On Friday, the UFC announced that Mir was suspended two years by USADA for testing positive for a long-term metabolite of dehydrochloromethyltestosterone (DHCMT). The USADA in-competition test was conducted right after his loss to Mark Hunt at UFC Fight Night 85 on March 20, 2016, in Brisbane, Australia. Since the suspension is backdated to April 8, 2016, Mir will be eligible for reinstatement in just under a year.

Mir has lobbied for release from his UFC contract several times since news of his test results broke, but has not been granted a release as of yet.

Statement From USADA

DHCMT is a non-Specified Substance in the class of Anabolic Agents and prohibited at all times under the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, which has adopted the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List. The finding of a long-term DHCMT metabolite in Mir’s sample, which was identified through a new detection method by the WADA-accredited laboratory in Tokyo, Japan, led to Mir being provisionally suspended from competition on April 8, 2016.

Upon learning of the positive results of the sample analyzed in Tokyo, USADA had all previously collected stored samples for Mir reanalyzed at the WADA-accredited laboratory in Salt Lake City, Utah (SMRTL), which had also recently implemented methodology for the detection of newly identified long-term DHCMT metabolites. As a result of the additional analyses, SMRTL discovered that an out-of-competition sample Mir provided on February 5, 2016, which had previously been reported to USADA as negative for the presence of prohibited substances, was also positive for the same long-term DHCMT metabolite found in Mir’s in-competition sample.

For the main event, UFC heavyweights Frank Mir and Mark Hunt have to make a limit of 265 pounds. The co-main event features a welterweight bout between Hector Lombard and Neil Magny, both of whom will have to make a limit of 170 pounds.

The weigh-ins for UFC Fight Night 71 will start at 6:30pm/3:30pm ETPT sharp! Make sure to bookmark this page and watch the live stream right here on Yell! Magazine.

Main Card (10 PM ET, FS1)

Mark Hunt vs. Frank Mir
Hector Lombard vs. Neil Magny
Johnny Case vs. Jake Matthews
Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Daniel Kelly
Steve Bosse vs. James Te Huna
Seo Hee Ham vs. Bec Rawlings

Preliminary Card (8 PM ET, FS1)

Alan Jouban vs. Brendan O’Reilly
Mark Eddiva vs. Daniel Hooker
Viscardi Andrade vs. Rich Walsh
Alan Patrick vs. TBA

Preliminary Card (7 PM ET, Fight Pass)

Chad Laprise vs. Ross Pearson
Rin Nakai vs. Leslie Smith

But ahead of the main event, we encourage you guys to check a previous fight between Mir and Todd Duffee. A fight which Mir earned Performance of the Night bonus after taking out Duffee in the first round with a vicious left hook.

UFC Fight Night 85: Mir vs. Hunt takes place on March 19th in Brisbane, Australia.

For the main event, UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and John Dodson have to make a limit of 125 pounds. The co-main event features a heavyweight bout between Andrei Arlovski and Frank Mir, both of whom will have to make a limit of 265 pounds.

The weigh-ins for UFC 191 starts at 7:00 p.m. ET sharp! Make sure to bookmark this page and watch the live stream right here on Yell! Magazine.

Main card (PPV at 10 p.m. ET)

Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson
Andrei Arlovski vs. Frank Mir
Anthony Johnson vs. Jimi Manuwa
Jan Blachowicz vs. Corey Anderson
Paige VanZant vs. Alex Chambers

Undercard (FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET)

Ross Pearson vs. Paul Felder
Francisco Rivera vs. John Lineker
Jessica Andrade vs. Raquel Pennington
Clay Collard vs. Tiago Trator

Undercard (UFC Fight Pass at 6 p.m. ET)

Joe Riggs vs. Ron Stallings
Joaquim Silva vs. Nazareno Malegarie

At UFC Fight Night 61, Frank Mir (17-9) dropped Antoni “Bigfoot” Silva (18-7-1) with a big left hook and finished the Brazilian heavyweight with a barrage of ground and pound in the very first round. With a solid win like this, Mir just saved his MMA career in the UFC.

Mir winning over “Bigfoot” after a three-year losing skid guaranteed him another fight or two inside the Octagon. In fact, the UFC is probably working on his next fight and Mir is already eyeing his next opponent. During the post-fight presser for UFN 61 in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Mir said that he would “absolutely” be interested in another fight with Brock Lesnar, which would be a trilogy since they fought each other at UFC 81 and UFC 100:

I think it would be a huge, big fight. I think it’s something that would catapult my name even higher up. I mean, a rubber match between the two of us would be a phenomenal fight. To keep that anywhere in the works, I had to get a win tonight.

At age 35, Mir believes if he has the same energy and mindset as he did on Sunday night, he could take out anyone on the planet, including the WWE pro-wrestler:

If Brock Lesnar decides to come back, [I would] welcome him back, I don’t think he likes getting punched very much; I’m looking like I’m actually figuring how to punch pretty hard. So whoever they give me. If I come in at 100% and I feel good like I did tonight, I wouldn’t bet on anybody across from me.

Lesnar’s contract with the WWE ends in the spring, if he decides to re-signs with the UFC, then I’m sure Mir will get his rubber match.

For the main event, heavyweights Antonio ”Bigfoot’ Silva and Frank Mir have to make a limit of 265 pounds. The co-main event features a lightweight bout between Edson Barboza and Michael Johnson, both of whom will have to make a limit of 155 pounds.

The weigh-ins for UFC Fight Night 61 starts at 1:00 p.m. ET sharp! Make sure to bookmark this page and watch the live stream right here on Yell! Magazine.

Main card (FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET)

Antonio Silva vs. Frank Mir
Edson Barboza vs. Michael Johnson
Cezar Ferreira vs. Sam Alvey
Rustam Khabilov vs. Andriano Martins
Iuri Alcantara vs. Frankie Saenz
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Sean Strickland

Undercard (FOX Sports 1 at 6 p.m. ET)

Jessica Andrade vs. Marion Reneau
William Macario vs. Matt Dwyer
Tiago Trator vs. Mike de la Torre
Wendell Oliveira vs. TJ Waldburger

Undercard (UFC Fight Pass at 5 p.m. ET)

Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Cody Gibson
Ivan Jorge vs. Josh Shockley

I think that [Lesnar’s] come back would be good for MMA, he’s still popular, people know who he is and he brings attention. We are tied with one win each. I would enjoy a rubber match. I would like to welcome him back to the UFC. – Frank Mir

A decade removed from one of the most chaotic endings to any championship fight, UFC FIGHT PASS, the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s digital streaming service, re-examines the June 19, 2004, Frank Mir vs. Tim Sylvia bout in the premiere of the new Fightography series.

Available immediately at UFCFIGHTPASS.com, Fightography: Frank Mir gives subscribers the opportunity to watch all of the two-time champion’s 23 fights in the UFC, from Mir’s submission of the night he debuted versus Roberto Traven at UFC 34, way back in November 2001, right the way through to his UFC 169 loss to Alistair Overeem 4 months ago.

There is also a newly created first-person retrospective from Mir himself, reflecting the infamous Sylvia fight where he won the UFC heavyweight title in confused circumstances (preview available here).

Long-time fans will remember that, in the opening minute of the Las Vegas fight, Mir locked in a deep armbar that broke defending champ Sylvia’s right forearm, but the only person in the Mandalay Bay Events Center to realize what had happened was referee Herb Dean.

In the video retrospective, Mir, now 35, said:

You go out there and win the UFC heavyweight belt, and you do something in life that should be a great moment, and everyone is booing. Even (MC) Bruce Buffer was thrown off and announced me as the just winner, and not the new champion. I didn’t get any recognition. It was just a bad moment.

And worse was to come for Mir. Just months after winning the title, and with a long reign predicted, Mir’s career was almost ended in a motorcycle accident.

Mir recalled:

It took two years before I was seen in the Octagon again, and it wasn’t until my fourth fight back that I could let go (psychologically) and fight like myself. I had a lot of self-doubt for a long time, that’s why winning the title back (at UFC 92) against Minotauro Nogueira was such an emotional moment for me.

UFC chief content officer, Marshall Zelaznik, said:

With Fightography, we will take our fans deeper into the DNA of a key fighter or turning point in mixed martial arts history. The Mir vs. Sylvia fight remains a talking point amongst fans a decade later, and Frank Mir’s incredible 13-year career in the UFC makes for a perfect premiere of our new Fightography series.

Zelaznik added:

In addition to providing insightful first-person retrospectives from our fighters, we are also responding to the requests of our subscribers. Our ‘Ultimate’ collections – which feature all the biggest wins of legendary fighters all in one place – remain extremely popular on FIGHT PASS but our subscribers let us know they also wanted to have their favorite fighters’ entire careers – wins, losses, and draws – curated into a single collection. The Fightography series allows us to put all the fights we have in FIGHT PASS’s vast library in career order. In Frank Mir’s case that’s 23 fights, 14 wins, 9 losses, and 2 world title wins.

And Zelaznik revealed there would be a new Fightography every month and added:

We are developing Fightographies on historic and legendary fighters like Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, and Kazushi Sakuraba. Plus, in the coming months we will have Fightographies focusing on some of the key turning points in the history of mixed martial arts.

I’ve got a lot of respect for former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir (16-8): He’s the longest-running heavyweight under the Zuffa-owned banner, and he currently holds the most wins and submissions in the history of the UFC heavyweight division. Mir deserves the recognition and all the respect we can give him, however, I completely feel different about his next opponent Alistair Overeem (36-1-13), a matchup slated for November 16, 2013, at UFC 167.

Why? Well, first, just take a look at Overeem’s record in the UFC, it’s bar none pathetic for a veteran that’s been far too overhyped prior to his matchup with Brock Lesnar in 2011. Second, ever since he failed his pre-fight drug test by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), Overeem just doesn’t look like the same fighter he use to be, which makes you wonder why he’s been so successful after all. Without his drugs Overeem can’t even take a front kick by Travis Browne, who was a few seconds short from being knocked out himself by “The Reem” last month. Clearly, he over abused his body for years and killed his natural stamina. Although, I don’t think Overeem can take a hit by the best in the UFC heavyweight division, he can still throw leather with enough power behind it to easily knock fighters out, especially a guy like Mir.

Even though I have a lot of respect for Mir, I personally don’t think he can hang with the division’s best anymore, like Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos. Those guy’s hit hard like Overeem, and we’ve seen Mir fold plenty of times in the past to heavy hitters like Shane Carwin, and recently to Josh Barnett. His jiu-jitsu is where it’s at, but he hasn’t been able to utilize it against these heavyweights. We already know Overeem’s take down defense is pretty solid, so my gut feeling is this fight isn’t going to the ground at all. This bout won’t last more than one round since Overeem will keep the fight standing and man handle Mir with punches and knees.

I can’t help but think this is the worst matchup of the year considering how both fighters fight inside the Octagon. Do you agree?

UFC 167 Main Card

Georges St-Pierre vs. Johny Hendricks
Rashad Evans vs. Chael Sonnen
Rory MacDonald vs. Robbie Lawler
Alistair Overeem vs. Frank Mir
Josh Koscheck vs. Tyron Woodley

I fought when you couldn’t even buy MMA gear at your local sports store or whatever. We had to make it ourselves. I fought when most of the time we didn’t even wear gloves. We were under attack from all angles. There wasn’t really an audience hardly. There wasn’t much fame. The only real reason to do it was because you just had a never-ending desire to get in there and bathe in blood. – Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett