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Light-heavyweight division awaits UFC 119 loser

Frank Mir has struggled with the heavyweight division's bigger opponents © UFC

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UFC 119 sees two greats of the heavyweight MMA scene square off in Indianapolis this weekend. Both are striving for relevance in a division that is rapidly deepening with fresh, hungry contenders.

Former champion Frank Mir will make his Octagon return when he takes on the Croatian PRIDE superstar Mirko Cro Cop and, despite being two of the most recognisable heavyweights in the game today, both men find themselves at a career crossroads.

The very real possibility exists that neither man may ever challenge for the heavyweight title again, making Saturday's showdown a fight of real consequence.

Mir has suggested on several occasions that the idea of a drop to 205lbs is something to which he has given some serious thought. He was dominated in his rematch with Brock Lesnar last summer to such an extent that he decided to bulk up with almost 25lbs of extra muscle in a bid to hang tough with the new breed of monster heavyweights.

The new model Mir looked to be a success as he bounced back at UFC 107, making light work of Cheick Kongo, dropping the Frenchman with a hard overhand left before locking in the match winning choke. Mir was back with a bang, and now with the kind of physique to help him challenge the bigger men in the division.

However, with Lesnar out through injury, Mir took on Shane Carwin for the interim title knowing that victory would set up the deciding third and final fight with Lesnar. The fight went anything but the way Mir imagined it though, as Carwin brutally disposed of him with some heavy uppercuts and a strong dose of ground and pound, handing the former champion a first round stoppage loss.

After spending six months on the sidelines Mir is back in action in a fight he quite simply must win if he is to continue his career in the heavyweight division. Staring Mir down will be Mirko Cro Cop, another man who has had inconsistency in recent years. At 3-1 in his most recent spell in the UFC, the competition he has faced, coupled with the defeat he suffered at the hands of Junior Dos Santos last year, has left question marks hanging over the Croatian's head.

Wins over Mostapha Al Turk, Anthony Perosh and Pat Barry are not enough to convince that Cro Cop is back to his best and ready for a run at the UFC title. In fact, that loss to Dos Santos led to many calling for his retirement.

This fight will see Cro Cop taking on a man ranked just outside of the top five heavyweights, so a defeat at the hands of Mir would be enough to suggest Cro Cop's best days are firmly behind him.

For Mir, the options are slightly better should he lose this one, with the possibility of a new chapter as a light-heavyweight on the cards. Mir has succumbed to the bigger men at heavyweight, despite the new frame, so should he come up short in Saturday night's main event he may well be better off losing that extra weight, slimming down further, and making his debut at 205lbs.

Saturday's fight will fall under the heavyweight bracket, but the outcome is likely to have its most significant impact on the light-heavyweight landscape.

Chris Park is mmatorch.com's UK specialist. To visit mmatorch.com, click here.

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