While Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir shared such an intense hatred for one another, it wasn’t losing to a rival that hurt the wrestling icon the most.
On February 2, 2008, inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, two of the greatest heavyweights of all time went to war.
The WWE legend cruised through the early portion of the fight, dominating his opponent with vicious ground and pound.
But then, seemingly out of nowhere, his nemesis locked in a kneebar to sweep the rug out from beneath his feet.
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Brock Lesnar was furious that Frank Mir beat him via submission
Coming from a WWE background, Brock Lesnar exuded charisma on the mic, with the American delivering some of the best promos of all time.
However, behind the bravado was a real person, who felt the pressure of the world ahead of his showdown with Frank Mir. In actual fact, Lesnar had to go to incredible lengths to overcome his nerves.
You wouldn’t have known it, though, when the powerhouse set foot in the cage and dismantled the Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner until one small slip-up cost him everything.
In an interview on The Pat McAfee Show, the 47-year-old explained: “It was very humbling, my first fight in the UFC with Frank, because I’d prepared for the kneebar so many times, probably one million times, I prepared how to get out and counter what he got me in.
“It was like I was in practice, drilling how to get out of it. I was like, ‘Oh S**t, this is happening, yeah, that’s good, I’m done’.
“I was so mad at myself. It built another thing that people ram down your throat: they say you can’t do something. I love those people.”
Of course, rather than wallowing in self-pity, Lesnar regrouped and went above and beyond to improve his game, eventually winning the rematch via destructive KO at UFC 100.
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Frank Mir says the thing that made him feel the pressure for Brock Lesnar fight
While Lesnar was certainly anxious for their first encounter, he wasn’t the only one feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders.
This is surprising considering the fact that Mir had already beaten legends like Tim Sylvia and Tank Abbott.
Ultimately, with a BJJ black belt, the grappler was always going to come out on top if the fight hit the floor. After all, the legend is very open about what he’s capable of, with Mir confessing he had a near-fatal training session when a UFC star wouldn’t tap.
But right before the fight something put the former UFC King on edge. Mir has opened up about the comment that piled on the pressure.
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