Frank Mir

Frank Mir is a former two-time UFC heavyweight champion and is one of only two men to finish fellow former champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in a fight. At UFC 48: Payback in 2004, Mir faced Tim Sylvia for the vacant UFC Heavyweight Championship and broke Sylvia’s right forearm with a straight armbar, with referee Herb Dean stopping the fight 50 seconds into the first round. Mir invited former WWE wrestler Brock Lesnar to the octagon on February 2, 2008, at UFC 81, for Lesnar’s widely awaited debut. At 1:30 of the first round, Mir caught Lesnar with a kneebar, forcing him to tap out. Mir earned the honor of Submission of the Night.

In 2011, Mir faced Roy Nelson and won via dominant unanimous decision, but suffered a broken jaw and a broken rib during the bout and was forced out of the sport until late 2011. After recovering, Mir fought Nogueira. Mir locked up a fight-ending kimura, snapping Noguiera’s arm with a historical submission. At the post-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White referred to it as the “submission of the century.” In 2012, Mir faced Brazilian Junior dos Santos for the UFC Heavyweight Championship, losing the fight via TKO in the second round.

Mir revealed on August 16, 2017, that he had signed a multi-fight contract with Bellator MMA. On October 25, 2019, in the main event of Bellator 231, Mir fought Roy Nelson in a rematch of their 2011 UFC fight. He was declared the winner by a unanimous vote. Mir made his pro wrestling debut on March 17 2019 with a victory against Dan Severn, a former UFC Superfight Champion and former NWA World Heavyweight Champion. In 2021, Mir announced his intention to enter professional boxing with a bout against former IBF cruiserweight champion Steve Cunningham.