Frank Mir proved to be too difficult a challenge for Roy Nelson at UFC 130 in Las Vegas this evening.
“Big Country” never really was able to implement his will throughout the contest, while Mir managed to do so early and often. Throughout the first two rounds, Mir landed bigger and better strikes and dominated the clinch. He also was able to score takedowns with what appeared to be little effort, including a throw that slammed Nelson to the mat.
In the third round, both fighters seemed to be exhausted, though Nelson clearly appeared the more tired competitor. Mir earned an early takedown and kept his opponent floored throughout the first half of the round. With 1:45 remaining, Nelson worked his way back up, only to be put on his back yet again.
The former champ began dropping elbows with one minute to go, while Nelson, who did not seem to mind the strikes, worked back up to his feet. Mir attempted one last takedown, but Nelson avoided as the contest came to an end.
Mir walked away with a dominant victory and inches closer to a shot at the title once again. Nelson, meanwhile, takes another step backwards, though, to be fair, he has only fought elite heavyweights in his past two contests.
