Frank Mir vs. Alistair Overeem set for UFC 167
By Tommy Burton, Real Combat Media MMA Correspondent
Las Vegas, NV (September 6th, 2013)– Anybody that has been viewing the UFC events as of late knows that they have been putting on some huge events with fantastic matchups. Well, this trend is continuing on November 16 in Las Vegas when another giant fight takes place, literally!
Two heavyweight mma veterans are set to get in the octagon at UFC 167. Former UFC champion Frank Mir (16-8) squares up against the former Strikeforce champion Alistair Overeem (36-13). Now this might seem like just another fight to some, but when we look at the background of the two martial artists, we uncover what makes this a truly great matchup.
Submission specialist Frank Mir, age 34, has recently been on a downward spiral on his way out of the UFC. He has dropped each of his last three fights starting with a TKO loss to Junior Dos Santos, then a decision loss to Daniel Cormier, and most recently a TKO loss to Josh Barnett. With this string of defeats, Mir may be fighting for his career when he next steps in the ring. This added pressure could be just the motivation needed to push Mir to compete at a higher level like he has proven to be on in the past.
In the other corner stands the renowned kickboxer Alistair Overeem, age 33, who seems to be in a similar situation as his opponent. Since winning his UFC debut against Brock Lesnar, Overeem has lost by knockout in his last two fights; one against Antonio Silva and the other coming from Travis Browne. In both fights Overeem appeared to be putting on a dominating performance but left small openings that led to big shots, but with so much riding on his next fight one can’t help but think that the openings in his game will be much smaller.
History has proven that the best fights occur when both competitors have something on the line, something that two men want but only one can have. That theory will be tested when Mir and Overeem go toe to toe, fighting for their livelihood. Nothing about this fight is certain, not the outcome or how many rounds it will, the only thing that is for sure is this will be a battle of heart, a test of will and everybody should be excited to watch these former champions put it all on the line and go to war!
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