Frank Mir is on the verge of a fight that could very well define his career, but he's already fought the battle that may end up defining his legacy.
As a young fighter coming up through the ranks, Mir was one of the most promising prospects, destroying older and more experienced opponents. Then his near-deadly motorcycle accident kept him out of the cage for almost two years, but the mental effects lasted much longer. He came back to the Octagon three times in 2006 and, winning only one of those contests, he looked like a shadow of his former self. It was as if the Frank Mir we had known did in fact die in the accident, and questions loomed about whether or not Frank still had what it takes.
It was at this point when Mir realized he hit rock-bottom and had what he describes as an awakening. He got serious about training and about winning. And at UFC 74, against Antoni Hardonk his career had a resurgence. He submitted Hardonk in the first round, likening back to the glory days of a once-great fighter and shouted to a awe-stricken crowd, "Now you'll see Frank Mir!"
His war path continued -- the next victim Brock Lesnar. And after that, the immortal Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
His victory over Lesnar however was marred in question when a controversial call by referee Steve Mazzagatti changed the course of that fight -a trend that will likely follow him long past his days in the Octagon.
Mir will get the opportunity to definitively end the Brock Lesnar discussion at UFC 100, but no matter what happens on July 11, he'll never be able to answer one question: what could have been?
Even if Mir submits Lesnar again and wins the undisputed heavyweight championship and heroically defends his belt, there will always be a degree of uncertainty about the heights he could have reached. It's an almost mystical element that lifts men to a godly stature. It leaves our imaginations free to do what we please -it's an athlete's worst nightmare and takes away what we love about sports, but sometimes fantasy can be better than reality.
Source: UFC
