UFC 146: Frank Mir Says He Is Worried Over Cain Velasquez's Wrestling Skills

Frank Mir is never shy on giving his opinion.

So when he was asked about his upcoming opponent, Cain Velasquez, and how his skills fare to that of the former UFC heavyweight champion, Mir admitted that Velasquez's wrestling is his biggest strength.

And Mir said he has no intention of grappling with the former Arizona State wrestling standout.

"(Velasquez's wrestling) concerns me greatly,"Mir told Fightline.com following a UFC press conference to promote UFC 146. "Typically, the guy that's the better wrestler can decide where the fight goes, whether it's standing, whether it's on the ground. I just hope to make it to where both of those are nonviable choices."

Mir has certainly improved by leaps and bounds as a striker in the last few years, throwing technical combinations with fluidity and poise, knocking out some of the heavyweight division's most accomplished fighters like Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mirko Cro Cop.

That being said, Mir's skills are demonstrated best when he is on the mat, as he is widely considered to be one of the greatest submission specialists in the history of the sport.

It is no secret where he will hope to keep the fight, while at the same time he must be wary of Velasquez's excellent top control and relentless ground-and-pound.

It's an aspect of his opponent's which he intends to neutralize, but he knows it will always be an area of his that is exceptional at best, in comparison to some of the UFC's premier wrestlers. 

"I think wrestling is one of the hardest things, stylistically, I have a hard time with," he said. "It's always gonna be an issue and it's something for me to constantly improve on and work on in the gym."