Frank Mir
Nickname: N/A
Height: 6’ 3”
Weight: 250
MMA Record: 12-3
UFC Record: 10-3
Fighting Style: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Wrestling, Kickboxing

Frank Mir was certainly given the pedigree to fight. His parents run a Kenpo Karate school, he is a former Nevada state-wrestling champion, and he just happens to have a black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu.
Growing up he sparred with his father and other students in order to get him ready for a martial arts career and after seeing the Gracies and their jiu jitsu destroy people in the original UFCs, he took up wrestling and jiu jitsu.

Mir met UFC’s Joe Silva, and talks began about starting to take on local MMA fighters at smaller promotions to see how he’d fair. After going 2-0 he was invited to fight at UFC 34, which he won by submission via armbar. He went on to go 7-1 and fight Tim Silvia for the UFC heavyweight title, which once again he would win by armbar, only this time snapping Silvia’s forearm. This earned him his black belt in jiu jitsu.

Everything looked to be going well for Mir. He got married, was a champion, and was making a career out of what he loved. Then in September 2004 he was in a tragic motorcycle accident, one in which shattered his leg.

After finally recovering from the leg injury and getting his mind right again, he finally came back to the UFC.

He had a shaky start, going 1-2 until he decided to dedicate himself to his fighting career once again. Mir has since gone 3-0 and just won the UFC Interim Heavyweight championship by TKO over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who had never been stopped. He is set to face Heavyweight champ and former WWE star Brock Lesnar, which would unite the two titles. Mir already owns a victory over Lesnar.

–Written By TSR Contributor John Duke

BJ Penn
Nickname: The Prodigy
Height: 5’ 9”
Weight: 155/170
MMA Record: 14-4-1
UFC Record: 13-3-1
Fighting Style: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

“Baby” Jay Dee Penn was born in Kailua, Hawaii and has been fighting out of Hilo at BJ Penn MMA. He is a world champion jiu jitsu competitor, and was the first American to win the World Jiu Jitsu Championship at a black belt level in Brazil. After this victory, the UFC approached him about entering the organization.

The fighting prodigy started out with knockouts of Din Thomas and Caol Uno, both well-respected fighters. He fought Jens Pulver for the UFC Lightweight title, but lost by decision. He would fight Uno once more, drawing again to miss out on the belt. After the UFC stopped the Lightweight division, Penn moved up to 170 to face Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes. He submitted Hughes via a rear naked choke in the first round in a massive upset, earning him his first UFC title.

Contract issues and other organizations caused the UFC to strip Penn of the belt, but he would reconcile and return to face Georges St. Pierre. Even though he lost against St. Pierre and his rematch with Matt Hughes, he continued on, deciding to drop back 155, which was a more suitable and natural weight class.

Penn dominated everyone the UFC threw at him in the 155-weight class, and by doing so he earned his rematch against St. Pierre. If successful, he’ll be the only person to have two UFC titles at the same time.

On January 31st Penn vs St. Pierre 2 will show just how good the prodigy is and if he’s successful, it’ll prove he can fight in two separate weight classes as a champion.

–Written By TSR Contributor John Duke

Georges St. Pierre
Nickname: Rush, GSP
Height: 5’10
Weight: 170
MMA Record: 17-2
UFC Record: 13-2
Fighting Style: Kyokushin, Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Georges began his training in Kyokushin karate to help deal with bullies at school. He did this until the age of 16, when his sensei died and he was forced to try something else. This is when he began to wrestle and take jiu jitsu with many of his fellow Canadian counterparts. St. Pierre has trained with many top fighters and coaches in his young career, recently making the move to train in New Mexico at Greg Jackson’s camp. He now trains with other top MMA fighters including UFC Light heavyweight Rashad Evans, Keith Jardine and Nate Marquardt.

GSP began his UFC career winning against Karo Parisyan and Jay Herion. Those victories earned him a shot at the vacant welterweight UFC belt. He eventually lost to Matt Hughes via an arm bar at 4.59 of the first round. He would later say that his loss to Hughes was the best learning experience of his career.

Pierre rebounded to defeat a who’s who list of UFC fighters including Jason Miller, Frank Trigg, BJ Penn and Sean Sherk. At this point he was the number one contender at 170 and again would fight Matt Hughes for the title, which Hughes held for almost five years. St. Pierre would run through Hughes and take the title in dominating fashion.

Although he eventually lost the belt to Matt Serra in a huge upset, GSP walked through other top fighters such as Josh Koscheck, as well as Matt Hughes for the third time. He again earned a shot to fight Serra to regain his welterweight championship.

Georges currently holds the UFC welterweight title after successfully defending it against John Fitch.
He is currently regarded as the top 170-fighter in the world and considered one of the top 3 pound-for-pound fighters in all of MMA. St. Pierre will defend his belt at UFC 94 against Hawaiian jiu jitsu specialist BJ Penn on Saturday, January 31.

–Written By TSR Contributor John Duke