Frank Mir needed a big win to get back on form after struggling against Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin, and this UFC legend was the perfect person to do that against.
One year after he shockingly submitted Brock Lesnar, Frank Mir was knocked out by the former WWE Champion in the rematch at UFC 100.
While he submitted one of the top French fighters in Cheick Kongo, a first-round knockout loss to Shane Carwin knocked him back down to earth and had Mir questioning his place at the top of the Heavyweight division.
He took the loss hard and challenged a UFC and PRIDE legend in a fight that gave Mir one of his most spectacular finishes.
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Frank Mir knocked out Mirko Cro Cop with a brutal knee strike
After being knocked out cold by Carwin’s ground-and-pound offense as Lesnar watched on in the crowd, Mir was looking to build himself back up with a fight against a legend of the octagon.
UFC 119 saw the promotion debut in Indiana, with Mir the headline act as he took on Mirko Cro Cop in a blockbuster heavyweight bout.
Cro Cop was drafted in as a late replacement for Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the main event, and he kept Mir at bay for the first two rounds in what many fans labelled a boring fight.
However, things heated up in the third round. The pair grappled up against the cage as Mir had Cro Cop in a clinch, before he unleashed an almighty knee that collided with the Croatian’s forehead with laser-guided accuracy.
Cro Cop fell to the ground, knocked out instantly as Mir mounted him and began to unload a flurry of fists, as the referee pulled him off to protect the fallen fighter.
Usually seen as a submission specialist, Mir had become an elite striker later in his career, although that would be his last knockout win for five years.
Brock Lesnar refused a third fight against Frank Mir
The second Lesnar loss was a turning point for Mir, who saw his status as a top Heavyweight soon dwindle as a new star was made in the former WWE star.
Their series ended with a victory each, Mir winning the first and Lesnar coming out on top in the rematch, as the question of a rubber match loudly beckoned.
Mir seemed keen on the bout, but later revealed in an interview on Insight with Chris Van Vliet that Lesnar didn’t want the third fight, based on how Mir responded to him after the rematch.
He said: “No. Not on his radar, I guess, just that he doesn’t want to do it. When you’re the A-side, he’s the draw money-wise; he gets to make more of the calls.
“From what I was told, because of the way I responded after the second fight, he truly felt that I was a little off.
“I think in Lesnar’s mind, like, ‘How can you want to fight me again? You know, people don’t. So, there’s something wrong with you.’ I think it kind of made him uneasy.”
With Mir now retired and Lesnar back in the WWE, the chances of a third fight seem to be zero. However, their rivalry has continued through their daughters, who seem to want to fight to continue their father’s legacy.