UFC 146 Results: What's Next for Frank Mir After Loss to Junior Dos Santos?

Things did not work out for Frank Mir at UFC 146 last night, as he succumbed to the fate of the many who have faced Junior dos Santos. He was absolutely brutalized by the power in Dos Santos' hands.

With the knockout victory, Dos Santos effectively defended his title for the first time since he took the strap from Cain Velasquez. 

Mir is coming towards the end of his illustrious career. Though he is just 33 years of age, Mir has had to comeback from a motorcycle accident that nearly ended his career in late 2004. 

Mir does not have much left to prove in this sport. The former heavyweight champion has 20 UFC fights under his belt, the most out of any current UFC heavyweight.

Of those 20 fights, he has won 14 of them, including arm-breaking victories over Tim Sylvia and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, as well as a marquee win over Brock Lesnar.

Mir needs to go back the drawing board for his next fight. Mir can strike, but his striking defense is concerning. He tends to cushion his opponent's blows with his questionable chin. Now, heavyweights hit the hardest out of anyone, so calling Mir's chin into question may not be fair, but he was on the brink of defeat in the Nogueira fight.

Mir should not fall far down the ladder following this fight. He lost to the UFC champion, which is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, he lasted well over a round longer than Cain Velasquez.

Mike Russow faces off with Fabricio Werdum at UFC 147 in Brazil. The winner of that fight is going to be riding a wave of momentum to a top contender fight in the division.

Whoever should lose that fight should be next for Mir. A Werdum vs. Mir bout has been on my wish list for sometime, but I wouldn't mind seeing Russow try his hand against Mir. 

As stated, Mir does not have a lot of time left in this sport. For that reason, he needs to take fights that attract attention. I can't think of a better way to attract attention than a bout between two of the best submission artists in the heavyweight division's history.