Antônio Pezão rules out avoiding a fight on the ground with Frank Mir: 'I've never been submitted'

Pezão (photo) faces Mir in Porto Alegre. Photo: Disclosure/UFC

Frank mir He is considered one of the most dangerous athletes in the ground game in the entire UFC heavyweight division. The veteran achieved nine of his 16 victories by submission, having already victimized names such as Rodrigo Minotauro, Brock Lesnar, Cheick Kongo and Tim Sylvia. The packed CV, however, is not intimidating Antonio Pezão, Mir's next opponent, who will face him at UFC Porto Alegre, this Sunday (22).

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The Brazilian, also a jiu-jitsu black belt, made it clear that he will not shy away from the fight on the ground against Mir. “A fight is a fight, you never know what could happen, but I'm very comfortable on the ground. I've fought with big names in jiu-jitsu, I've fought with Fabricio Werdum, and I was never finished. So, if I have to fight for five rounds on the ground, I will fight for five rounds on the ground”, he commented, in an interview with the website of the North American broadcaster “FOX Sports”.

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However, Pezão preached respect for the North American fighter, even though he is going through a difficult time in the UFC, with four defeats in his last four fights. “I'm going to fight Frank as if it were a title fight and he was the number one fighter . This is how I’m going to fight,” he said.