Longtime mixed martial arts (MMA) heavyweight Frank Mir has been fighting in the sport since 2001.
In fact, Mir's first fight took place on July 14th, 2001 - the same day future UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor was celebrating his 13th birthday. Mir is now a 17-year veteran of the sport and has been front and center for its evolution over the past few decades.
Fighters such as Mir, Anderson Silva, Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Georges St-Pierre, and many more paved the way for today's champions and young fighters.
In the early days of the sport many MMA fighters were viewed as criminals of thugs. Today, they're respected as legitimate athletes and competitors.
The sport of MMA is now a mainstream sport and receives tremendous coverage from leading sports stations such as ESPN and FOX Sports.
Conor McGregor's recent actions in Brooklyn, however, may have just sent the sport back a few years - bringing back up the labels of MMA fighters being criminals and thugs.
The Notorious One sought revenge against UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov for threatening his teammate, Artem Lobov, by attacking his fighter bus. McGregor threw a dolly at the bus and broke a window - injuring two fighters.
Mir recently did an interview with FanSided to offer this thoughts on the matter involving McGregor, and explained how the Irishman's actions are ruining what MMA pioneers before him built up over the past couple of decades (quotes via MMA News):
“Seeing Conor do that, on a personal note, it bugs me,” Mir said.
“The guys like me, Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, Matt Hughes, we fought for years to not be considered a thug, and now you’re going to drag us back in.
"You are the most famous guy in our sport, the richest guy, the most notable character … People judge us [fighters] by our most notable face.
“So with Conor being the most famous face and you give him a slap on the wrist, how do you deter other guys going down this path?” Mir asked.
What are your thoughts regarding Mir's comments on McGregor's recent antics in Brooklyn? Do you think that McGregor is ruining what MMA pioneers before him built? And does this action set the sport back a bit? Let us know your thoughts on the matter in the comments section below!
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