Frank Mir Respects Arlovski, Would’ve Rather Fought Someone Else At UFC 191
Surging heavyweights Frank Mir, and Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski are set to face off next month at UFC 191 in a bout with a very interesting back story. Both men are former UFC heavyweight champions, but both men had hit rough times in recent years, with many calling for them both to retire.
However, here we are in 2015, and both fighters have somehow turned their careers around, and shockingly enough could be battling for a UFC title shot. Speaking with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Mir talked about Arlovski’s resurgence, and the respect that he has for the “Pitbull”.
Mir also stated that Arlovski is definitely better now:
“I have a lot of respect for Andrei. He’s a guy that if my kids were to tell me right now they were fans of Andrei, I would completely cultivate that,” Mir said to Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “Here’s a guy who was at the top. He went from the pinnacle of our sport to getting cut, signing with other organizations, losing more and he’s getting put out cold. Everyone is saying he’s done, his chin is gone, he needs to retire and this guy doesn’t listen to anybody. He just said, ‘Nope, I’m going to keep moving forward and figure out a way.’ He’s better now.”
Although the fight makes sense from a fan’s point of view, Mir actually said that he’s not too happy with the bout on a “social level”, saying that he doesn’t want to see either of them derailed right now. The former two-time champ said that he would’ve preferred to see Arlovski fight current champion Fabricio Werdum, and the two meet in the future possibly in a title fight:
“In one sense, I’m not happy about it on a social level. I think we both have a lot to offer the sport and I don’t want to see either one of us derailed right now. I would have been much happier with this situation if we could have skipped each other at this point. I could have fought someone else in the top three and he could have fought Werdum for the title and then we could have faced each other in a title fight instead if he would have won,” Mir said.
“That would have been the ideal situation for me. To say here’s two guys that everyone counted out and said their careers are over. They figured out ways to move forward and persevere and now they’re back.”
Whether or not Mir likes the fight, it’s going down next month regardless. Which ageing heavyweight will continue their triumphant climb up the rankings?
