UFC
UFC 146: Frank Mir on Junior dos Santos - "I don't want to have to break his arm"
May 24, 2012 - 1:00:42 PM UFC 146: Frank Mir on Junior dos Santos - "I don't want to have to break his arm"

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir may be the most dangerous submission specialist in MMA.

Mir, who will attempt to recapture the title this Saturday night at UFC 146, has picked up over half of his wins by submission, and might be the only fighter to break multiple bones in the process. He captured the title for the first time back in 2004, when he snapped Tim Sylvia's forearm with an armbar. Then last December he snapped the humerus bone in the arm of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who refused to tap out to a vicious kimura.

However, while that penchant for arm breaks seems to come naturally for Mir, it's not the outcome he's looking for. In fact, during the open workouts on Wednesday for Saturday's fight card, Mir said he wished Nogueira would have just tapped out, as it could have been a better outcome for both.

"Honestly, I don't like the the fact that Nogueira didn't tap and got an arm broken," Mir said (via MMAjunkie.com). "He looked very sharp in that fight. I think it would have made me look better had he tapped and went on and had another two or three wins."

"Let's face it: You're only as good as your competition. If he doesn't fight anymore, if he doesn't fight at a high level, then I beat a guy at the end of his career. If he goes and strings together two or three wins, how good do I look?"

Nogueira will return to action this July against Cheick Kongo, but the return could have been considerably quicker had he submitted to the hold at UFC 140. Mir hopes Junior dos Santos has better sense than that if he finds himself caught in a similar position; Mir's desire not to break bones isn't going to stop him from doing so if an opponent doesn't get out.

"If I grab him and he doesn't tap, it's going to make me a little upset," he said. "I don't want to have to break his arm, but I want to win the fight."

"If he doesn't tap, he's 28 years old. He still could come back and do well. If he injures himself, he's a great athlete, it's not smart for him... If he starts feeling the pressure, come on guys. It's been 10 years. If you don't know what's going to happen by now..."

Mir has to catch dos Santos in a position like that first, of course, but he's made it clear what will happen in that situation if the Champion doesn't give up.

Penick's Analysis: Mir's taking the "humble assassin" approach here, and with his history it's certainly a card he has available for play. Catching dos Santos in something that would put him in danger of a break is a lot easier said than done, however, and the point may be completely moot if he fails to get anything locked on at UFC 146. Still, it's something the Champion has to be wary of come fight time on Saturday, and will have to be in the back of his mind if the fight hits the ground.

[Frank Mir art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]