About Frank Mir
Frank Mir, also known as Francisco Santos Mir III, is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist with a $12 million estimated net worth. The most finishes and submission victories in UFC Heavyweight history both belong to Frank Mir. Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira was the first man to be knocked out and submitted by Mir.
Mir’s parents were both trained martial artists. In reality, he received his first martial arts instruction at his father’s Kenpo karate school in Las Vegas. As a teenager, Mir earned a black belt in kenpo.
Mir’s father persuaded him to start wrestling while he was a senior in high school after observing how easily strikers were defeated in the first UFC competitions. Mir ultimately won a state championship in wrestling in 1998 despite dropping his first seven matches. He started practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu after graduating, and in 2004 Ricardo Pires awarded him his black belt.
On July 14, 2001, Mir made his MMA debut. He won against Jerome Smith that evening in a unanimous decision. After that, he won by submission against his next three opponents, including Pete Williams at UFC 36 through a shoulder lock.
His victory over Williams made the former Kenpo practitioner one of the most lethal submission fighters in the world known to the general public.
In 2002, Mir was viewed as the heavyweight division’s bright future. So, on July 17, 2002, at UFC 38, when he faced off against England’s own Ian Freeman in his own backyard, the majority of people thought that another submission victory was certain. They erred, though.
Mir lost via first-round TKO after plainly becoming exhausted pretty quickly. His performance left many wondering about his cardiovascular health and competitive spirit. Nevertheless, Mir immediately returned to his winning ways following the confrontation with Freeman.
On June 19, 2004, Mir finally had the chance to demonstrate that he was champion material at UFC 48: Payback. In summary, Tim Sylvia was caught in an armbar by his 6-foot-8 opponent only 50 seconds into their encounter. Sylvia demonstrated his fortitude by refusing to give up. Sadly, that led to a fairly gory fractured arm being shown on PPV television for him.
Frank Mir won and was crowned UFC Heavyweight Champion.
The UFC heavyweight champion was Frank Mir. Everyone was speculating about a potential confrontation with heavyweight MMA champion Andrei Arlovski. Something awful transpired at that time.
On September 17, 2004, Mir was struck by a car while riding his motorcycle, breaking his femur and rupturing all the ligaments in his knee. A year later, when Mir was unable to defend his title, the UFC offered Arlovski the heavyweight title.
When Mir returned from his injuries to face Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt Marcio Cruz at UFC 57 on February 4, 2006, he was not the same competitor. In reality, the man renowned for his exceptional ground game was quickly dispatched by TKO on the ground in the opening round. After that, he went 1-1 in two more uneven attempts. Many pondered whether Mir could ever regain his former form in light of this.
Then, though, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira’s previous title was his after three straight victories over Antoni Hardonk, Brock Lesnar, and Nogueira.
Evidently, Frank Mir was back.
Frank Mir has proficient grappling and striking abilities. But his strength in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is what makes him most well-known. Mir also possesses one of the best guards in MMA history for a heavyweight. He is a very big and powerful heavyweight, and that helps him lock opponents in armbars, leglocks, and other positions.
In other words, the majority of MMA competitors are aware that if they are caught by Mir, it’s game over. He is simply too powerful to overcome his obstacles and too skilled to utilize cunning to get away.
Isabella and Kage are the couple’s two children; Mir is married to Jennifer. Frank is also in the process of legally adopting Marcus, Jennifer’s son. Frank Mir’s net worth is projected to be around $12 million as of 2023.
