Tough talk: Mir wants rematch with Lesnar to 'break his neck in the ring'
Tough talk: Mir wants rematch with Lesnar to 'break his neck in the ring'
Tough talk: Mir wants rematch with Lesnar to 'break his neck in the ring'
Las Vegan irritated at heavyweight's antics after July bout
By ADAM HILL
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
The postfight antics of Brock Lesnar after his unceremonious disposal of Frank Mir at UFC 100 in July sparked conversation about sportsmanship in mixed martial arts.
Recent comments by Mir during a radio interview aren't likely to do much good to the sport's image either.
Mir, who is 1-1 against the currently sidelined heavyweight champion, said he would like to fight Lesnar for a third time, and didn't hold back on what he'd like to do to the former professional wrestler.
"I hate who he is as a person. I want to break his neck in the ring," Mir said Friday in an interview with Mark Madden on WXDX-FM in Pittsburgh. "I want him to be the first person that dies due to Octagon-related injuries."
After Lesnar defeated Mir in July, he got in the Las Vegan's face and made an obscene gesture to Mir and the crowd. Lesnar then took the microphone and disparaged Mir and the Ultimate Fighting Championship's sponsors before making a comment about bedroom plans he had with his wife later that evening.
Mir said in the interview that those actions still irritate him seven months later.
"His very being bugs me just because I've seen a lot of children out there who look to athletes and martial artists as role models, and it just makes me cringe," he said. "I sit there and go, 'Man, I lost to this guy the second time around, and now people think that's the way to be -- be big, obnoxious and angry.' That's not right."
Mir acknowledges the feeling probably is mutual.
"We have anger toward each other. Everything I stand for he despises and dislikes, and I can tell you I truly do not like him as a person whatsoever," he said.
Mir will fight Shane Carwin for the interim heavyweight title on March 27 in Newark, N.J. The winner is the next likely opponent for Lesnar, who expects to be able to return to action sometime in the summer. He has been out since that July victory over Mir after a bout with diverticulitis.
■ FIGHTS ON BIG SCREEN -- The UFC has reached a deal to air its main events at more than 300 movie theaters, starting with UFC 111 on March 27, the organization told The Associated Press on Monday.
According to UFC president Dana White, various UFC fighters will host up to 20 screenings.
Georges St. Pierre will defend his welterweight title against Dan Hardy in the main event of the card that also features the Mir-Carwin bout.
Spike (Cable 29) also once again will air at least two live fights on the preliminary card at that event.
The network had been airing live prelim fights on most pay-per-view cards since UFC 103 in September but did not air any live fights from UFC 110 in Australia on Saturday night.
A middleweight bout between Matt Brown and Ricardo Almeida and a lightweight tilt featuring Nate Diaz and Rory Markham are scheduled to air.
■ WEC BOUTS SET -- Las Vegan Anthony Njokuani has known for some time he would fight on World Extreme Cagefighting's first pay-per-view card on April 24 in Sacramento, Calif.
He now has an opponent for WEC 48.
Njokuani likely will take on fellow Las Vegan Shane Roller. Bout agreements are expected to be signed within the next few days.
Also, Leonard Garcia will meet former "The Ultimate Fighter" contestant George Roop at WEC 27 in Columbus, Ohio. Garcia was scheduled to take on Diego Nunes, but Nunes was forced to withdraw from the card because of injury.