Age: 30 (Born May 24, 1979)
Nickname: N/A – although we propose “No Fear”
Height: 6 ft 3 in
Weight: 250 lbs
Reach: 79.0 in
Fighting Style: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai
Fighting Out Of: Las Vegas, NV
Affiliation: New Affiliation with Team Sityodtong
Weight Class: Heavyweight (above 205 lbs)
Professional Debut: 2001
Organizations Fought In: UFC, IFC, Hook-N-Shoot
Fight Odds: -220 (subject to change)
Fight Odds Movement: N/A – lines released for this fight less than 24 hours ago
Overall Record: 12-4
Record in Last 5 fights: 3-2
Record in Major Organizations of MMA: 10-4
Last Fight: def. by Brock Lesnar (-230) via KO (Punches) – Round 2, 1:48 – UFC 100, July 11, 2009
Notable Wins: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Brock Lesnar, Tim Sylvia
Notable Losses: Brock Lesnar, Brandon Vera, Marcio Cruz, Ian Freeman
Interesting Trivia: Mir has never successfully defended his two UFC Heavyweight titles – vacated first title after motorcycle accident, lost unification match to Brock Lesnar after beating Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for interim title (second).
MMA Accomplishments: Two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion
Non-MMA Accomplishments: Kenpo Karate black belt, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Ricardo Pires, Nevada state high school wrestling champion
Strengths: Strong Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, adequate wrestling, improved striking as shown against a depleted Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Keys to Victory: Ignore any desire to trade with his opponent standing, work the takedown, and turn the fight into a grappling affair. Mir’s a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, while Kongo is still a work in progress on the mat. Although Mir’s cardio has continued to improve since returning from his motorcycle accident, his chiseled opponent will likely have an edge in conditioning, so it’ll be in Mir’s best interest to try to end the fight as quickly as possible. Kongo should be looking to avoid the ground like the plague; once Mir eventually gains dominant position on the canvas it could end quickly. Mir has stated a desire to become bigger and more powerful in wake of his loss to Brock Lesnar – it’ll be interesting to see how Mir balanced becoming more powerful with maintaining adequate conditioning for this fight.
* Versus *
Age: 34 (Born May 17, 1975)
Nickname: King Kongo
Height: 6 ft 4 in
Weight: 235 lbs
Reach: 82.0 in
Fighting Style: Muay Thai
Fighting Out Of: Paris, France
Affiliation: Wolfslair MMA Academy
Weight Class: Heavyweight (above 205 lbs)
Professional Debut: 2001
Organizations Fought In: UFC, RINGS Holland, King of the Ring, It’s Showtime
Fight Odds: +180 (subject to change)
Fight Odds Movement: N/A – lines released for this fight less than 24 hours ago
Overall Record: 14-5-1
Record in Last 5 fights: 3-2
Record in Major Organizations of MMA: 7-3
Last Fight: def. by Cain Velasquez (-200) via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) – UFC 99: Franklin vs. Silva, June 13, 2009
Notable Wins: Mirko Filipovic (Cro Cop), Assuerio Silva
Notable Losses: Cain Velasquez, Heath Herring, Carmelo Marrero, Gilbert Yvel
Interesting Trivia: Kongo is a former champion Savate practitioner – a form of kickboxing where fighters still wear shoes.
MMA Accomplishments: 2005 Rings World champion, 2004 King of the Ring Heavyweight champion
Non-MMA Accomplishments: 2004 Muay Thai World champion, European Savate champion (French boxing)
Strengths: Muay Thai and kickboxing, heavy hands, above average conditioning, survival instincts when in trouble, improving ground game
Keys to Victory: Maintain distance from Mir and turn the fight into a glorified kickboxing match. Kongo has some of the best hands and feet in the UFC Heavyweight division, and his success in the fight will likely depend upon his ability to fight to his strengths. He needs to avoid the ground at all costs – Mir’s strengths lie primarily in his ground attack (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt) and he’ll likely looking to put Kongo on his back at his earliest opportunity. Kongo should have the advantage standing due to his hand speed and reach advantage, and, if he can maintain distance, stuff the takedown attempts, and get back to his feet when taken down, he may have a shot at pulling the upset.
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