UFC 146 Results: Where Frank Mir Fits in Heavyweight Picture After Loss to JDS

Saturday night's UFC Heavyweight Championship bout between Frank Mir and Junior dos Santos at UFC 146 was not competitive. All credit goes to the outstanding skills of the defending champion, dos Santos, who claimed a TKO victory in Round 2. But the question has to be posed about Mir, the longtime contender—to what degree is he still a threat?

In the past three years, Frank Mir is 4-3. All losses in championship bouts. All losses to heavy-hitters.

The victories also must be considered. Roy Nelson is a solid feather in his cap. Mir put together a solid performance that led him to a decision victory. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, while a legend, is not a top contender anymore. Neither is Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic. Was Chieck Kongo ever truly a threat to the division's crown? No.

That is not to take away from those performances, but they must be laid out for perspective.

Mir's ground game is devastating. He has shown this. However, he does not have the dynamic wrestling to consistently put himself in top position or the strength of powerful wrestlers to make the bottom a dangerous choice. Fighters with moderate takedown defense have been able to stuff his shots.

Since Mir's victory over Brock Lesnar and ensuing interim title defense vs. Nogueira in 2008, the elite heavyweights have passed Mir by. Powerful strikers with good takedown defense or champion wrestlers with incredible positioning and control. Mir has a specific path to victory against the elite of the division and it requires the fight to be fought in one area, and that is not a formula for success at the championship level.

Regardless, Mir remains a threat to anyone who wants to play with fire.

His biggest asset is his brain. The former champion is a fantastic analyst who can break down his opponent's game to find holes and he is also great at mental warfare.

UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture has already shown that even though one's skills dip later in his career, the mind remains the biggest asset to a fighter.

Despite his struggles against championship fighters, Mir proves time and time again that he remains at the top of the division. His jiu-jitsu game makes him a constant threat in any fight.

The majority of the heavyweight division still lacks an all-around game that Mir can exploit to put himself back in title contention. If the opposition wants to take the fight to the floor, you can expect Mir to keep himself relevant in the heavyweight division.