Frank Mir wants to prove he finished Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 92 because he's the better fighter -- not because the Brazilian was still wobbly from Staph infection, which is what "Minotauro" has maintained.
Now we'll get the chance to see who's right when they finally rematch at the upcoming UFC 119 event scheduled for the Conseco Fieldhouse on Sept. 25 in Indianapolis, Indiana, according to a report from Tatame.com.
After facing off as opposing coaches on Season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), Mir and Nogueira battled for the right to face Brock Lesnar at UFC 100 in July 2009. While both heavyweights are decorated grapplers with black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, it was Mir's striking that ultimately felled his opponent early in the second frame.
It was the first time in his career that Nog had been finished via (T)KO. After word spread that the Brazilian was afflicted with a crippling case of Staph, some of the luster began to wear off Mir's accomplishment.
Since then, he's been hoping for the chance to prove that he is indeed better than Nogueira, healthy or otherwise.
Unfortunately the momentum from his UFC 92 win wasn't enough to help him overcome Brock Lesnar in his bid to recapture the UFC heavyweight title. After submitting Cheick Kongo at UFC 107, the Las Vegas submission specialist took another step backwards when he was finished by Shane Carwin at UFC 111 last March.
Nogueira rebounded from the Dec. 2008 loss to outpoint Randy "The Natural" Couture at last year's UFC 102 event in Portland, but undefeated prospect Cain Velasquez sent him tumbling down the heavyweight ladder with a first round knockout at UFC 110 earlier this year.
Now in their thirties, both fighters are trying to re-establish their relevancy in the 265-pound division. The winner moves on and the loser may be out of the title picture for good.
Who ya' got?
For more on the upcoming UFC 119 event click here.
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