The former UFC heavyweight champion hasn’t competed since 2021 where he was stopped in the first round in a custom rules bout.
Despite being away for a significant amount of time, that hasn’t stopped Frank Mir from targeting an MMA comeback having not fought in this ruleset since 2019.
The 45-year-old has already reserved his spot in the history books with Mir being a part of an iconic UFC feud with Brock Lesnar amongst many other memorable chapters in his career.
Along with names like Paige VanZant and Tony Ferguson, the GFL’s recent draft saw several former UFC fighters join the promotion’s roster ahead of their debut event.
One of the very first fights that the GFL matched up will see Mir take on Fabricio Werdum after he was drafted to Team Los Angeles under manager Wanderlei Silva and coach Rafael Cordeiro.
READ MORE: Dillon Danis accuses Logan Paul of thwarting potential UFC signing before agreeing to GFL dealFrank Mir details emergency spinal fusion surgery ahead of GFL debutWith a record of 19-13, Frank Mir competed in his last MMA fight at Bellator 231 in 2019 though he never officially retired.
The submission specialist did sign a two-fight deal with the United Fight League but his return to the cage was consistently pushed back until the GFL started to acquire a huge amount of names for their draft.
It hasn’t yet been announced when Mir will step inside the cage to face Werdum but it appears from a recent update that this could also be delayed.
The former champion posted on Instagram to tell his supporters that he has recently undergone a significant emergency surgery to his back.
Alongside an image of him in hospital and a look at his back after the surgery, Mir was happy to announce that the procedure was a success.
“I wanted to take a moment to update you on my health and share a bit about my recent journey. As many of you know, I’ve been dedicated to martial arts since I was just four years old. My love for hard training has driven me to push my limits as a professional athlete. However, this passion comes with its challenges.
“Recently, I faced a significant hurdle: I underwent an emergency spinal fusion and laminectomy of my entire thoracic spine. Although it was a tough decision, I’m happy to report that the surgery was a complete success!”
In the same post, the 32-fight veteran spoke about what is next for him and confirmed that this hasn’t changed his plans to compete once again.
If anything, he is now focused on being better than before once he has had time to fully recover.
“Now, I’m diving into rehabilitation and focusing on my recovery. This is just another challenge that I intend to overcome, and I’m committed to coming back stronger, both mentally and physically, than ever.
“Thank you all for your support during this time. Your encouragement means the world to me, and I can’t wait to share my progress with you.”
READ MORE: Joe Rogan’s hilarious UFC 313 flub goes viral as fans mock commentator for ‘young man’ commentAge was a significant talking point during the GFL’s draftThroughout the GFL’s run of big announcements earlier on in the year, the age of their roster was a huge talking point.
The promotion was certainly able to accumulate a lot of fighters that will be known to MMA fans but in many examples, the athletes are already seen to be way past their best.
Some of the GFL’s biggest signings are fighters that are either in or close to their forties and are coming off of difficult runs as of late or in Mir’s case, they’ve not been competing at all.
You can make the case for why this isn’t as worrying when they’re fighting fellow legends and veterans but it remains to be seen whether this will convince fight fans to tune in.
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