Frank Mir on Couture, Nogueira, Rogan, Fedor, Lesnar, Silva and More

Frank Mir is, in addition to being one of the best heavyweights in mixed martial arts, also one of the best analysts of mixed martial arts. And in an interview with Raw Vegas TV, he had plenty to say about subjects ranging from the Randy Couture vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira fight at UFC 102 to his anger at Joe Rogan's comments during that fight. Also, he discussed his UFC 100 fight with Brock Lesnar, Fedor Emelianenko's decision not to fight in the UFC and a possible fight between Mir and UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Video and quotes are below.

Mir on why he wouldn't fight Couture: "I look up to him and I have a certain viciousness to the way I fight. ... I don't know if I could go into the ring with the same kind of viciousness against Randy. I have so much respect for him. ... I think he's a hero. I look up to him in a lot of ways."

Mir on Rogan saying Nogueira had a staph infection when Mir beat him: "Rogan's making excuses for certain fighters, for why they performed badly. ... Every fighter has reasons we don't perform at 100%. As fans, we don't want to hear heroes and warriors complain that they almost died of staph. I think that's pretty sad and pathetic."

Mir on trying to earn a third fight with Lesnar: "We're 1-1 against each other. He had a lack of experience his first fight in the UFC, and I was able to capitalize on that. He was smarter than me. He made up a lot of ground on technique and while he's not more technical than I am, he was able to learn enough technique to take advantage of his athletic ability. He made much better improvements than I did. He beat me fair and square. ... The next time we fight each other I can also improve upon why I lost last time."

Mir on Fedor signing with Strikeforce and M-1 Global instead of the UFC: "His management team, I think, is the reason he can't do what he wants to do. ... I think everybody, every morning should wake up with something to prove. The minute you think you don't think you have something to prove, retire, go home and disappear."

Mir on possibly fighting Silva: "Anderson Silva is one of the best fighters pound-for-pound in the world. I would have a size advantage on him but I'd want to fight him with a lot of skill. I want to be in the Octagon with him. Some of the things he does seem like they're being scripted, they're so unbelievable. I would love to be able to face him."

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

9-01-2009 @ 2:27PM

Eric said...

Though I often find Frank quite obnoxious, I agree with his comments in this interview.

Credit is being taken away from Frank regarding his fight with Big Nog. IMO, if Big Nog shows up to fight, he should take responsibility for his performance. If you're too sick to fight, don't show up.

It would be interesting to see Anderson fight a heavyweight. He is just as big as Randy & Cro-cop ... why not?

9-01-2009 @ 2:54PM

daddyr9 said...

Yes, I agree...
Frank can sometimes be obnoxious but, this time he is acting like a class act!

9-01-2009 @ 3:14PM

richardbikle said...

frank is good at critizing everybody and everything except the only subject that matters, himself.

9-02-2009 @ 8:55AM

neozoo said...

hey richard,
i want to thank you for answering my post in the other section which is obviously is too big to keep up with. it's kind of funny how that got taken over by non mma people.
i really do appreciate that you cared enough to want to further your opinion and that you were indeed being honest.
i think we can continue that discussion soon, where it's not being hijacked by others.
there are definately some issues there that might be interesting and fun to further discuss, as we seemingly are at least not too far off in our thoughts and our ability to express them. perhaps that part(our ability to express) is most important for intelligent exchange.

i have to run off to work, so i look for your response later...
once again, my friend, thanks for your reply and opinion.

9-01-2009 @ 3:50PM

fishonjohnson said...

Frank Mir is awesome, A true class act.Tattoos are lame.

9-01-2009 @ 4:01PM

johnnynumber5 said...

Noguiera himself said he wasn't making any excuses or taking away from what Mir did against him the octagon. But, the truth is the truth and that is that Noguiera had a staph infection, torn minescus in his knee and a back injury. No made any excuses for that loss in the least bit.

9-01-2009 @ 4:14PM

Hmmm ... so they can list a bunch of excuses, then say they aren't making excuses??

Personally, I don't think Big Nog looked that good. Randy just looked worse. God only knows why Randy didn't use his Greco to pin Nog against the cage and dirty box? I guarantee it would have been effective.

9-01-2009 @ 5:46PM

xandxxx said...

Frank Mir used to be a class act.
After he beat Nog, he's been acting really pathetic.

He claims the following now:
1) He is a martial artist at core
-then join strikeforce and get KTFO by Fedor
2) I can beat Fedor
- he started saying this after the Nog fight what a chump
3) Lesnar is better than Fedor
- he started saying this after he took a beating from lesnar
4) I can beat Lesnar if we fight again
- LAME!

So what is Frank Mir? An insecure, self-pristine, excuse-making, annoying, UFC slave.

Frank USED TO BE a class act when he beat Lesnar and was prepping up for Nog.

9-01-2009 @ 6:44PM

mitch said...

What a tool. I cant stand to hear that guy talk. I should have just read it. What an absolute ego maniac.

9-01-2009 @ 11:46PM

vipmarketinginc said...

Frank, stop the thought about Silva. You out weigh him by 50 pounds. Can you be the Heavy weight champ or not? You know you fought like crap against Lesnar. I think you can beat him if you fought any where near your potential. Start kicking some heavey weight ass and get your belt back. Doesn't any one in the heavy's have balls any more? Or just drop 50 pounds and grow some to feight Silva for his belt.

9-02-2009 @ 4:41AM

winky87 said...

Mir has become one of my favorites lately, but he reminds me of some of my buddies who just jokingly bust each other about how great they are and are talking themselves up. I would think that deep down he now realizes that Big Nog wasn't 100%, even if he thinks he would've beat him regardless of his condition.

The joke about dying of staph infection was unnecessary, because some people really do die from that sort of thing, and that's the reason Nog was put in the hospital-to make sure he was taken care of correctly.

Mir is a great fighter and should just focus on strength training and putting on some solid pounds of muscle and then taking on all comers until he wins his way to his next title shot against a huge fighter who is probably also going to have to cut weight to make 265.

9-02-2009 @ 5:56AM

claytor said...

Funny, i recall Frank making the same excuses when Brandon Vera knocked the hell out of him.

Ohhhhhhh, my leg, im not "all the way back", im not "100%".

Weh.

He wont fight Randy, because Randy would beat him. He wants to fight Brock because he has complete respect for the other fighters ranked higher than him now, and have earned a title shot before him. But hey, only Frank can beat the guy.

For a guy who couldve died on a Las Vegas street, he makes death jokes pretty easily.

If he wants to talk down Fedor so badly, and wants to prove himself so much, let the UFC contract expire and GO WHERE FEDOR IS. After all, isnt that what these so called awesome HWs in the UFC have been trying to do while Fedor was in PRIDE for years? YEARS.

Couldve fought him anytime. Brock was even in K-1, the sister organization, and bailed for the new WWE.

Franks a blowhard, whos mouth has more "skill" than his MMA, apparently. Apologize to Vera now, clownhole. No excuses...right? Does anyone believe Mirs legacy even comes close to Antonios?

9-02-2009 @ 11:05AM

what gets me is he says lesnar doesnt have his (mir's) technical level, yet mir was in two basic wrestling moves, a turk and a shoulder crank, and couldnt avoid them or escape. he just wolnt give lesnar his due, and lesnar has dominated him twice.

9-02-2009 @ 11:11AM

neo, glad you got the reply. i'm not politically correct but i have my reasoning. i'm not a hater on anyone, but i don't give any free passes on behavior. i'm really stoked to have you and some of the other guys to talk with, this is the only mma site i chat on.