Just a day after a featherweight bout between Clay Guida and Chad Mendes was added to UFC 164, an even bigger (literally) fight between heavyweights Josh Barnett and Frank Mir was added to the card, which takes place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 31.
Barnett will be making his return to the UFC, having not fought in the organization since 2002, where he defeated Randy Couture and won the UFC heavyweight title, but afterwards the result of the fight was changed to a no contest after Barnett tested positive for illegal substances. Since that time, Barnett has fought for a number of organizations, including PRIDE, Affliction and Strikeforce. His last fight took place on the final Strikeforce card in January, where he took home a first round submission victory over an overmatched Nandor Guelmino.
Mir is coming off two losses at the hands of Junior Dos Santos and Daniel Cormier. He recently made the move to Jackson’s MMA for the fight with Cormier.
This is a fight that many fans have wanted to see for years as it’s a fight between two of the best heavyweight submission artists, that have been knock to talk some smack in the buildup to fights. Mir comes from Brazillian jiu jitsu and Barnett from catch wrestling, so there’s another angle right there. Barnett gets a chance to establish himself as a contender in the UFC heavyweight division and Mir desperately needs a win if he wants to stay relevant as a contender.
