Issue 076
June 2011
5th
With his patented overhand right, Dan Henderson became the fifth Strikeforce light heavyweight champ in as many fights. None of the previous four men were able to hold onto the belt once they got it: Renato Sobral lost to Gegard Mousasi, who lost to Mo Lawal, who lost to Rafael Cavalcante, who lost to Dan Henderson.
42:18
At UFC Fight Night 24 in March, Phil Davis outstruck Pride legend Antonio Rogerio Nogueira 42 to 18. The wrestler may have struggled taking ‘Little Nog’ down, but he had no trouble bashing the Brazilian with his limbs.
83%
A massive 83% of Dan Hardy and Anthony Johnson’s UFC Fight Night 24 bout took place on the ground. So much for ‘Rumble’ saying he wanted to keep it standing against ‘The Outlaw’.
191
Also at UFC 127, Jon Fitch connected a limb to BJ Penn 191 times in the second and third rounds while Penn replied just 15 times (zero times of which came in round two).
9,284
Approximate distance in miles the UFC juggernaut traveled in just four days. UFC 127 took place on February 27th in Sydney, Australia, and UFC Live 3 was held on March 3rd in Louisville, Kentucky. It marked the UFC’s first show in the state.
22
It took just 22 minutes for Australian fans to buy up all the tickets for UFC 127. UFC managing director of international development Marshall Zelaznik said it was a record-tying effort.
221
Late replacement Liz Carmouche hit Marloes Coenen an incredible 221 times in just over three rounds of their Strikeforce women’s welterweight title match up. It was Coenen’s first title defense and it looked as if her reign would be short lived, but she finished the upstart Carmouche with a triangle in the fourth round. Coenen was able to hit Carmouche just 48 times.
2
Two cutmen needed to work on Diego Sanchez at UFC Live 3. Sanchez and Martin Kampmann put on a rock-em-sock-em robots-type fight and Rudy Hernandez asked ‘Stitch’ Duran to partner up with him to work on Sanchez’s face. It was worth it for Diego; he came away with the decision win.
7
Just seven days after former UFC star Dan Henderson won the Strikeforce strap, he became an employee of
Zuffa once again when Dana White shocked the MMA world by announcing Zuffa’s purchase of Strikeforce.
The Highs and Lows of Frank Mir
Revered for some of the best BJJ in all of MMA, Frank Mir’s legacy is undeniable. In a 14-5 career marred by a horrific motorcycle accident, Mir has relished the highs of a UFC heavyweight title and the lows of a near-death experience. Mir still has the skill set to reclaim the heavyweight title, but at 31 he’ll have to move fast as the clock is ticking.
July 2001
Makes his professional debut against Jerome Smith at Hook ‘n’ Shoot: Showdown. Mir wins the bout by judges’ decision after two rounds
July 2002
Despite numerous leg lock attempts, Mir loses to Ian Freeman at UFC 38: Brawl at the Hall in front of a London crowd. After gaining side control, Freeman reigns down an air strike of blows. The ref stops the fight when Mir struggles to stand up
June 2004
At UFC 48, Mir faces Tim Sylvia for the vacant heavyweight championship. After breaking Sylvia’s arm in the first round, Mir becomes the UFC heavyweight champion and is awarded his BJJ black belt
September 2004
Mir is knocked off his motorcycle, breaking his femur and tearing multiple ligaments in his leg. After a 14-month hiatus, Mir is still unable to fight and is stripped of his UFC heavyweight title belt
February 2006
After recovering from the motorcycle accident, Mir fights relative newcomer, jiu-jitsu wizard Marcio Cruz, at UFC 57. In a shocking upset, Mir loses by TKO in the first round due to strikes
November 2006
Mir loses to Brandon Vera by TKO due to strikes from side control at UFC 65: Bad Intentions. Speculation grows as to whether Mir will ever truly recover from his motorcycle accident
February 2008
After an impressive victory via kimura over Antoni Hardonk at UFC Fight Night 9, Mir is lined up to face Brock Lesnar at UFC 81. After being taken down and bullied by Lesnar early in the fight Mir pulls off a kneebar, causing Lesnar to tap out at 1:30 of the first round
December 2008
Starring as the opposing coach to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for the eighth series of The Ultimate Fighter, Mir and ‘Minotauro’ face each other at UFC 92. Although it is later revealed Minotauro suffered from a serious staph infection prior to the bout, Mir puts on an impressive display of technical boxing to get the second-round TKO win the UFC interim heavyweight title
July 2009
Mir faces Brock Lesnar in a much anticipated rematch at UFC 100. Lesnar overpowers Mir with his considerable size advantage and TKO’s Mir in the second round via punches to become the UFC undisputed heavyweight champion
December 2009
Mir is set face stand-up specialist Cheick Kongo at UFC 107. After Mir significantly bulks up for the fight to weigh in at 264.5lbs, he drops the smaller Kongo with an overhand right and secures the guillotine choke at just 1:12 of the first round
March 2010
Mir faces the heavy-handed Shane Carwin at UFC 111. He loses the fight via KO at 3:48 of the first round
September 2010
Mir fights Croatian kickboxer Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic. Although the bout was set to be a classic, it ultimately proved a lackluster affair with neither fighter committing to any serious offense. Mir eventually won the bout via KO in the third round
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