Mir Sidelined by Knee Injury, Lesnar Bout Postponed

By Thomas Gerbasi

COLUMBUS, OH, March 7 - Following an injury to his right knee suffered during training recently and subsequent arthroscopic surgery this week, interim UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir has been forced to postpone his May 23rd rematch with Brock Lesnar until sometime later this year.

“It’s disappointing, but this is the nature of the fight game,” said UFC President Dana White of the postponement of the UFC 98 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.”

“I’m not happy about the postponement, but I’m taking this fight very seriously, and I want to be at my best when I step into the Octagon with Brock Lesnar again,” said Mir, who submitted Lesnar in the first round in their first meeting in February of 2008. “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.”

The announcement of the postponement was made during Saturday night’s UFC 96 telecast at the Nationwide Arena. No rescheduled date has been announced. Lesnar will not appear on the UFC 98 card, which will have a new main event revealed shortly.