Following His Motorcycle Accident, Frank Mir Is Steadily Moving Back Toward the UFC’s Heavyweight Cr

Frank Mir is one of MMA’s most high profile fighters.

Not only is he a former UFC heavyweight champion, but he’s also one of the most articulate fighters in the sport, as evidenced by his work as a commentator with the WEC.

While he’s certainly on the fast track to getting back on top, there was a time, not too long ago, that his future was certainly in doubt.

In September of 2004, the UFC heavyweight champ found his entire future hanging in the balance. At the time, Mir was en route to a workout when his motorcycle was abruptly side swiped by an oncoming vehicle.

In the accident, Mir sustained a broken femur, as well as tearing all the ligaments in his leg. The severity of the accident put him on the shelf for more than a year.

However, as a testament to his tremendous heart and love for his vocation, Mir rehabbed his injuries and was back in the Octagon approximately 18 months later.  

Fast-forward four years and Mir is once again nearing the summit of the MMA world. He recently secured a win over celebrated wrestler-turned-MMA fighter Brock Lesnar.

Now, after beating UFC interim heavyweight champ Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira, he will fight Brock Lesnar for the UFC heavyweight championship.  

Recently, while in Los Angeles, we caught up with the affable Las Vegas native and had a chance to speak with him about an assortment of topics.  

RUNAWAY TRUCK?
What was it like being hit by Brock Lesnar?

I’d compare it to being hit by a slow moving car that you can’t get out of the way of. While Brock’s blows knocked me over, they never stunned me.  

I’ve been hit by other guys whose strikes have had more pop and were more impactful, the kind which take the legs right out from under you. For example, the knee I received during my match with Brandon Vera really shook me to my core. I had no idea what happened until I watched a tape of the fight afterward.

WEC COMMENTATING
Has the experience of doing color commentary for the WEC changed your approach toward fighting?

It’s improved my ability to dissect fight styles, enabling me to read guys more effectively and to better understand their tendencies.

How comfortable are you feeling with your play-by-play skills?
Pretty comfortable, but there’s always room for improvement. It’s not unusual to hear that I talk too much. Joe Silva [matchmaker for both the UFC and WEC] is always telling me, “Short and sweet, short and sweet.”  

One thing I really try to avoid is to come across as biased. There’s a lot of responsibly to shoulder when doing commentary. It’s easy to affect people’s opinions of a fighter and even do harm to his career.  Therefore, it’s important to be conscious of the things you say and how you say them.
— Adam Morra

To read the full story, check out the February issue of Ultimate Grappling magazine.