Las Vegas Weekly

March 8, 2009 · 12:15 PM

Frank Mir’s injury postpones UFC 98 vs. Brock Lesnar

By Robin Leach

Frank Mir.

Photo: Night Vissions LLC

Here’s the official UFC story of the just-postponed Memorial Day Weekend UFC 98 battle in Las Vegas between Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar: An injury to Frank’s right knee suffered during training recently and subsequent arthroscopic surgery this week has forced the interim heavyweight champion to postpone his May 23 rematch with Brock Lesnar until later this year.

“It’s disappointing, but this is the nature of the fight game,” said UFC President Dana White of the postponement of UFC 98’s main event. “Guys work hard in the gym, and sometimes they get hurt. I’m glad that Frank got his injury taken care of, that it wasn’t serious and that he’ll be able to get back to sparring within the next month and a half.

“I know he wants to be a hundred percent for this fight, and I know Brock wants to fight the best Frank Mir possible. It’s a great fight and a great grudge match -- we’ll just have to wait a little longer for it.”

Photo: Alex Loc Thieu/Tryst

UFC President Dana White.

“I’m not happy about the postponement, but I’m taking this fight very seriously. I want to be at my best when I step into the Octagon with Brock Lesnar again,” said Frank, who submitted Brock in the first round in their first meeting in February last year. “He’s not going to catch me off-guard like he did the first time we fought, and even with that, I still beat him.

“But with my doctor ordering me not to spar, roll or wrestle for four to six weeks, there would have been no way to prepare properly for a fight this important. I’m taking my belt back in 2009, and I’m going to be as close to 100 percent as possible when I do it.”

Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC

Frank Mir does some ground work on Brock Lesnar.

The postponement announcement was made during last night’s UFC 96 telecast at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. No rescheduled date has been announced, and Brock won’t appear on the UFC 98 card, which will have a new main event revealed shortly.

Ringside rumblings from last night indicate that the Memorial Day Weekend fight will now headline Quinton “Rampage” Jackson against “Sugar” Rashad Evans, with Matt Serra vs. Matt Hughes on the card, too. Frank, meantime, was quoted last night as saying he'll be able to resume training and fighting after July 11.

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