Yahoo Sports UFC Fight Night 71 Results: Frank Mir Continues Resurgence with KO of Todd Duffee
Former two-time heavyweight champion Frank Mir continued his resurgence back into relevancy with a first-round knockout win over Todd Duffee in the UFC Fight Night 71 main event on Wednesday.
There was no love lost between the former training partners leading up to the fight and the two didn’t touch gloves before the bout.
They wasted no time getting after it. Both fighters were headhunting and Mir landed first, staggering Duffee in the early going. His left hand found its mark regularly, but Duffee fired back.
After stunning Mir and moving him back with a right hand, Duffee closed the distance looking for the finish. Mir planted his feet and delivered a left hand flush to the jaw of Duffee that sent him crashing to the canvas face first. 73 seconds into the opening round, it was over.
UFC Fight Night 71 Full Results and Fight Analytics
“I went out there and beat a young stud at what he does best, which is throw leather, throw explosive, throw hard,” said Mir following the knockout. “I fought a little emotional. I usually don’t do that. I try to be crafty, but I just bit down on my mouthpiece and swung for the fences.”
Duffee is known of his explosive punching power and Mir's game plan was to meet Duffee's aggressive style with aggression.
“When someone is coming at you like a bull, you can’t back up on them. You’ve got to come forward. A knock that I’ve always had on my career is that I start slow. We fixed that in training,” he said. “I just showcased what our training has been.”
After dropping four fights in a row, Mir has now put together a two-fight winning streak, finishing both fights by knockout. He's been a different fighter since returning after taking a year off. He's risen from the ashes to become a contender again.
“I expected to be more technical tonight. I’ve been sparring with some really good guys,” said Mir. “I showcased a different aspect of me, which now people are going to have to wonder; I can come out there and I can fight hard with a young bull, but I can still be the matador.”
