Frank Mir Has Priorities Straight Heading into UFC 146

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Updated:: Mar 1, 2018
Original:: May 24, 2012

Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir knows what happens when a fighter fails to tap to a vicious submission. However, that's not what Mir is trying to accomplish when he steps inside the Octagon.

This Saturday night, Mir will look to wear the UFC heavyweight title once again when he meets Junior dos Santos in the main event of UFC 146. The card takes place live on pay-per-view from Las Vegas.

Late in 2011, Mir was paired up with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for a second match. Mir locked in an kimura, which Nogueira regfused to tap to, and suffered a broken arm in the process. That was never the outcome Mir was seeking.

"Honestly, I don't like the face that Nogueira didn't tap and got an arm broken," said Mir, in a recent interview with MMAJunkie.com. "He looked very sharp in that fight. I think it would have made me look better had he tapped and went on and had another two or three wins."

Nogueira is a mentor to dos Santos, which has been made a key story topic this week. Mir said, "If I grab him and he doesn't tap, it's going to make me a little upset. I don't want to have to break his arm."

Mir is 16-5 in his career and 14-5 in UFC fights. Dos Santos is 14-1, and a perfect 8-0 inside the Octagon.