Frank Mir is ready to make his return to the Bellator cage. Mir hasn’t fought since April when he was knocked out by Fedor Emelianenko in his Bellator debut. Now, he’s slated to make his return at Bellator Hawaii in December against Javy Ayala.
Ayala is a punishing striker who has proven capable of knocking out opponents at any point in a fight. Despite currently riding a two-fight losing streak, Mir isn’t taking the 30-year-old lightly. Speaking to MMA Junkie Radio, Mir revealed he plans on eliminating striking early on against Ayala. He wants to tire Ayala out quickly in hopes of sinking in a submission:
“Again, Sergei Kharitonov is a phenomenal striker, and Javy caught him. He’s capable of catching anybody if he does that,” Mir said. “So I really want to eliminate striking with him in the first round. Make sure he’s fatigued and tired and wear down his athletic ability.
“… Like I’ve always said, no one really accidentally chokes each other. People get knocked out all the time by luck, so …”
Who are you picking in Mir vs. Ayala?
