MMAVu

Big Nog is Back!!

Just days after a career-saving performance against a slightly slower and obviously out-gunned Randy Couture, Big Nog talks about wanting a title shot against the UFC Heavyweight Champion, the Vanilla Gorilla, Brock Lesnar. Big Nog had almost been given up for dead, after a lackluster performance against Frank Mir in December of 2008 before bouncing back and smashing Couture. Nog later revealed he was suffering from a knee injury and staph infection.

Nog states his obvious advantages over Lesnar such as experience, jiu-jitsu, cardio and maybe even boxing technique…but Frank Mir had that over Lesnar as well, and Lesnar was able to bull his way through all of that with relative ease. I say let Nog have the winner of the Cain Velasquez vs Ben Rothwell fight before he takes on Lesnar, and believe me when I say this that Cain will be the winner of that fight. Carwin will go on to lose to Lesnar at UFC 106, and if Nog gets past Cain, then we have a match up.

Lesnar’s brute strength is the great equalizer, and then some. The dude is an absolute freak who drinks Coors Light and regularly gets on top of his wife. Not a dude to be messed with!!

Spike TV announced today its coaches for the 8th season of The Ultimate Fighter season, interim Heavyweight Champion and Former Champion Frank Mir.

While the notoriety of “former title holder” Frank Mir has sounds quite prestigious, it just underlines the sad state of the UFC’s Heavyweight Division. Since his comeback from a near-fatal motorcycle accident, Mir has looked sluggish and a shell of his former self. In his first fight back against Marcio Cruz, a hand-picked, beatable opponent, Mir got knocked out in the first round. His second fight against Dan Christianson, he won an uninspired, boring decision. Dan is hardly a top-tier fighter. His third fight, he was knocked out in 69 seconds by Brandon Vera. After this, the UFC put Mir on notice: Show up in shape and fight, or you’re out. Mir responded with a kimura victory over noted kickboxer Antoni Hardonk. Next up was Brock Lesnar, with a pro record of 1-0. Lesnar, the raw rookie, dominated Mir for 87 seconds of their 90 second fight, pounding Mir’s face into a pulp.

Lesnar however, made a rookie mistake of leaving his leg exposed and Mir quickly locked on a fight-ending knee bar. Add it up and you have an overweight, unimpressive ex-champion with a lacklustre comeback record of 3-2…and it’s enough for the UFC to thrust him into the spotlight as coach of TUF 8. Talk about a sorry division!!

Big Nog should take this, in a not-so-exciting fight, which is a major letdown. Aren’t there more worthy fighters to showcase?