• UFC 146

People forget, I always beat pure strikers - Mir

Frank Mir knocked out Mirko Cro Cop © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Hardy plays key role in Mir's title preparations
  
• News: Bigfoot Silva says Cormier loss meant nothing
  
• News: Mir: I'll make Dos Santos a shadow of his usual self
  
• News: Dos Santos: Frank Mir is too slow to beat me
  
• News: Nelson: Herman is the white version of Jon Jones
  
• News: Dos Santos camp calls 'bulls***' on Frank Mir
  
• News: UFC 146: Primetime - Dos Santos v Mir
  
• News: 'Average' Mir better than me? In his dreams - Dos Santos
  
• News: Dos Santos is a 'throw punches & run' guy - Mir
  
• Profile: Junior Dos Santos | Frank Mir

Frank Mir claims his capacity to stand with out-and-out strikers has been vastly overlooked heading into his UFC 146 heavyweight title bout with Junior Dos Santos.

Mir is a heavy underdog as he attempts to take the belt off Dos Santos, who is yet to lose in the UFC. The champion's last outing saw him knock out Cain Velasquez - one of the most feared men in the UFC - in 64 seconds.

Dos Santos brings sharp, accurate, lethal boxing skills, drawing comparison to former UFC icon Chuck Liddell. The likes of Velasquez, Shane Carwin, Mirko Cro Cop and Roy Nelson have not got close to the Brazilian, who is making his first title defence.

Mir's underdog status largely comes from a perceived weak chin, which has been wobbled by the likes of Carwin and - more concerningly - Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in recent times. However, he has fought and beaten strikers of the calibre of Cheick Kongo, Antoni Hardonk and Tim Sylvia, something Mir believes has been forgotten heading into Saturday's fight.

"I think that sometimes it's overlooked," Mir said. "I think most [people] get stuck in, 'Well, you fought this guy' and individual thought on how did you do. And they've got to realise that A, B, C fighters, we've gone through the whole thing before on who does well.

"Sometimes it comes down to style. And with my style I've predominantly done better with people that use more striking or know the submission games.

"I've had to work harder on the wrestling-based [fighters] as far as control and position and so that's why, if you look at my training, it's geared towards wrestling more because I am so comfortable with the boxing and the kick-boxing aspects and also dealing with submission guys."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.