UFC
UFC Champ Junior dos Santos happy with Frank Mir as UFC 146 replacement opponent, still looking for the knockout
Apr 22, 2012 - 8:00:19 PM UFC Champ Junior dos Santos happy with Frank Mir as UFC 146 replacement opponent, still looking for the knockout

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos will face a new opponent in his first title defense at UFC 146 next month, as the UFC removed Alistair Overeem ahead of his hearing with the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Tuesday, replacing him with Frank Mir.

Dos Santos has been preparing for a potential opponent change for the last several weeks, and though he knows he's got some new things to prepare for against Mir, he's not concerned with the change overall.

"So Overeem was replaced by Frank Mir, and I think it's a good thing for me, because if I had to [pick] someone to replace Overeem [it would be] Frank Mir," dos Santos said in a short video he posted online. "But I have to change a lot of my camp, because Frank Mir is a southpaw and he's a jiu jitsu black belt."

"I have to change a little bit of my camp, but that's it, I'm a fighter. I will be looking for the knockout. Doesn't matter who my opponent is."

Penick's Analysis: Though Mir is a former Champion in his own right and a longtime veteran, most will see him as much less of a challenge for dos Santos than Overeem. Still, Mir was the right choice for the replacement, and he'll still be a challenge for dos Santos, even if it's only a small one. Mir's got some sneaky things he's capable of pulling off, though he may get blasted quickly by the hard hitting Champ. It's not as big a spectacle as the JDS-Overeem bout would have been, but this is still a good Heavyweight Title bout.

[Junior dos Santos art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]