Frank Mir knows he doesn’t have much longer in his career.
The former UFC heavyweight champion is 41-years-old and is set to turn 42, isn’t putting a timeline on his retirement. Mir admits three years ago when he was in Bellator, he wanted to retire, but after taking care of his body, he says he’s in really good shape and isn’t sure when he will retire now.
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“As long as I’m able to be healthy. Right now, the things I’m doing at the gym, I haven’t been able to do since I was 32, 33,” Mir said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “If you would’ve asked me this question two years ago, I would’ve said I needed to retire now because of how beat up I was and the daily injuries, and the lack of motivation to train when you are hurting. It got harder to get in shape. It hurts to work out, and it hurts after and it’s not very motivating. Now that I have a handle on the aches and pains, I’m squatting, bench pressing, things three to four years ago I couldn’t have done.”
Part of his plan in his final years of fighting is to take any interesting opportunity that comes his way. That starts on Saturday night as he is set for his first professional boxing match and is eager for that.
After Saturday, however, Frank Mir says the plan is to finally make his BKFC debut.
“David has been awesome dealing with. Obviously, he wouldn’t like it if I tried to pick up a fight with another bare-knuckle fight league,” Mir said. “But, as far as MMA and boxing, as long as I don’t have a fight scheduled with them they are open to me fighting. When I talked to them about my ambitions were for the last part of my career, being held up and not fighting, look I’m 41, how many more times will I get to strap them on and compete?”
Although he is signed to BKFC, Mir has made it clear he wants to share an MMA card with his daughter for his final fight. But, he isn’t sure when that will be as he does want to do a few bare-knuckle fights.
When do you think Frank Mir will retire?