Mir vs. Cormier Strikeforce bout slated for November in Oklahoma

Strikeforce Heavyweight Daniel Cormier (10-0 MMA, 7-0 SF) is getting ready for the biggest fight of his career against UFC’s Frank Mir (16-6 MMA, 14-6 UFC) who is crossing over to Strikeforce for this closeout fight of the SF Heavyweight division. The bout is scheduled to take place on November 3, 2012 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; a mere 65 miles from Cormier’s alma mater, Oklahoma State University.

Cormier, one of the rising stars in MMA, is looking forward to this “hometown advantage”, even though he is originally from Louisiana, saying: “I am excited to be going back to Oklahoma for this fight because it’s been like my second home. My first fight was in Oklahoma, and the biggest fight of my Strikeforce career will be there. Fighting Frank Mir is an honor, as I’ve always viewed him as a great warrior and champion of the sport. This matchup shows that Zuffa is committed to putting me in big fights, and for that I thank them.”
 
The evening’s main card will be broadcast on Showtime (10:00 p.m.) following preliminary bouts on Showtime Extreme (8:00 p.m.).

After this event, both Mir and Cormier will compete exclusively in the UFC. Mir is coming in off of a loss to UFC Heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos. This fight could prove to be a redemption match for him if he defeats Cormier: “It’s a very interesting fight and one I accepted right away when it was offered to me. The fight makes a lot of sense for me right now in my career. I’m excited to go to Strikeforce and challenge the best Heavyweight there. Cormier is a top-10 fighter and is a great wrestler with a big right hand, but I can strike, too, and my Brazilian jiu-jitsu gives me the advantage if it does go to the ground.””