Former UFC heavyweight champions Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski and Frank Mir have somehow never faced each other. Injuries, losing streaks, and the generally chaotic and hectic nature of the fight game conspired to keep these two men apart. But at UFC 191 that all ends, as the big guys face off in the co-main event spot. Arlovski and Mir both boast very impressive finishing rates, with both men using their own hands to win over 75 percent of their fights. Since they have a slew of finishes, it’s only fitting to take a look at some of their memorable performances to get ready for their first meeting on Saturday.
Mir vs Sylvia
The fight that won Mir the title, and his first broken bone. Frank snatches Big Timmy in an armbar and torques it against his cup, snapping Sylvia’s forearm in twain. Gruesome!
Arlovski vs Browne
An action-packed one round fight, Arlovski landed some big shots on Browne, wobbling “Hapa” several times. Travis answered back with a solid punch of his own, dropping Arlovski. Andrei managed to recover and finally put away Browne with a flurry of blows against the fence.
Mir vs Silva
Mir might only have one combination, a jab-uppercut, but against a target as inviting as Bigfoot Silva’s dome, only a fool would avoid throwing heat to the head. Frank drops Silva and follows him to the ground to finish the fight with a barrage of punches. Frank Mir is back, baby!
Arlovski vs Sylvia
Like Mir, Arlovski also won a title off of Tim Sylvia, though it was an interim belt (required after Mir’s motorcycle accident). Andrei knocked Tim on his ass, and after a brief attempt at ground and pound went nowhere, Arlovski dropped back for a leglock. Sylvia wisely tapped, keeping his bones intact this time.
Mir vs Nogueira
Oh boy, this fight was a roller coaster. Nogueira, who had been stopped for the first time in his career by Mir, rocked Frank early in the fight, and looked to finish the bout. Mir recovered, latched onto a kimura, and after some gator rolls, Francisco Santos Mir III applies EXTREME CRANK, snapping Big Nog’s arm (That’s his second limbsplosion!). Super gruesome, and also sad for Nog fans like myself.
Arlovski vs Buentello
The former record for quickest UFC title defense, until Cat Zingano leaped at Ronda Rousey like a crazy person. The fact that Buentello was fighting for a title might show you the level of heavyweight competition at the time, and Arlovski starched him in 15 seconds.
Mir vs Duffee
The Duff-Man is known for his incredible physique, and his finishes. He either wins super impressively or gets stopped hilariously. This time, Duffee flails his rigid arm at Mir in the most inept, bastardization attempt at a hook possibly ever conceived in professional combat sports. Mir avoids the blow and lands an actual punch, putting Duffee away.
Arlovski vs Silva
A rematch from both men’s stint in StrikeForce, with Bigfoot taking the victory in the first bout. Arlovski wasn’t having any of that this time around, though, and put Silva to sleep with some perfectly placed punches. He then said to the angry Brazilian crowd “You boo? F*ck you!” because he’s an adorable Belorussian.
With devastating knockout power and solid submission games, both Mir and Arlovski are dangerous finishers in the heavyweight division. Frank Mir and Andrei Arlovski finally meet in the co-main event of UFC 191, live on pay per view this Saturday.