Former UFC Heavyweight Champion and UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir has been granted his release by the UFC.
Mir broke the news himself via Twitter:
I have been granted my release from #UFC -I just posted this episode of my @phoneboothfight podcast talking details: https://t.co/5LwBmNwypx
— Frank Mir (@thefrankmir) July 8, 2017
The former UFC champion has spent all of his professional MMA career, other than two fights, in the UFC and the fighter made his UFC debut by defeating Roberto Traven at UFC 34 in November of 2001.
In his near sixteen year run with the UFC, the fighter earned some big wins over the likes of Pete Williams, Tank Abbott, Tim Sylvia, Brock Lesnar, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (twice), Cheick Kongo, Mirko Cro Cop, Roy Nelson and Antonio Silva. Mir won the UFC Heavyweight Title after submitting Tim Sylvia at UFC 48 and he won the UFC Interim Heavyweight Title when he defeated Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 92.
Mir would seem to be defined by his longstanding feud with Brock Lesnar. Mir would have been an ideal opponent for Lesnar's 2017 return, but was suspended.
UFC Fight Night 85 would prove to be the final time that Mir would compete for the promotion and he was promptly knocked out by Mark Hunt in that fight. Mir is currently sitting on the sidelines due to a failed drug test, but he is one half of the commentary team for the Absolute Championships Berkut promotion.
