After failing a test and subsequent failure of his B sample in a in-competition drug test (allegedly courtesy of tainted kangaroo meat), former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir has been suspended for two years as of this past April. As part of the deal, he was apparently also stripped of any commentary opportunities he might have had. In an interview Tuesday on the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, he provided some insight on what he plans to do next since he will be unable to do what he loves most.
(Interview begins at around 3:08:20)
“Well as of right now USADA… I have the two year suspension starting in April, so I guess in April of 2018 I’d be available to fight again in the UFC, and even more as troubling as that is they also have it to where I can’t do any broadcasting. Not that I was gonna get in there, because I’ve been asking for several years since the WEC to be put into rotation, and now, you know, it looks like they still won’t. Now they have more reason to not put me in the rotation so, right now maybe possible being released by the UFC so I can go off and pursue my career in other avenues.”
When asked by Helwani if he had any plans to appeal the test results or the decision, Mir seemed to not wish to fight another uphill battle with few possibilities for a favorable conclusion.
“I didn’t see any advantage, I didn’t see really a course of action that would have been conclusive or really had any percentages as far as my side to be able to win. Basically you know, they came and grabbed the supplements – and at first I was under the impression that they were gonna test them – and then they notified me that ‘No,’ just kind of right along the thought process that when they said that I could be present when the B sample was was opened in the same lab again, in Tokyo. But, it would be my responsibility to get down there. That’s when I brought up again ‘Well, why don’t you guys send it to a lab here in the U.S. that’s WADA approved that’s a little bit easier, more convenient for me to attend? It would accomplish many goals. 1, it would be a different lab technician different lab, completely, working on the sample, and B, (sic) little bit easier for me to get to Salt Lake City or whatnot than it is for me to get to to Tokyo.’
“And so, even with the samples they said ‘Well, we collected them but it’s up to you. If you want to test them, you have to foot the bill and pay for it out of pocket.’ Same with getting an attorney to represent me. It started looking very expensive for me to fight, and at the end of the day it was, I’m still suspended. I’m not allowed to fight or broadcast, I’m gonna have to think about my savings as something I have to sit back on and I have children. So I had to make a calculated decision to go ahead and forgo trying to battle it anymore. And basically now just even if it was a reduced sentence of only one year, I have children that are very active and are in private school and different endeavors, and fighting and no kind of work whatsoever for a year, let alone two years it’s not feasible. So hopefully the UFC then you know, would just release me so I can go off and follow broadcasting and fighting in different avenues.”
While he has stated his intentions to the UFC, he has not been given word on whether or not he will get his wish or even what direction they’re leaning in regarding the matter. Time will tell how this ends for both parties.
It is of note that Frank Mir is currently 5-6 since 2010 and is coming off his second consecutive loss with his last fight being against Mark Hunt. He’s 37 years old and has been fighting professionally since 2001.
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