Q & A with Frank Mir

By Gary Herman
Special to CBSSports.com

Frank Mir was stuck at a major crossroads in his fighting career. On one hand, he had the prestige of being a former UFC heavyweight champion. On the other, he was only 2-2 in his last four fights. The two defeats were both first-round TKO losses.

At UFC 81, Mir received a shot to rejuvenate career. His opponent was former NCAA collegiate champion and former World Wrestling Entertainment champion Brock Lesnar. Mir capitalized on the opportunity by defeating Lesnar in just 90 seconds.

We recently caught up with Mir to discuss the victory over Lesnar, his thoughts on how long before he'll receive a title shot, and what he thinks of some top heavyweight fighters not joining the UFC.

Question: Congratulations on your big win over Brock Lesnar. How does it feel looking back on it?

Frank Mir: It was a good win because of all the publicity on the fight. Brock Lesnar has a real strong wrestling base and is a very strong guy. I knew that catching him in a submission would not be easy.

Q: Did Lesnar's size and speed concern you going in?

Mir: It was a factor, but you don't really understand it until you fight someone with that kind of strength. I just made adjustments for it during the fight. You can't really be too concerned with what someone else brings into the ring.

Q: Interesting -- even when you fought the 6-foot, 8-inch Tim Sylvia, his height didn't cause you to train differently?

Mir: Obviously, you bring in training partners that are much taller. This time against Lesnar I tried to bring in guys that were real strong in wrestling.

Click Here to jump over to Sportsline.com and rest the rest of the interview.