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PARK: Frank Mir and Mirko Cro Cop meeting at the crossroads of heavyweight relevance at UFC 119
Sep 23, 2010 - 11:03:09 PM PARK: Frank Mir and Mirko Cro Cop meeting at the crossroads of heavyweight relevance at UFC 119

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By: Chris Park, MMATorch UK Specialist

This Saturday at UFC 119, two greats of heavyweight MMA will square off in Indianapolis. Both are striving for relevance in a division that is rapidly deepening with fresh, hungry contenders.

Former champion Frank Mir will make his Octagon return when he takes on the Croatian PRIDE superstar Mirko Crop Cop as the UFC hits Indianapolis for the first time.

Despite being two of the most recognisable heavyweights in the game today, both men find themselves at a career crossroads with the very real possibility that they may never challenge for the heavyweight title again.

Mir has suggested on several occasions that the idea of a drop to 205 lbs. is something he has given some serious thought. He was dominated in his rematch with Brock Lesnar last summer to such an extent that he decided to bulk up with almost 25 lbs. of extra muscle in a bid to hang tough with the new breed of monster heavyweights.

The new model Mir looked to be a success as he bounced back at UFC 107, making light work of Cheick Kongo. Mir dropped the Frenchman with a hard overhand left before locking in the match winning choke. Mir was back with a bang, and now with the kind of physique to help him challenge the bigger men in the division.

With Brock Lesnar out through injury, Mir took on Shane Carwin for the interim title knowing that victory would set up the deciding third and final fight with Lesnar. The fight went anything but to plan as Shane Carwin brutally disposed of him with some heavy uppercuts and a strong dose of ground and pound, handing the former champion a first round stoppage loss.

After six months on the sidelines Mir is back in action in a fight he must win if he is to continue his career in the heavyweight division. Staring Mir down will be Mirko Cro Cop, another man who has had inconsistency in recent years. At 3-1 in his most recent spell in the UFC, the competition he has faced, coupled with the defeat he suffered at the hands of Junior Dos Santos last year, has left question marks hanging over the Croatian's head.

Wins over Mostapha Al Turk, Anthony Perosh and Pat Barry are not enough to convince that Cro Cop is back to his best and ready for a run at the UFC title. In fact, that loss to Dos Santos led to many calling for his retirement.

This fight will see Cro Cop taking on a man ranked just outside of the top five heavyweights, so a defeat at the hands of Frank Mir would be enough to suggest Crop Cop’s best days are firmly behind him and that retirement could be due.

For Frank Mir, the options are slightly better should he lose this one, with the possibility of a new chapter as a light-heavyweight in the cards. Mir has succumbed to the bigger men at heavyweight, despite the new frame, so should he come up short on Saturday night Mir may well be better off losing that new weight, slimming down further, and making his debut at 205 lbs.

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Chris Park is the MMATorch UK Specialist and guest columnist at ESPN.co.uk. Please email any comments or questions to Chris at; mmatorchuk@gmail.com or look us up at http://www.facebook.com/mmatorchuk2 our new MMATorch Facebook home for UK Fans!