Frank Mir
Age: 38
Nationality: American
MMA Record: 18-11
Bellator Record: Promotional Debut
Notable Wins: Antonio Silva, Brock Lesnar, Roy Nelson, Mirko Cro Cop
Notable Losses: Mark Hunt, Alistair Overeem, Josh Barnett, Daniel Cormier, Junior dos Santos
Last Fight: KO loss to Mark Hunt
Fighter Profile: A former UFC heavyweight champion, Mir will one day be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. He’s been one of the top heavyweight grapplers to ever compete in the sport and also has shown knockout power throughout his career. Mir has fought the best of the best for nearly 20 years in the UFC, and now makes his Bellator debut after serving a two-year USADA suspension. The long layoff is a concern considering Mir is getting up there in age and his chin is no longer able to withstand shots. His conditioning has also been questionable in recent years as he’s really gained quite a bit of weight. Mir has been one of the best heavyweights ever, but his time as an elite big man is likely over. Having said that, it will be curious to see how he fares in his Bellator debut against Fedor.
Fedor Emelianenko
Age: 41
Nationality: Russian
MMA Record: 36-5, 1 NC
Bellator Record: 1-0
Notable Wins: Andrei Arlovski, Mark Hunt, Mirko Cro Cop
Notable Losses: Matt Mitrione, Antonio Silva, Dan Henderson, Fabricio Werdum
Last Fight: KO loss to Matt Mitrione
Fighter Profile: One of the greatest fighters in MMA history, Fedor is nearing the end of his storied career, and will look to end it on a high note by winning the Bellator heavyweight grand prix. The legend returned from retirement in 2015 and quickly won two fights in Russia before being signed by Bellator, but he ws brutally knocked out by Matt Mitrione in his debut. That’s the problem with Fedor these days — his chin just can’t handle the punches it used to. That being said, Fedor is still dangerous with his punching power and is still quick for a heavyweight. He likely doesn’t have too many fights left in his career but let’s see if he has enough left in the tank to take home one more tournament title to end his storied career.
Fight Breakdown: This fight obviously would have been much more interesting 10 years ago, but I still like the matchup. Though Fedor and Mir are on the downside of their careers, both guys still match up pretty well here and should make for an entertaining bout as long as it lasts. That being said, I favor Fedor in this fight. Even though he was knocked out by Mitrione in his last fight he has still been pretty successful in the last few years and he has also been actively competing unlike Mir, who hasn’t fought in over two years. Mir’s ground game has always been his best attribute but Fedor is very good on the ground hmself, so I expect this fight to take place primarily on the feet where I give Fedor the edge in speed and power. I have never liked Mir’s chin and even though Fedor’s chin isn’t good either I still think Fedor beats Mir to the punch and knocks him out.
Prediction: Fedor Emelianenko via TKO
