UFC 130 Results: 5 Reasons Frank Mir Is a Serious Contender

Frank Mir may not have finished Roy Nelson in their hometown bout at UFC 130; however, he did give one of his most well rounded and more dominant performances since his lackluster knockout finish of Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic at UFC 119.

Mir's grappling and wrestling were too much for "Big Country," whose steel jaw didn't serve him as much good as a couple pounds off that belly of his would have. As for Mir, he's beaten a heavyweight who is probably on the cusp of Top 10 status and is still a viable threat in the division.

Here are five reasons why he's still a serious contender. 

5. Submissions

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LONDON - JULY 13: Ian Freeman of Great Britain fights with Frank Mir of the USA during the Ultimate Fighting Championship, 'Brawl in the Royal Albert Hall', in the Royal Albert Hall London, England on July 13, 2002. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Mir's submissions have always been one of his biggest weapons and, in fact, earlier in his career it was his claim to fame. Compared to the rest of the heavyweights in the division, Mir is still arguably the best submission artist amongst the bunch. 

4. Right Weight

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NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 26: UFC fighter Frank Mir (pictured) weighs in for his fight against UFC fighter Shane Carwin for their Interim Championship Heavyweight fight at UFC 111: St-Pierre vs. Hardy Weigh-In on March 26, 2010 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by

After his defeat to Brock Lesnar at UFC 100, Mir experimented with weight and packed on pounds of muscle in order to contend with the Shane Carwins and Brock Lesnars of the division.

Now he seems to have found the right size without sacrificing his speed. A faster, stronger Frank Mir still has the talent and the tools to hang with the division's best. 

3. Boxing

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NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 26: UFC fighter Frank Mir (L) faces off against UFC fighter Shane Carwin (R) for their Interim Championship Heavyweight fight at UFC 111: St-Pierre vs. Hardy Weigh-In on March 26, 2010 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Get

Frank Mir's boxing has improved by leaps and bounds. He has the technique and punching power to rival a few of the divisions best, like Antonio Minotauro Nogueira for example. He's said he hits harder than Junior Dos Santos, but if he doesn't, then at least his technique is clean enough to hang with him.

2. Youth

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NEW YORK - MARCH 24: Frank Mir of Las Vegas, Nevada speaks at a press conference for UFC 111 at Radio City Music Hall on March 24, 2010 in New York City. Mir will face Shane Carwin of Denver, Colorado in the INterim heavyweight title bout. (Photo by Je

At the age of 32, Frank Mir still has plenty of time left in the tank. Combine that with his natural talent, and Mir can still make a healthy run at the title, that is if he still has the determination to do so. Which brings us to...

1. Drive

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LAS VEGAS - JULY 11: Brock Lesnar holds down Frank Mir during their heavyweight title bout during UFC 100 on July 11, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)

Since his crushing UFC 100 loss to Brock Lesnar, Mir found a new level of desire. He packed on the pounds and walked through striker Cheick Kongo with relative ease, following up a devastating overhand with a guillotine to finish.

Then he hit a wall with Shane Carwin. Mir seems to be willing to get better, but his inconsistent performances have left a lot with doubt. However, when Mir is off, he's way off, but when he's on, he really is on. After his win here, Mir seems to be on.