One man is 34 years old and considered an up-and-coming star.
The other is 33 and thought to be on the back end of his career.
How does that work? Good question.
Daniel Cormier and Frank Mir meet in the co-main event of UFC on FOX 7 in San Jose, Calif., and if the pundits are to be believed, theyr’e headed in opposite directions.
Cormier, a former Olympic wrestler, started MMA late and has just 11 pro fights. He’s won them all. Mir, on the other hand, has been in the UFC for 11 years. He’s a two-time heavyweight champion, accomplishing just about everything a man his size can in MMA.
Will the two be like ships crossing each other in the night — Cormier toward stardom, Mir toward retirement? Saturday’s fight will decide that. I
f Cormier wins, he’ll be a top contender for the UFC heavyweight title. But he won’t fight the champion, Cain Velasquez, his training partner and friend. More likely is a drop down to light heavyweight to compete for that belt.
Cormier doesn’t mind. He compares himself to UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture, who got a late start in MMA due to wrestling and bounced between heavyweight and light heavyweight his entire career, winning both belts. Cormier adds, though, that he won’t fight until he’s 48 like Couture did. Maybe 40 or 41 is more realistic.
“He went after the big fights,” Cormier said. “That’s what I want to do, I want to go after the legacy fights. You win one, you lose one. As long as they’re great fights, those are the ones fans remember.”
Mir is after the biggest fights possible, too, but it’s for himself. Coming off a loss to Junior dos Santos last May, Mir left his Las Vegas comfort zone and started training at Jackson’s MMA in Albuquerque, N.M. There, he’s challenged every day by the likes of Jones and heavyweights Travis Browne and Andrei Arlovski.
“I’ve already won a title, I already get to put out the moniker that I was a world champion,” Mir said. “The part that keeps me up nights is how good could I possibly be? Have I done my best? I want to answer those questions about myself before I no longer have the opportunity.”
That’ll start Sunday. We’ll find out a lot about both men, their futures and their legacies.
Benson Henderson vs. Gilbert Melendez
Is Melendez the best lightweight on the planet? Is he top five? We’ll find out – finally – Saturday night. Melendez has been bogged down for seven years in Strikeforce, beating everyone that came into his path, but no one incredibly impressive. Henderson is the UFC champion – the best 155-pound fighter in the world. This is Melendez’s opportunity to prove he’s among the elite.
For Henderson, Melendez presents his most unique challenge. He’s well-rounded like Frankie Edgar, but bigger and stronger. He likely won’t be bullied by Henderson’s athleticism and speed. Melendez’s boxing is exceptional. If not for so many incredible bouts on this card, this would be a shoo-in for “Fight of the Night.”
Nate Diaz vs. Josh Thomson
Diaz vows he’ll return to welterweight after this fight, which makes absolutely no sense. Diaz is coming off a lightweight title loss to Henderson in December and still near the top of the division. At welterweight, he faces a significant strength disadvantage in every matchup – similar to the one he had against Henderson. Doesn’t make much sense. Of course, if he loses to a very game Thomson – one of Strikeforce’s most exciting fighters – a change of scenery might not be the worst idea for Diaz.
Jordan Mein vs. Matt Brown
Is Mein the next big star at welterweight? Could be. He’s just 23 years old and coming off a vicious knockout of very durable Dan Miller. Matt Brown is similar to Miller except better in every way. This will be the toughest test of Mein’s career. But the Canadian is extremely well-rounded – his versatile skill set is the future of the sport. And it would be a big surprise if he didn’t find a way to beat the 32-year-old Brown here.
PRELIMS
Chad Mendes vs. Darren Elkins
Francis Carmont vs. Lorenz Larkin
Myles Jury vs. Ramsey Nijem
Joseh Benavidez vs. Darren Uyenoyama
Jorge Masvidal vs. Tim Means
TJ Dillashaw vs. Hugo Viana
Anthony Njokuani vs. Roger Bowling
Yoel Romero vs. Clifford Starks
On paper, this is arguably the deepest card so far this year for the UFC. It doesn’t have a ton of big names, but just about every fight has a chance to be good and they all seem to have significance. Mendes is a top contender at featherweight, Carmont and Larkin are athletic freaks, Jury is up and coming, Benavidez is a flyweight stud and Masvidal a former No. 1 lightweight contender in Strikeforce. Dillashaw is a prospect, Njokuani-Bowling could be “Fight of the Night” and Romero’s wrestling pedigree is ridiculous. Get all that? It’s a loaded event.
PREDICTIONS
Henderson
Cormier
Diaz
Mein
Mendes
Larkin
Jury
Benavidez
Masvidal
Dillashaw
Bowling
Romero
Fight of the Night: Diaz vs. Thomson
Knockout of the Night: Larkin
Submission of the Night: Mein
