UFC
Frank Mir into Andrei Arlovski bout at UFC 191: "This is the best I've ever been"
Aug 26, 2015 - 3:20:51 PM Frank Mir into Andrei Arlovski bout at UFC 191: "This is the best I've ever been"

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

"This is the best I've ever been. I hope a year from now, that will be the best I've ever been. That's one thing that really keeps me from wanting to retire is that I'm improving. If you're seeing improvements and getting better and not going backwards, it inspires you to go out there and keep pushing it. And really that's why I fight - I go out there, I love martial arts, I love what it teaches me about myself, breaks myself down and I go out there and perform. Going out there and performing against other world class fighters showcases and brings out the truest in what I'm doing and how I'm living. I can go back and work and improve and strive to be a better person.

...I think everybody still has to be threatened by my ground attacks, which is still something I work on religiously. I want to be good on the ground and I love submissions. If you ask me if I would rather win a fight by knockout or by submission, I still choose submission. Chokes are my favorite thing in the world. I've just always been amazed by the ability to put a choke on somebody and it's like ninja magic. I don't care how tough you are, you put a choke on somebody, they go to sleep."

-Frank Mir talks to FoxSports.com about continuing to improve, and why he thinks his submission game is as dangerous as ever.

Penick's Analysis: Mir and his UFC 191 opponent Andrei Arlovski have proven that it's near impossible to count guys out in the heavyweight division at this point. Granted, Mir's lengthy losing streak came against some top competition, and there's no proof he's going to be able to beat any of the top names if he gets back into that mix, but he's looked good in two straight fights. If he takes Arlovski out next week at UFC 191, it's another majorly significant win for him in the heavyweight division, and he'll keep his career running into what will be a full 15 years by next summer.

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