• UFC 119

Mir KOs Cro Cop in front of unhappy crowd at UFC 119

Frank Mir was too good for Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 119 on Saturday © Getty Images

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Frank Mir propelled himself into title contention by knocking out Mirko Cro Cop with a hard knee to the face and a strike to the chin late in the third round of their heavyweight bout at UFC 119.

This was a crucial triumph for Mir - he was knocked out by Shane Carwin in his last fight - but it was far from a classic, with the crowd booing the action for significant periods.

In a battle comprised of two fighters with contrasting styles - Mir the jiu-jitsu specialist on the ground, Cro Cop the lethal striker - neither managed to seize initiative in the contest, with most of the action involving Mir shoving his opponent into the cage.

It was Mir who did enough to seal the victory, however, with the aid of a Muay Thai technique late in round three. "I thought on my part, no disrespect to Mirko, it was a pretty bad performance," Mir said. "I could have pushed the pace more. I got really frustrated pushing him against the cage.

"I was making mistakes that I wasn't making a few weeks ago, lifting my arms in the clinch and letting him get underhooks. That's the negative aspect, but without a single takedown, I stood for two-and-a-half rounds with Mirko and won with a knockout."

Elsewhere, Ryan Bader utilised his wrestling skills to win a 30-27 decision over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at light-heavyweight. It was an authoritative showing from Bader, who managed six takedowns in the three rounds, and afterwards he turned his sights to champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

"I think I'm close [ to fighting Rua]," said Bader. "It's my goal. I'm pretty young in the sport and I have a lot to learn. Ultimately my goal is to have the belt some day. It's up to the UFC who they want to put me against. Whoever's next, it's going to be a tough fight, no matter what."

In the other clashes, Chris Lytle defeated Matt Serra via unanimous decision, with all three of the judges awarding him every round. Sean Sherk was the victor over Evan Dunham via a controversial split decision, while Melvin Guillard beat Jeremy Stephens via split decision.

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