Frank Mir ran into some problems in his last fight against Junior dos Santos, getting knocked out during the second round of their UFC 146 encounter. He currently has his sights set on another heavyweight champion, and he'll temporarily head over to Strikeforce to face Daniel Cormier in the promotion's final heavyweight fight. The two are expected to meet on Sept. 26, at the Power Balance Pavilion in Sacramento, Calif.
UFC president Dana White confirmed the fight during an interview with USA Today.
"There has been a lot of speculation as to who Cormier would fight next, and this is the fight that makes the most sense," White said. "The reality is, Cormier is one of the best heavyweights in the world. He just won the grand prix and beat Josh Barnett. He needs to fight opponents of that caliber, and Frank Mir is that guy."
Cormier put on an impressive performance in his last fight against Josh Barnet, dominating "The Warmaster" during the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Final. With the win against Barnett, he's clearly the most promising heavyweight on the Strikeforce roster.
The fight between the two is really for bragging rights, considering the fact both men will head over to the UFC's heavyweight division after the fight.
Mir is the more experienced MMA fighter between the two, but Cormier has the tools needed to defeat him. Like dos Santos, Cormier is a decent boxer, and his takedown defense is pretty solid. Mir would have the advantage if the fight went to the canvas, but taking Cormier to the ground - and keeping him there - won't be an easy task.
A fight between Mir and Cormier should be quite entertaining, and it'll be interesting to see how the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix champion deals with his first UFC caliber opponent. Given what I've seen from Cormier in the past, I expect him to fit in nicely with the big boys in the UFC's heavyweight division.
David is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and boxing practitioner that has watched and studied MMA for the past 7 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter and check out his blog.
Sources:
John Morgan, "Former UFC champ Mir books Strikeforce fight vs. Cormier"
Fight and fighter information from Sherdog.com
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