Biography
Frank Mir was born into a family that has a lot to do with fighting. mixed style... He studied the basics of martial arts at the Kempo school in Las Vegas, owned by his father. When Frank watched the first issue of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, he was not yet sure of the need to learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: “I was fourteen the first time I watched the UFC with my father, where all the fighters were knocked down and strangled by this skinny Royce Gracie. I couldn't believe my eyes! My dad wanted me to start practicing Jiu-Jitsu right away, but I tried to prove to him that what I had learned was enough. I thought I would find a way to resist it instead of just agreeing and start training. "
His father persuaded him to start wrestling in order to learn not to fall for painful holds, while Frank attended Bonanza High School in his native Las Vegas, where he earned a 44-1 statistic. He began competing in his penultimate year and lost his first nine bouts, but won the State Senior Championship in 1998. He also played on the high school soccer team and in competitions. athletics, where he set a still unbeaten competition record: he threw a disc at 54 meters and 20 centimeters. In 2004, after defeating Tim Sylvia, after five years of training, Frank received a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from the hands of Ricardo Pires.
Mixed martial arts career
Motorcycle accident
On September 17, 2004, Frank Mir collided with a car on a motorcycle. The world received a fracture of the femur, rupture of all knee ligaments. The bone was broken in two places, but this did not put an end to the fighter's career. The main operation was designed to restore the leg bone. While Mir was recovering, a temporary championship belt was established, which was won by Andrei Arlovsky in a fight against Tim Sylvia. On August 12, 2005, it became known that Mir would not be able to enter the planned battle against Andrei Arlovsky, thanks to which the Belarusian became the absolute champion, and Frank lost any rights to the belt.
Return to the UFC
The world healed a knee injury and returned to the octagon for February 4, 2006. The first opponent after such a long break was Marcio Cruz, who had a 1-0 statistics at the time of the fight. In the third minute of the fight, the referee stopped the fight to find out the severity of the cut on Mir's face. After examination, Frank was asked to continue the fight, to which he agreed. But already at the 5th minute, the referee stopped the fight again, but already to award Cruz's victory by technical knockout
MMA statistics
| Result | Statistics | Rival | Way | Tournament | the date | Round | Time | A place | Notes (edit) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defeat | 16-6 | Junior dos Santos | TKO (strikes) | Ufc 146 | May 26, 2012 | 2 | 3:03 | Las Vegas, Nevada | ||
| Victory | 16-5 | Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira | Pain hold (kimura) | Ufc 140 | 10 December 2011 | 1 | 3:38 | Las Vegas, Nevada | Pain Reception of the Year (2011) | |
| Victory | 15-5 | Roy Nelson | Unanimous decision | Ufc 130 | May 28, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada | ||
| Victory | 14-5 | Mirko Filippovich | Knockout (knee kick) | Ufc 119 | September 25, 2010 | 3 | 4:02 | Indianapolis, Indiana | ||
| Defeat | 13-5 | Shane Carwin | KO (kicks) | UFC 111: Pierre vs. hardy | March 27, 2010 | 2 | 3:48 | Memphis, Tennessee | For the title of the interim championship belt in heavyweight | |
| Victory | 13-4 | Chiyk Congo | Choke hold (Guillotine Choke) | UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez | December 12, 2009 | 1 | 1:12 | Memphis, Tennessee | ||
| Defeat | 12-4 | Brock Lesnar | TKO | UFC 100: Making History | July 11, 2009 | 2 | 1:48 | Las vegas, nevada | For the title of undisputed heavyweight champion | |
| Victory | 12-3 | Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira | TKO | UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 | December 27, 2008 | 2 | 1:57 | Las vegas, nevada | Won interim heavyweight championship belt | |
| Victory | 11-3 | Brock Lesnar | Pain reception (kneebar) | UFC 81: Breaking Point | February 2, 2008 | 1 | 1:30 | Las vegas, nevada | Won the "Painful reception of the evening" award Pain Reception of the Year (2008) | |
| Victory | 10-3 | Anthony Hardonk | Pain hold (kimura) | UFC 74: Respect | August 25, 2007 | 1 | 1:17 | Las vegas, nevada | ||
| Defeat | 9-3 | Brandon Vera | TKO | UFC 65: Bad Intentions | November 18, 2006 | 1 | 1:09 | Sacramento, California | ||
| Victory | 9-2 | Dan Christison | Judges' decision (unanimous) | UFC 61: Bitter Rivals | July 8, 2006 | 3 | 5:00 | Las vegas, nevada | ||
| Defeat | 8-2 | Marcio Cruz | TKO | UFC 57: Liddell vs. Couture 3 | February 4, 2006 | 1 | 4:10 | Las vegas, nevada | First fight after the accident. | |
| Victory | 8-1 | Tim Sylvia | Technical painful hold(armbar) | UFC 48: Payback | June 19, 2004 | 1 | 0:50 | Las vegas, nevada | Heavyweight title fight. The current owner was not ready to defend the belt. | |
| Victory | 7-1 | Wes sims |
The battle of the Russian legend will take place on April 30, 2018 mixed martial arts Fedor Emelianenko and the former UFC champion Frank Mira. Why is an American fighter dangerous for Fedor?
Francisco Santos World III or, as fans know him, Frank Mir - this name is associated with all MMA lovers with the most terrible and spectacular painful holds in MMA in the heavyweight division.
The famous referee Herb Dean recalls that Mir has always seemed to him one of the strongest fighters on the planet. He was present at his fight with Nogueira and there he saw for the first time how a man in the ring was breaking his arm..
Usually the fighter manages to surrender and the painful one does not go so far, but the best jitters in Brazil in the heavyweight division did not want to yield to the American and it ended with a terrible injury for him.
Frank Mir's seriousness is added by the fact that he was the UFC champion and interim UFC heavyweight champion. Frank's track record is truly impressive. He defeated notable fighters such as Tank Abbott, Tim Sylvia, Brock Lesnar, Cheik Kongo, Mirko Cro Cop, Roy Nelson and many others.
Frank Mira biography
He began his career in MMA at the Kempo martial arts school, which was owned by his father. About Jiu-Jitsu 14 summer world found out when he and his father first got to the UFC tournament as spectators.
They were greatly surprised that small and thin Royce Gracie wins with the help of huge painful fighters. From that moment on, Frank's father firmly decided that his son needed to seriously engage in wrestling and then move on to jiu-jitsu. And so it happened, by 2004 Frank Mir became the owner of a black belt in BJJ.
The turning point in his career was a motorcycle accident in 2004. Frank's motorcycle collided with a car at a speed of 70 kilometers per hour, resulting in numerous fractures and lacerations of the thigh ligaments.
Of course, there was no question of going into the cage, but Mir did not give up and decided on a difficult operation, after which he began re-training to return to MMA.
Returning to the UFC was not easy for him and he lost two fights, but in the third he made good kickboxer Anthony Hardock surrender. The most important fight in his career was the meeting with Nogueira, whom he defeated by knockout in the second round. This was the first knockout for the Brazilian and he wanted to revenge this defeat.
The second battle also took place under the dictation of the World and very quickly the Minotaur was on the floor. Frank went to the submission arm - kimura and tried to force the Brazilian to surrender, but he made an attempt to get out of the submission with the help of a somersault. Frank did not let go of his hand and this attempt ended in a fracture.
Why is Frank Mir dangerous for Fedor Emelianenko?
Almost everyone - he is big, hits hard and has the best pain in the heavy weight. The only controversial point is Frank Mira's two-year downtime after the fight with Mark Hunt, to whom he lost by knockout. A prohibited drug, turinobol, was found in the blood of Mir, which caused him to be disqualified for two years. Thus, the fight with Fedor will be the first after the break.
The current Fedor Emelianenko has not shown work in the ground for a long time, so we have no way to assess his level of struggle at the current moment. The last time Fedor performed a pass to the legs back in 2010, since then the Russian prefers to fight in a standing position.
The main disadvantage for Of the last emperor are the dimensions of the American fighter.
Frank Mir is 196 cm tall and weighs 116 kg, which is significantly higher than Fedor's.
Yes, the early Emelianenko defeated more massive fighters, but the current one lost by knockout to Matt Mitrion, who is definitely far from the world level.
conclusions
Who will win this fight? We will not make hasty conclusions, but unfortunately there are not many facts in support of Emelianenko. In any case, we will be rooting for Fedor and wish him victory. And we will find out the winner on April 30th.
Living legend of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Former champion in the heavyweight division, he still holds two organizational records - in the number of victories in his division and the number of painful holds - and this despite the fact that last time The world entered the octagon almost two years ago. In March 2016, Frank lost to another UFC veteran, Mark Hunt. After that, the American was convicted of violating anti-doping rules and suspended from fighting for two years. In the course of lengthy proceedings, the world managed to break the contract with the UFC. He will return to the cage in April 2018, and his next opponent in the Bellator Grand Prix heavyweight quarterfinals will be a Russian.
The world with Russian roots (his father is Russian, born in Cuba), once again arrived in Russia, while as a commentator - he covered the tournament of the domestic promotion Absolute Championship Berkut (ACB) - ACB 77. On the eve of the evening of martial arts, the American spoke with correspondent about the level Russian fighters, bright career episodes and the upcoming fight with Emelianenko.
“What do I like about Russia? Probably nothing "
How do you like the Russian winter?
Yes, in general, nothing surprising. Quite comfortable.
As a Las Vegas native, aren't you afraid of the cold?
Not at all. This is how winter should be.
This is not the first time you come to Russia to comment on the fights of local athletes. How do you rate the level of the ACB fighters?
If we talk about the sports component, then the representatives of this promotion are definitely among the best in the world. Not a single person who is versed in martial arts will dispute this fact. They are less promoted compared to the fighters of other organizations - for several reasons. First, none of them speak English. Secondly, it does not throw mud at rivals, as is customary in the United States in recent times... They are all humble guys, accustomed to doing more than talking.
What do you like best about Russia?
Difficult question. Probably nothing. But not because the country is bad. It's just that, for example, in Moscow I feel exactly the same as in conventional New York. There is nothing unusual in Russia.
Photo: Bradley Kanaris / Getty Images
And yet there are a lot of stereotypes associated with our country. Which one do you think is the most absurd?
That Russian people are unfriendly. Yes, this is perhaps the most absurd.
Was there a stereotype that turned out to be true?
No, I don’t remember those. But the opinion that Russians are unfriendly is really very common in America. I think it's all because of the belonging to different cultures. In the United States, it is customary to smile broadly even at people you see for the first time. In Russia, everything is different. For example, we just met, but you weren't smiling. I'm already used to it - I understand that in Russia it is customary to express feelings differently.
Now you are used to it, but when you came to Russia for the first time, you must have felt uncomfortable?
Naturally. It was weird to interact with people, not completely sure if you understand their body language correctly. But I’m fine - I quickly got used to it.
"Never tried to Google my name"
If you enter "Frank World" into the search box, a list of the most popular queries appears. Admit it, have you ever googled your name?
You may not believe me, but no - not once.
Okay, I believe. Try to guess the most popular query.
Oh, it won't be easy. I will try. Perhaps this is "Frank World's Best Moments"?
Past! In the first place - "Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar." Did you have any special rivalry with him, or is he just one of a long list of opponents?
Brock Lesnar is one of the most popular American wrestlers. Five-time champion WWE continues to this day under the auspices of the organization. In February 2008, Lesnar made his UFC debut with Mir. Frank by that time had managed to survive the takeoff and painful fall (in direct and figuratively). Having started fighting in the UFC in 2001, he became the heavyweight champion in 2004, and in September 2004, Frank was driving his motorcycle in an accident, suffered a fractured femur and ruptured all ligaments in his knee. It took him two years to recover, and he didn’t come back as before. Mir, once considered the organization's most promising fighter, won only two out of four fights, and the fight with Lesnar was decisive for him. As expected, Brock went ahead and came close to winning in the first round. He transferred the fight to the ground, where Mir, known for wrestling skills, caught a less experienced opponent and performed a successful painful leg.
A year later, Mir finished with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, inflicting the first knockout defeat in his career with the Minotaur, and won the right to fight Lesnar in the fight for the UFC heavyweight title. In July 2009, the rivals entered the octagon again. Despite his good form, Mir could not oppose the incredible power of his opponent, losing by TKO in the second round.
Well, I can't say that Brock and I had any particular dislike for each other. In those days, the leadership of the UFC was doing exactly the same thing as it is now - marketing. And the bosses of the promotion managed to make good money on Lesnar and me.
But what about your words that you would like to break his neck? Marketing too?
Exactly. Marketing and nothing else. Moreover, I would love to fight him again - I would find out who is cooler. I think our fight would have caused a great stir.
“I want to fight Brock Lesnar. I hate this man. I want to break his neck. I really want Lesnar to be the first to die from injuries sustained in the Octagon. ”- Frank Mir on a possible rematch with Brock Lesnar. February 2010.
Was Lesnar the toughest opponent of your career?
He was one of the most difficult, that's for sure. But I will put Nogueira at the top of this list. That was really scary. All due to the fact that I did not have any advantage in the fight, on the contrary, I was inferior, and by the time of the fight my jiu-jitsu was far from perfect, and he was already a recognized master. Most of the other fights were different.
So this is your favorite fight? But what about the fight against Tim Sylvia, when you broke his arm in four places?
Yes, I showed character with Nogueira. As for the fight against Sylvia, everything was different there. I succeeded in the pain, he did not want to give up, and I continued to push. Usually, in such a situation, after some time, the opponent's joint flies out, and then returns to its place, most often without consequences. In Sylvia's case, I heard a crunch and assumed it was a joint. It turned out differently. One way or another, when I performed the grip, I did not know that I would break his arm. I didn't want this.
"I'm not afraid of Fedor Emelianenko, but he is very dangerous"
You won a lot of fights, but sometimes you lost (on the account of the World 18 victories with 11 defeats - approx. "Lenta.ru"). Who of the defeating opponents would you like to face right now?
Perhaps not with anyone. At the moment, I am one hundred percent concentrated on the upcoming fight with Fedor Emelianenko. I'm really looking forward to this meeting, I'm not thinking about anything else now.
Are you afraid of Fedor?
No, but Emelianenko is dangerous. He is still explosive, his punches are still fast. Yes, in recent fights Fedor had problems, but not because he got old or lost, but because his rivals were lucky in something. And everyone has a special attitude towards Emelianenko.
Recently, Emelianenko, known for his wrestling skills, rarely transfers his opponents to the ground - they say, because of back problems. Are you going to focus on wrestling?
I would not say that Fedor gave up wrestling altogether, his sambo is still impressive. He is very good at sweeping. If I am not mistaken, then in last battles Emelianenko made several takedowns. Fedor was never distinguished by a frequent change of "number of storeys" in the course of fights. In addition, he rarely uses wrestling simply because he went out on high level boxing - his striking technique is good, and Emelianenko relies on it. He has achieved great success in beating opponents, he does not need to fight.
"It was very difficult after the accident"
Let's talk about starting your career. Your family is closely connected with martial arts (Frank's father owned a martial arts school, in which Mir Jr. took his first sports steps - approx. "Lenta.ru"). Did you have a chance not to become an athlete?
Probably not. But, you know, if I had been given a chance to return to the past, I would not have become an athlete. Would prefer to go to law school and become a lawyer.
I like to talk, to argue, I like to use brains for their intended purpose. It seems to me that this work is similar to martial arts - intellectual martial arts.
But you still became a fighter. Do you like hitting other people?
The beauty of martial arts is not that you beat another. This is a way to test yourself - your character, will and strength. One of the most effective ways. This is what I love - to challenge myself and deal with them.
It was very hard. Whenever you fail to achieve something quickly, you get stressed. It was just such a case. I got better and worse. In situations like this, bad thoughts come to mind. Keeping calm and continuing to move towards your goal is what you need to do. But doubts still prevail.
Are you a patient person?
Overall, I am quite patient. This is what helped me after the injury.
Aren't you afraid to drive after what happened?
For some time after the accident, he was terribly afraid. Then he pulled himself together and realized that everyone has their own destiny. You need to accept it.
Frank Is Mir really afraid of anything?
Sharks. I am terribly afraid of these creatures.
Swimming in the ocean is probably not for you?
No, sharks are all I think about. Maybe I can still enter the sea. Dead, for example - it seems too salty for sharks.
I saw your photo with my daughter on Twitter. Is she going to follow in your footsteps?
Yes, she likes martial arts. I try with all my might to dissuade her, to direct her energy to study at school, but she does an excellent job on all fronts. So at some point I gave up and started helping her with training.
But do you disapprove of her hobbies?
It does not matter. Of course, as a father, I am worried - after all, this is a sport, anything can happen here, of which only injuries are worth. But I think people should follow their heart. If my daughter likes martial arts, I have no right to take away her dream.
You are a father of many children, you and your wife Jennifer have four children (three in common, one from your wife's previous marriage, but Mir raised the boy as his own - approx. "Lenta.ru"). Are the others unwilling to follow your example?
Fortunately, other kids don't show much interest in MMA. My two sons, for example, are seriously into American football - they sleep and see themselves in the National Football League.
Frank Mir (real name Francisco Mir III (May 24, 1979) - American MMA fighter. Currently in the UFC heavyweight. He is a former UFC heavyweight champion and former UFC interim champion. The world currently holds the record in the number of wins and the number of painful heavyweight. Considered one of the best grapplers in the history of UFC heavyweight, along with “Minotauro” Nogueira and Fabricio Werdum. The world is the only person who managed to knock out and suppress Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
Since childhood, Frank knew what martial arts was, because his father was the head of a martial arts school in Las Vegas. Mira's father was a fighter, played a big role in the subsequent career of his son.
Prior to joining the UFC, Frank worked in one of the nightclubs as a bouncer, where he was noticed by the UFC matchmaker, Joe Silva.
Frank Mir's debut in the UFC took place in 2001, his opponent was Roberto Traven, who was a four-time world champion in Jiu-Jitsu. But, despite all the experience of the enemy, Frank in the first minute of the fight was able to carry out a painful hold, which was called the best of the evening. This was followed by another victory over the previously undefeated Pete Uiyalyams, Mir won the fight by submission again in the first round.
Frank Mir received his first defeat in the UFC in a duel against British fighter Ian Freeman. This was followed by 3 victories in a row, and access to the championship fight with Tim Sylvia.
The spectators did not have time to enjoy the spectacle, since not even a minute had passed from the start of the fight, as the fight was stopped by the referee. As it turned out, Sylvia's arm was broken, as it turned out later, in four places. Although Tim was ready to continue to fight, the fight was still stopped and the victory was awarded to Frank Mir. That evening he became the Jiu-Jitsu champion and black belt.
Due to an accident that occurred in September 2004, where Frank's motorcycle collided with a passenger car, he could not continue fighting. While the American champion was undergoing treatment, the management of the promotion created a temporary championship belt, which was won by Andrei Arlovsky. In 2005, Mir was never able to enter the ring against Orlovsky, so he lost all rights to the championship belt, and “Pitbull” became its absolute owner.
A year later, Frank returns to the ring, but not at all the flamboyant fighter he was before the accident. He has several fights that he mostly loses, which leads to disappointment and harsh criticism from fans.
Already in 2007, Frank Mir, fortunately, his fans are getting into the appropriate shape and returning to the ring as the "old" Frank. Fights a number of bouts, including a victorious bout with Brock Lesnar, which lead him to fight for the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship. The world fought with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and won by technical knockout.
UFC 100 hosted title fight in the UFC heavyweight division between Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar, and Mir lost by TKO in this rematch.
This was followed by a victory over Cheik Kongo, and a knockout defeat to Shane Karvin in a fight for the title of interim UFC heavyweight champion. After that Mir won 3 fights in a row, finishing ahead of time Mirko Crocop and Antonio “Minotauro” Nogueira, and defeating Roy Nelson by decision.
Mir went to the title against Junior Dos Santos, and was defeated by knockout. After that, the ex-champion lost 3 more fights in a row - to Daniel Cormier, Josh Barnett and Alistair Overeem.
After losing to Overeem, Mir returned to the cage a year later and fought Antonio Silva, knocking out the Brazilian and earning the Performance of the Night bonus. IN next fight The world again received a bonus for a knockout victory over Todd Duffy.
In September last year, Mir met in a cage with Andrei Arlovsky, and lost by decision. Mir's last fight to date was held in March against Mark Hunt and lost by TKO. After the fight, Mir failed a doping test, although the athlete denies that he took illegal substances.
Mir is currently working as a commentator for the growing Absolute Championship Berkut (ACB) promotion.