Junior Dos Santos vs Frank Mir UFC 146 Main Event Breakdown

Let me be the first to say that I was pumped for a heavyweight slugfest between Junior dos Santos and Alistair Overeem. Now that those dreams have been snatched away from me with a suspension to Overeem, the UFC brought in a replacement for the main event.

Frank Mir was already on the card, and frankly, I think he's a great choice as a replacement. This fight should be competitive and very fan friendly.

Dos Santos has a definite edge in the striking department. He has highlight-reel finishes of Fabricio Werdum, Stefan Struve, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, Gilbert Yvel, Gabriel Gonzaga and Cain Velasquez.

The fighters he didn't finish, he left battered, bruised and bloody. Just ask Shane Carwin.

Mir is no slouch on the feet, but he isn't in dos Santos' league when it comes to boxing.

Ground game, on the other hand, is a different matter. Mir is an animal on the ground with powerful submissions and a killer instinct to boot. If you leave an arm hanging out, Mir will take hold and probably take it home to put in his trophy case.

If you don't believe me, you can ask Tim Sylvia, Antoni Hardonk and, most recently, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Dos Santos is a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, so he can hold his own, but if this fight goes to the ground, Mir will win.

It is also worth noting that dos Santos' only loss is by armbar submission.

Overall, this should be a fun fight to watch. Dos Santos is fighting not only to retain his title, but also to avenge his mentor, Nogueira, after Mir submitted him at UFC 140.

Dos Santos could be a little more emotional in the fight due to that extra pressure. If Mir suspects that dos Santos is fighting emotionally instead of strategically, he could catch him and cause a huge upset.

Never count out Mir because in the UFC anything can happen.

That being said, I think dos Santos will win this fight, but I think Mir will be a lot more competitive than most people give him credit for. 

No matter who wins this fight, it should prove to be explosive and exactly what every UFC fan dreams of in a heavyweight title fight.