In just three months, Brock Lesnar (1-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will make his UFC debut against the organization’s former heavyweight champion: Frank Mir (10-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC).
Thomas Gerbasi of UFC.com today reported the fight. Additionally, MMAjunkie.com (
http://www.mmajunkie.com) has learned that the fight was first presented to Mir late last week and that he dropped off the bout agreement to Zuffa LLC’s Las Vegas offices this afternoon.
The fight is set for UFC 81, which takes place Feb. 2 (SuperBowl weekend) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The heavyweight bout will likely earn co-main-event status.
Lesnar, a former World Wrestling Entertainment performer who also had a short stint with the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, was one of the sport’s top free agents after a 69-second submission victory over Min Soo Kim in a K-1 HEROâ€,,S Dynamite!! USA event this past June. The UFC officially announced that the 6-foot-3, 265-pounder had joined the organization last month during a UFC 77 pay-per-view broadcast.
Although stuck with the label of a “professional wrestler,” Lesnar own an impressive resume in “real” wresting. After posting a perfect 33-0 record during his senior year of high school in his native North Dakota, Lesnar went on to become a four-time All-American, a two-time Big Ten champion, and a 2000 NCAA national heavyweight wrestling champion with the University of Minnesota.
The 30-year-old will now face Mir, who won the UFC’s vacant heavyweight title in 2004. The legendary UFC fight was stopped in less than a minute when referee Herb Dean noticed that Mir had snapped opponent Tim Sylvia’s forearm while working an arm-bar submission.
Mir’s reign as champ would be short-lived, though.
Just three months after winning the title, Mir was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident. The Las Vegas native flew approximately 25 yards from his bike, and bystanders initially thought he was dead. He was taken to a hospital, where doctors determined he had snapped his femur bone in two places and tore numerous tendons in and around his knee.
Mir didnâ€,,t fight for 16 months while he nursed his injuries, and the UFC stripped him of the title.
The 28-year-old’s return to the UFC thus far has been a mixed bag. His 2-2 record includes a lopsided first-round TKO loss to Brandon Vera, but back in August, Mir bounced back for a quick and impressive submission victory (via kimura) over Antoni Hardonk at UFC 74.
With a victory, he could find himself back in the UFC’s title picture.
UFC 81, after all, could be one of the most-viewed and best-promoted events in UFC history. UFC officials have already confirmed that the organization will pump additional dollars into specifically marketing Lesnar’s UFC debut — especially to professionally wrestling fans who no doubt will be interested in the performer’s octagon debut.
UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture, who suffered a broken arm in his UFC 74 victory over Gabriel Gonzaga, was expected to headline UFC 81. However, the UFC hall-of-famer resigned from the organization last month over what he perceived to be a lack of respect from UFC executives. Nonetheless, during a media conference call last week, UFC President Dana White said he plans to offer Couture a UFC 81 main-event fight with top contender Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
