After watching Frank Mir suffer a first round knockout loss courtesy of Mark Hunt this past weekend at UFC Fight Night 85, FOX Sports 1 analyst Brian Stann stated his belief that now is the time for the former champion to hang up his gloves.
“Frank Mir has absolutely nothing left to prove in this sport,” Stann, who retired himself in 2013, stated on the UFC Fight Night 85 post-fight show. “He won the heavyweight title twice. He’s one of the all-time greats. People could argue he’s the best heavyweight we’ve seen in the UFC because of the legacy he has.”
Stann went on to say that he feels that the 36 year-old Mir could also have a successful career as an analyst if he does decide to retire.
“I think Frank Mir, the minute he retires, is an automatic induction into the Hall of Fame. I would like to see him put a suit and tie on, come behind this desk, because he’s forgotten more about this sport than most analysts will ever know.”
However, not everyone agrees with Stann’s assessment that it’s time for Mir to move on from fighting, with fellow UFC Analyst and friend of the fighter, Dan Hardy indicating that there’s a good chance we’ve not seen the last of the heavyweight star in the Octagon yet.
“He’s going to want to carry on,” Hardy said. “I know Frank Mir, and he’s going to want to prove something.”
Stann speaks a lot of sense here though, and with just two wins in his last eight UFC fights and a number of tough losses over the years, Mir would be wise to consider very carefully whether it’s really worth continuing to put his long-term health at risk.
