UFC Fight Night 85 Date: March 16, 2016 Arena: Brisbane Entertainment Centre City: Brisbane, Australia Heavyweight bout: Frank Mir (+140) vs Mark Hunt (-160) Fight Breakdown: The main event for Australia’s UFC Fight Night 85 will be a heavyweight affair between Frank Mir and Mark Hunt, with Mir being the betting underdog at +140 ($100 to win $140) and Hunt being favored to win at -160 ($160 to win $100) at Several Bookmakerss. Frank Mir(18-10 MMA, 16-10 UFC) last saw action at UFC 191, where he dropped a controversial unanimous decision to Andrei Arlovski, snapping a two-fight winning streak that consisted of two first round knockouts, over Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and Todd Duffee, respectively. Mir owns a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is exceptionally talented on the mat, having arguably the most dangerous offensive submission game in the heavyweight division (Fabricio Werdum unquestionable is the most dangerous heavyweight off his back, offensive I think it’s a toss up between him and Mir). He is a very serious threat any time the fight hits the mat, and the fact that he owns 50% of his professional mixed martial arts victories by submission reflects that sentiment. Even at 36-years of age, Mir continues to improve as a mixed martial artist, as he has recently made major improvements in his striking, and though his cardio did not look to be exactly on point in his last outing against Arlovski, he appears to be in great shape heading into Saturday night’s contest. Should this fight hit the judges’ scorecards for a decision, I believe Mir will have enough in the tank for the full five. Mark Hunt (11-10-1 MMA, 6-4-1 UFC) is coming off a UFC 193 first round TKO win over Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, in what was a rematch of arguably the best heavyweight fight in UFC history. Hunt is a Samoan kickboxer who was born in New Zealand and currently resides in Australia, which he proudly calls home. He is a very talented and powerful striker who throws heavy hands and kicks; as Joe Rogan puts it, “he has tree trunks for legs!” The 41-year-old’s takedown defense has improved and is solid, but his submission defense, while also improved, remains a concern, and will be one in this bout against Mir, who is arguably the biggest submission threat in the UFC’s heavyweight division. Hunt, like in any of his bouts, will be preferring to keep things on the feet. The PRIDE veteran has solid cardio for a heavyweight and I think he will have enough gas in the tank for a full 25-minutes of action, should this contest hit the judges’ scorecards for a decision. Gabe’s Call: Mir by Submission (kneebar, 1:24 round 1) Gabe’s Thoughts: I think Mir has more routes to victory in this contest and think Mir by submission is the most likely outcome. If this fight was taking place a few years ago, I believe Mir would be a massive favorite. Strangely enough, Mir is actually better now than he was a few years ago, so the fact that he is currently an underdog makes me love him for a play in this spot. Gabe’s Recommended Play: Mir (+140) 3u to win 4.2u
