• UFC

Mir believes Lesnar wants to avoid Velasquez

Frank Mir wants Brock Lesnar rematch © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Carwin wins unless I've improved says Mir
  
• News: UFC interim heavyweight belt means nothing to Carwin
  
• Profile: Brock Lesnar | Frank Mir | Cain Velasquez

Frank Mir has suggested that Brock Lesnar will actively look to avoid Cain Velasquez, knowing that the undefeated AKA fighter may pose the biggest threat to his UFC heavyweight title.

Mir goes head to head with Shane Carwin at UFC 111 on March 27, and Espn.co.uk understands the winner of that bout will provide Lesnar's next opponent. Only injury could alter the identity of Lesnar's next title defence, in which case Velasquez would come into the reckoning for a mooted July 3 bout.

Lesnar and Mir know each other well after sharing one victory apiece in their first two encounters, whilst a potential fight with Carwin would pose the question as to whether the champion can mix it with a genuine knockout artist. However, potentially most dangerous of all would be Velasquez, whose wrestling game could arguably nullify Lesnar's more successfully than any other, reducing the fight to a stand-up contest.

"The competitor in me wants to face Lesnar as soon as possible and be the first one in line," Mir told respected website MMAJunkie.com. "I don't feel like holding the heavyweight division hostage. If I'm victorious on March 27, and I had an injury that didn't allow me to fight, and Brock wants to take a risk to fight Cain first before he fights me, more power to him.

"I think [Velasquez] is a dangerous fight for [Lesnar]. I would be willing to bet that maybe he would be more comfortable waiting for me."

As for the more pressing issue of Carwin, Mir admits he has his work cut out when they clash in New Jersey. Carwin has won all 11 of his MMA bouts, winning six by KO, and he fights out of Greg Jackson's gym - widely recognised as the best around.

"I think that Carwin, in a lot of ways, is actually more dangerous for me," said Mir. "Brock and Carwin are both better wrestlers than I am. Most likely, they'll both be able to take me down. Most likely, they'll both be able to win the fight if I get stuck against the cage on my back with my head jammed up.

"But with that being said, with Lesnar, on my feet, I have no real anxiety about standing there and boxing. He's knocked people over because he clubs people with his hands, but he's not really a knockout artist. Carwin has actually knocked people out.

"In a fight with Lesnar, the goal is to keep it on the feet, and I'll win the fight. With Carwin, if I say just keep it on my feet and I fall asleep on him while looking for the shot, I can easily go to sleep if I get caught."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.