UFC.com has announced that Brock Lesnar will make his Octagon debut against former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir at UFC 81 on February 2 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Lesnar has indicated since his arrival that he wants to fight UFC’s best immediately. Mir is an experienced Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter with years of professional fight experience to his credit.
While Mir is a seasoned veteran of the sport, this will be just the second pro MMA fight for Lesnar. His first and only win came against Min Su Kim at a K-1 Hero’s event earlier this year. Recent reports indicate that Lesnar requested Mir as his first opponent. He clearly sees an opportunity to kick start his UFC career against one of the organization’s more established fighters.
Here’s a quote from UFC President Dana White about the announcement: “It’s an interesting match up. Lesnar is a great wrestler, a good athlete, and this is definitely gonna be a big test for him…. This guy’s not trying to duck anybody. He knew once he got in the UFC that he was gonna fight tough guys.”
Since returning in 2006 from a devastating motorcycle accident that nearly killed him, Mir looked sluggish and out of shape in several of his return bouts. However, that all changed in August when Mir looked to be back to his former sensational form that made him a star.