing him quit like that, after the Alistair Overeem fight. I understand about adversity and trying to come back from it. But to see him just hang it up with so little effort, that’s what just did it for me”
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