Another big name from the UFC is apparently heading over to Bellator.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir has agreed to terms with Bellator MMA, according to an article released on Tuesday from Ariel Helwani for MMA Fighting. Mir’s agreement with Bellator comes shortly after the former UFC heavyweight champion was granted a release last month from his contract with the UFC.
In 2016, Mir tested positive for banned substances from an in-competition sample collected by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) the day of his fight against Mark Hunt. Mir has always claimed his innocence on not knowingly taking the banned substance and has claimed it could have been from tainted kangaroo meat that he ate while in Australia for his fight against Hunt. Despite his claims of innocence, Mir was served a two-year suspension term for his positive test for the banned substance. Mir will be eligible to fight again in April 2018 and is not expected to fight for Bellator before his suspension term is up.
Bellator is expected to make the official announcement of Mir’s signing with the promotion soon.
Frank Mir has been with the UFC since 2001, first winning the UFC heavyweight title back in 2004 against Tim Sylvia in 2004. Mir holds notable wins over Brock Lesnar, Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic, and an interim championship win over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
What are your thoughts on former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir heading over to Bellator MMA but likely not fighting until his suspension term is up in 2018? Let’s discuss this one in the comment section!
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 8/15/2017.