Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweights Frank Mir and Antonio Silva went to war in a must-win last night (Feb. 22, 2015) at UFC Fight Night 61 inside Ginasio Gigantinho in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Having lost his last four fights, Mir desperately needed a victory. Otherwise, Mir's career with UFC as an active fighter was likely coming to an end.
With Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) banned, there were quite a few questions regarding how well he could perform. Simply put, Silva had to prove that he was still a contender last night against the former champion.
That answer is a resounding "No."
To watch Frank Mir vs. Bigfoot Silva full fight video highlights right now click here.
Mir opened in the bout in the orthodox stance, which likely surprised his opponent. Early on, Mir landed a quick combination of punches, though Silva did not seem bothered.
As Silva looked to find his range with front kicks, Mir continued to feint and move his head from range. Then, he moved in on his opponent by hooking off the jab, which sent "Bigfoot" tumbling to the mat. Mir pursued him with a few more punches, and just a minute and a half into the round, the fight was over.
Mir's boxing was on point in this bout. He was moving well out of the Orthodox stance and -- had Silva thrown any punches -- looked to be in a good position to avoid strikes. Then, he worked his jab well and used it to set up the fight finishing hook.
Looks like at least one old dog can learn new tricks.
As for Mir's future, he definitely looked like he can still compete at a high level. He could still choose to retire on top, but that's not likely. Instead, a match up with Ben Rothwell could test his striking defense against a durable brawler.
It's a shame, but "Bigfoot" may have been the sole fighter who legitimately needed the TRT. Unfortunately for the Brazilian, it's now completely illegal, and his performances are clearly suffering because of it.
In his last two fights, Silva has been pretty brutally knocked out before he can mount even the slightest bit of offense. Should he continue to fight, Silva needs to recognize his current vulnerability on the fight and immediately initiate a grappling exchange. Considering his size and grappling chops, there are still plenty of heavyweights that he could take out without throwing a punch.
At UFC Fight Night 61, Frank Mir returned to the win column in dramatic fashion. Can the former champ put a win streak together in 2015?
For complete UFC Fight Night 61 results and play-by-play click HERE.