UFC 140 Fight Card: Breaking Down Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Most of the focus for UFC 140 has been put on Lyoto Machida and Jon Jones.  The rest of the card is decent, but the fights lack the certain panache that the main event seems to have.

In fact, many casual fans might even know that a co-main event is taking place on the card.  Part of this might have to do with the fact that it is a rematch between Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who Mir beat by knockout in the second round when they first fought at UFC 92.

It was later proven that Nogueira had just gotten over a staph infection right before the fight.

Most fans probably haven't paid attention to that, though.  Instead, they focused on the knockout loss and nothing else.  This might be why the fight is getting so little attention.

But considering that both men might actually get a serious heavyweight fight if they win, it deserves some love.

Here are five points fans should look at when assessing this fight.

Nogueira Is Healthy This Time

At least this time fans think he is healthy.  Nogueira isn't exactly mentioning any injuries before the fight, just like last time, and if he has any we'll probably hear about them only after the match.

Plus, his last fight was a knockout win against young rising heavyweight Brendan Schaub, so it's hard to say that he is shot.  Barring a serious injury, he should be able to give Mir the fight that they were supposed to have the first time.

It also might mean that Mir isn't as improved in his standup as he wants to believe.

More importantly, it means that fans might get to see a ground battle between both of these talented Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belts.

It was a fight that fans deserved to see the first time, and hopefully it's the one that takes place Saturday night.

Mir Wants to Prove That He Legitimately Beat Nogueira

As shown in the linked article in the slide before and right here, Mir isn't exactly happy about Nogueira's reasons for why he lost their fight.  

It is understandable, as Mir was excited having won and getting another shot at the UFC heavyweight title only to be told by his opponent that it might have been different if they had been healthy.

Mir probably has held a lot of agitation inside whenever he has been asked about the first fight, since some fans and journalists might have used it to explain away his dominant showing.

It also isn't the first time Mir has had such a reaction.  He was equally annoyed when Brock Lesnar tried to explain away the loss he had to Mir.

Of course Mir is probably hoping to not fair like he did in his rematch with Lesnar.

And with the motivation he is showing in the pre-fight, build up it might not.

Nogueira Is Getting Older and Has Already Had a Storied Career

Nogueira did look impressive in his win against Schaub, but he was facing a young heavyweight who wasn't experienced at fighting on the top level.

There is something to be said for experience and cage savvy, and Nogueira brought both to UFC 134 when he beat the younger man.  With that said, it also might work against him when he faces Mir.

Every time a fighter steps into the cage they rough their body up a little bit more.  That isn't even including the training camps they have to go through or even some tough training sessions that might have even injured him.

The same thing that makes him a grizzled veteran is also what makes him liable to turn old overnight.  

It may not be something that Nogueira fans want to see, but it might happen any time he steps into the cage.

That includes this Saturday.

Mir Might Be One Fight Away from Fighting for the Title

Obviously, the Lesnar-Overeem winner is first in line for the fight with now champion Junior dos Santos, but injuries occur, and if for any reason the winner of that fight has to pull out, then the winner of Mir-Nogueira is an attractive consolation prize.

Casual fans might not be as interested in the fight, but diehards would easily shell out money to see how the young champ would defend against some of the older warhorses in the division.

Mir is in an even better spot than Nogueira having won his last two fights.  One of them might have been a terribly boring knockout win, which should be an oxymoron but isn't, over Mirko Cro Cop, but an exciting win here might get him back into the title picture.

Mir knows this and is probably entering the fight with that mindset.  Considering that he once held the belt, the desire to do so again might be overpowering.

And it might just be what gets him to overpower Nogueira.

Neither Man Has Had a Long Layoff

Both men have fought sometime in mid-2011, which means that neither should experience cage rust at UFC 140.

Mir last fought in May and Nogueira beat Schaub in August.  When these two men step into the cage, they will do so having dominated their last opponents.

In other words, no excuses should be made in the post-fight presser about why someone wasn't able to win or why an injury hindered them.  Fighters fight injured all the time, and come off worse performances or runs than either Mir or Nogueira.

That means that not only should this be a great fight, but it should be the last time these two meet unless Nogueira happens to steamroll Mir in the fight.

It might lead to both men to push themselves to make a statement.

For Mir, it would be that his first victory of Nogueira was no fluke.

For Nogueira, it would be that he is still relevant.

And fans could walk away the biggest winners of all.