UFC 164: What We Learned from Frank Mir vs Josh Barnett

Tonight's battle between Frank Mir and Josh Barnett has revamped and remapped the UFC heavyweight division in a few ways.

First off, re-adding a fighter of Barnett's caliber back to the division after so many years speaks wonders to how quickly the weight class is improving with depth.

It just goes to show you that Dana White is willing to bite the bullet and put animosity aside in order to bring UFC fans the very best fighters in the world.

As far as the actual first-round knockout by Barnett is concerned, it not only proved he's capable of contending for a title in the near future, but it proved Mir's tenured career may be on the fritz.

For Barnett, who literally rushed Mir from the first second of the fight, he couldn't have asked for more of a complete comeback to the promotion.

On the back of punishing knees, sharp elbows and outstanding clinch work, "The Warmaster" brought fire and brimstone to an outmatched Mir for what seemed to be an eternity.

Mir ultimately tried to stand and bang with a more driven Barnett, but the former champ was simply unable to withstand the barrage.

The quick finish should propel Barnett close to the division's top five, but in today's UFC where any contender needs to string multiple victories together, nothing is for certain.

As far as Mir is concerned, he'll be lucky to stay within the weight class' top-10 rankings. His name is still big, but at this point in his career his popularity and familiarity seem to be outweighing his potential inside the cage.

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