Frank Mir was fighting in the UFC when it wasn’t cool. The dark days of MMA — 2001. Mir turned pro in the summer of 2001, and by November he was fighting at UFC 34, which is almost universally considered the turning point for the UFC after Zuffa purchased the company. Mir went on to snap Tim Sylvia’s arm to win the heavyweight title before he even had 10 fights to his name, would sit out for over a year and have his belt stripped after a motorcycle accident, then time after time be front and center in some of the biggest moments in UFC heavyweight history. Now, the 27-time UFC fighter could be on his way out of the company due to a failed drug test and a two-year ban from the sport.
According to Mir, the B sample that was flagged as positive after his loss to Mark Hunt in Australia last March has led to a two-year ban, even though he’s been trying to have his sample cleared by other labs in the United States. Mir explained on Ariel Helwani’s show that the failed sample and his A sample can be tested at his expense. If he wants to view the work himself, he can pay his own way. This led to Mir considering his options and deciding that the cost of a lawyer, travel, and lab work wouldn’t be worth it, especially if he lost.
This has led him to ask for his release from the UFC, he revealed on The MMA Hour.
I’m still suspended and I’m not allowed to fight or broadcast and I have to think about my savings and I have children. I made a calculated decision to forego fighting it further. Even if it was a reduced sentence of one year, I have children that are very active and are in private school and different endeavors fighting and (no work) for a year let alone two years isn’t feasible. Hopefully, the UFC the would just release me so I can follow broadcasting and fighting in different avenues.
Helwani then asked if Mir had brought up his potential release to the UFC brass.
Yeah I already put that in motion when it first happened after I realized two weeks ago, three weeks ago the situation in its entirety and looked at my savings account and what my kids cost to raise, I realized I have to go make a living. Being tied up not being able to fight, to not broadcast or do other analytical work…
At that point, Mir’s Skype feed broke up, maybe with Dana White cutting his internet access for all we know. He quickly hopped on his cell and continued the conversation with Helwani, questioning how Brock Lesnar, his greatest rival, was able to get drug testing that was convenient thanks to the UFC, but the company that he’s called home for 15 years wasn’t able to do the same for him.
It’s unfortunate to think that this could be the end of Frank Mir in the UFC after all of these years, and what makes it worse is that he seems to want to fight it, but simply can’t. Unfortunately, it’s another scenario in which a fighter needs money, and can’t seem to make it.
So what are his options? If the UFC were to actually release him, he could go to Rizin or ONE FC, where drug testing is far less stringent. That would certainly be fun. He could also do this…
https://twitter.com/LegKickTKO/status/750445182378766336
Watching Frank Mir compete in a moat fight would be great. He should do that.