UFC 130 fight card: Frank Mir vs Roy Nelson winner could earn the next heavyweight title shot

by Thomas Myers on May 28, 2011 10:13 AM EDT in UFC News

While several of the best heavyweights in the world battle it out in another Zuffa-owned promotion at the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament to determine who is the best, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has two "big" fights planned that it hopes will do the same.

One of them, Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson, takes place tonight (May 28, 2011) at UFC 130: "Rampage vs. Hamill" from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The other, Junior dos Santos vs. Shane Carwin, which takes place in a few weeks at UFC 131, will serve as a number one contender eliminator bout, the winner of which will earn the right to challenge the recovering division champion, Cain Velasquez, later this year.

Or maybe not, if the injury bug keeps biting, making the co main event tonight perhaps a little more significant than "just another bump up the ladder" for the eventual winner.

In fact, it could mean a title shot.

It wouldn't be the first time for Mir, a two-time heavyweight champion who has also competed in an eliminator bout, and lost, to Carwin back in March 2010.

He's fresh of a vicious knockout of Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 119; however, the stoppage, which happened with one minute remaining in the third round, was the only highlight in an otherwise horrible fight.

Nelson, meanwhile, is looking to rebound from a decision loss to dos Santos, during which he was completely outclassed and bludgeoned for 15 minutes. He's got great wins over Brendan Schaub and Stefan Struve, both finishes, but his work-to-date is far from title worthy.

Nonetheless, it's the current state of affairs in the UFC heavyweight division. The only other meaningful heavyweight fight out there right now is Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira taking on Schaub at UFC 134 later this year.

Ideally, the winner of the fight tonight between Mir and Nelson would battle the winner of the fight between Nogueira and Schaub to determine the next division contender.

However, as we all know, the the best laid heavyweight plans of Dana White and Joe Silva often go astray, giving the winner of the UFC 130 co main event this evening an outside chance on a possible title shot.

Unless, Alistair Overeem and the heavy hitters over in Strikeforce have something to say about it.

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Both of em have 0 chance

against JDS, Cain or Carwin.

Conan : You are known as a striker. Is that correct? Tell me what that means.
Chuck : Well I like to punch people, or kick them.

by DAFTMANIA on May 28, 2011 10:33 AM EDT reply actions

If Mir was to try his Jits against Carwin he might have a chance.

Or try to wear him down over a few rounds. But his gameplan of trying to out muscle him and box with him was his undoing. Just plain stupid.

by jestermarcus on May 28, 2011 11:32 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Don't forget trying to block Carwin's punches with his face.

by jewjiffshoes on May 28, 2011 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Trying?

That’s the only thing he did well in that fight. Not one punch from Carwin got past Mir’s face. Excellent, if not unorthodox, defense on Mir’s part I’d say.

by jestermarcus on May 28, 2011 12:41 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

And there is the state of the UFC heavyweight division

One of these guys could be challenging for the belt. Would you just dissolve SF heavyweight division already and get some of those guys over here to fill some gaps

by The Masked Marauder on May 28, 2011 10:35 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs

can anybody say .... shallow division

Or just an attempt to make the event tastier for those that place as much important in these types of matches (over just fights to improve rankings). Biz v Mayhem next.

by grapplefan on May 28, 2011 10:42 AM EDT up reply actions

Its an attempt

to make the irrelevant seem relevant

by The Masked Marauder on May 28, 2011 10:47 AM EDT up reply actions

theyre gonna have to set up the first handycap match in ufc history cain velasquez vs franchesco mur and and mick folley lil bro big county nelson

it probly go sumthin like this,big nelson comes in with his trademark windmill overhand right and catch the same punch that big nog caught and it lights out.now franky’s gon come in and try a thai clinch to set up a flying armbar only to get caught in the air and powerbombed str8 to hell.and the winner and still undisputed champion the greatest man on earth has never lost a round and only went the distance once cain velasquezzzzzz

MMA
hw-velasquez,gonzaga,yvel,overeem,buentello
lhw-rua,bones jones,mr.wonderfull davis
mw-belfort,palhares,cung le,big dog almeida
ww-alves,rumble johnson,diaz bros,daley,sanchez
lw-melendez,g-sot,aoki,pettis,huerta,alvarez
fw-garcia,aldo,torres,benavidez

K-1
Badr hari
gokan saki
remy bonjaski
tyrone spong
alistair overeem
ernesto hoost
andy hug

by infinite on May 28, 2011 1:20 PM EDT up reply actions

i thought tournaments took place over a couple of weeks at the most!!!!

This strikeforce bullshit is spreading the 1st round over a year….this isn’t even getting into the finals and semi finals…what a bullshit organization, no wonder they got absorbed.

WHEN LIFE HANDS YOU: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Maltodextrin Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Magnesium Oxide, Calcium Fumarate, Yellow 5, Tocopheral and less than 2% Natural Flavors...... MAKE LEMONADE!

by i hate jake shields on May 28, 2011 11:03 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Couple of weeks? No way mate

Them getting absorbed is possible one of the reasons why the tournament WON’T happen.

by grapplefan on May 28, 2011 11:13 AM EDT up reply actions

If the UFC absorbed them.....

……then the UFC would be legally required to put events on Showtime to fulfill contract requirements. That would mean UFC events on Spike, Verses, Showtime and PPV. I don’t think they have the resources for that.

by jestermarcus on May 28, 2011 11:25 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Why not

They are doing it now just under a different name (Strikefoce). Resources stay the same

by The Masked Marauder on May 28, 2011 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions

You assume that they will keep all Strikeforce fighters.

As soon as they start combining the organizations you will see a ton of fighters disappear, mostly from Strikeforce but also some from the UFC. Just like when they absorbed WEC and Pride. My guess is, they are going to continue Strikeforce events for a year or so and whittle their numbers down before merging. But who knows, I might be mistaken, but history shows I’m not.

by jestermarcus on May 28, 2011 11:39 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Mir's 3rd straight title shot

“earned” against someone not even in the top 10.

And people wonder why no one takes him seriously. Maybe he’ll actually crack 10 landed thrown on his way to another loss.

I am the WAMMA Light-Heavyweight Champion

Now with more defenses than Fedor

by Reality_Jockey on May 28, 2011 10:50 AM EDT reply actions

Cain/Jds is the only title fight I want to see.

Until the SF HWs cross over nothing else matters. They got the bodies to make thw HW division the premier division in mma. Scrap the SF tournament and get them all in one tournament.

by goldmouth on May 28, 2011 10:54 AM EDT reply actions

Christ mirs starting to look Brazilian I know his jits is good but damn!

by ClinchKing on May 28, 2011 11:17 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

Its good to see Big Cuntry

Looks like he has trained even less for this fight.

by The Masked Marauder on May 28, 2011 11:32 AM EDT reply actions

What are you talking about?

He’s up to six fried chickens a day. This time last year he was only at four. He has really stepped it up. I heard he even took a part time job at Popeyes to try and push it to the unimaginable seven a day! That takes dedication. You are just talking crazy now!

by jestermarcus on May 28, 2011 11:51 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Just six?

I heard it was eight! Come on now… that belly could hold at least ten chickens if Nelson really tried.

by n4tacon on May 28, 2011 12:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Well i was just talking poultry.

That’s not counting the pork, cake, steak, and shake and bake!

by jestermarcus on May 28, 2011 12:23 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

I think it's safe to say the winner

won’t be gettin a title shot soon.

by FrostyGreenz559 on May 28, 2011 1:18 PM EDT reply actions

Not that safe actually.

With how shallow the division is coupled with the frequency of injuries, they may not have a choice.

by jestermarcus on May 28, 2011 1:33 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

the division is the best its ever been.

you do remember having Tim Sylvia as the HW Champ, right?

Fighting solves everything.

by Two_Words on May 28, 2011 2:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Very true.

Bit that doesn’t mean its as good as its ever gonna get. But its going to take time to get there. Longer than most want or think too. The Strikeforce guys aren’t coming for a while and even if they did, there isn’t too much “new blood” over there when you think of it. Half the tournament guys are very seasoned veterans.

by jestermarcus on May 28, 2011 2:55 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions