By the Numbers: Roy Nelson vs. Frank Mir

Dazn is the exclusive streaming partner of Bellator MMA. You can sign up here and live stream 100+ fight nights a year.

Advertisement

Roy Nelson and Frank Mir first fought at UFC 130, with the latter taking the unanimous decision victory. Eight years after that encounter, the two respected veterans will go at it again, this time at Bellator 231. As they prepare for an encore performance, read about some of their career-defining numbers below.

Years as a pro

Mir and Nelson are both highly experienced heavyweights whose names are already etched in MMA history. Having made his pro debut on July 14, 2001, Mir has been in the business for 18 years and has compiled a record of 18-13. He’s accomplished so much throughout the years, capturing the Ultimate Fighting Championship interim and undisputed heavyweight titles. In all, he challenged for the UFC belt five times.

Nelson debuted professionally almost three years later than Mir. Between the two of them, however, it’s “Big Country” who has been more active, amassing a 23-17 ledger. The former IFL heavyweight champion is also the winner of The Ultimate Fighter 10, having starched Brendan Schaub in the finale to capture the season title.

Significant strikes landed in first meeting

In their first meeting, Mir outstruck Nelson 46-21. The native of Las Vegas looked poised for an early knockout as he repeatedly threw knee strikes to Nelson’s head. Big Country managed to survive, but after the lopsided affair in which Mir made it look easy, the judges awarded him the unanimous decision victory after three rounds.

Takedowns scored in first meeting

Both Nelson and Mir are jiu-jitsu black belts. They even met in a grappling match years ago, with Nelson getting his hand raised. But in their UFC 130 scuffle, it was Mir who had the upper hand, manhandling his opponent on several occasions. He was able to score six takedowns, including a beautiful throw near the end of Round 1. Nelson, for his part, didn’t land a single takedown.

Knockout rate

The last time Nelson scored a knockout was in 2016 when he stopped Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva at UFC Fight Night 95. Overall, Nelson owns 15 wins by KO or TKO, making for a 65 percent knockout rate. Mir is better known for his ground game, but he does have an ever-evolving standup game. He owns five wins by KO or TKO, which translates to a 28 percent knockout rate.

Submission rate

Mir is one of the most accomplished and intimidating ground tacticians in the history of the heavyweight division. In fact, he owns the record for the most submission wins in UFC heavyweight history at eight. Included in his submission ledger is a stunning kimura that ended the night for another submission great in Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, whom he had previously beaten by TKO, as well as the infamously gruesome armbar on Tim Sylvia at UFC 48 that earned Mir the UFC heavyweight title.

Stoppage losses

Known for having a granite chin, Nelson has only been stopped three times in his 40-fight career. Mir, on the other hand, has been stopped 10 times. Both fighters have never lost via submission.