Imagine for a second that you are Frank Mir, at a crossroads in his career as a fighter. Ever since his debut at UFC 34: High Voltage, Mir has had a fast rise, and quickly became known for his submission prowess and overall well-rounded striking.

He continued racking up win after win until he managed to defeat Tim Sylvia for the Heavyweight Championship at UFC 48: Payback.

Now imagine that after you reach the pinnacle of your profession at the ripe old age of 25 and you decide to go for a ride on your motorcycle one day...from that point on your career would never be the same again.

After recovering from severe damage to your leg, you’ve now lost some of the luster that made you champ in the first place.

In the last two years, you’ve gone through a roller coaster ride of wins and losses; first by getting your stride back after beating Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira to win the interim Heavyweight title, then you catch the beating of your life from a man named Brock Lesnar in a title unification bout.

Cheick Kongo built your confidence again by allowing himself to get choked out by you in your first match since facing the human slaughterhouse that is Brock Lesnar. Unfortunately, Shane Carwin was there to beat your confidence into a pulp at UFC 111.

Now you have Mirko CroCop.  According to your last four fights, you should take this one, but your detractors might not be convinced. Well here is an idea of why this UFC  119 matchup will favor you heavily:

AGE

At 31, Mir is still a pretty young fighter. Aside from his fights with Lesnar and Carwin, he’s managed to hold up pretty well.

In his fight with CroCop, he looking at a man whose best days are behind him. While still a formidable opponent, at age 36 he’s become more of a gate keeper in the Heavyweight division.

DESIRE

At this point Mir has got to be fired up to face off with CroCop as it could mean a move back into the Heavyweight Title picture, and a way to possibly get a chance to fight a rubber match with his arch nemesis, Brock Lesnar.

JOB SECURITY

It’s gotten to the point that Mir’s status with the UFC could be in jeopardy if he loses. He needs to start stringing along more wins which will make people interested.

If not, it’s very conceivable to see Dana White give Mir his walking papers considering the oversaturation of talent in the heavyweight division right now.

In the end, this match is Mir’s to lose. His best bet is to start off striking for a small amount in order to close any distance, and then take it to the ground quickly.

From there Mir can go back to his roots and use his high-level BJJ to submit the great CroCop.