Though it was not the biggest marquee attraction of the year, UFC 119’s main-event bout between Frank Mir and Mirko Cro Cop still had some appeal to a mixture of casual and hardcore fans.
For casual fans, Frank Mir has become one of the most recognizable faces in the heavyweight division, and any headline bout involving the former champion carries some interest. For hardcore fans, Frank Mir vs. Mirko Cro Cop would have once been viewed as a great inter-promotional “UFC vs. PRIDE” fight. The MMA landscape has changed greatly enough to remove any possibility of calling this a “dream match,” but it still made for an interesting encounter.
The fight would also assure that at least one of the fighters would not fade into obscurity. Mir is coming off a devastating loss to Shane Carwin, while Cro Cop has yet to beat a true contender in his UFC tenure. Even though the audience will be smaller than it was for many of the year’s PPVs, a win would still mean something for one of these veteran heavyweights.
So, who won? Who left with some upward momentum in a suddenly-stacked heavyweight division? Full UFC 119 results follow:
UNAIRED PRELIMINARY BOUTS
Sean McCorkle b. Mark Hunt via submission (kimura) at 1:03 of Round One
T.J. Grant b. Julio Paulino via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Waylon Lowe b. Steve Lopez via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Thiago Tavares b. Pat Audinwood via submission (guillotine choke) at 3:47 of Round One
SPIKE TV PRELIMINARY BOUTS
Matt Mitrione b. Joey Beltran via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
CB Dollaway b. Joe Doersken via submission (guillotine) at 2:13 of Round One
MAIN PPV CARD BOUTS
Melvin Guillard b. Jeremy Stephens via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
Sean Sherk b. Evan Dunham via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Chris Lytle b. Matt Serra via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Ryan Bader b. Rogerio Nogueira via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Frank Mir b. Mirko Cro Cop via KO (knee) at 4:02 of Round Three
*Story of the fight: Joe Rogan correctly spent the majority of the fight criticizing the fighters’ lack of passion and intensity. Neither seemed dead-set on finishing the fight; at many times, neither seemed like he even cared if he won. Cro Cop never truly opened up on his feet, while Mir’s offense was limited to half-hearted punches, aggression-free clinches and “not a chance” takedown attempts. By virtue of pushing the pace, Mir was winning the fight as it entered the third round, but it was not the most dominant of performances.
Then the fight ended. Late in the fight, just as the announcers and fans had seemingly given up on the battle, Mir countered a Cro Cop striking attempt with a big knee. The knee instantly dropped Cro Cop to the mat, and Mir followed with a punch on the ground as the referee stepped in to stop the fight.
The highlight-reel finish saved what would have been a critically-panned main event.