Reluctant Mir jumps back into training

Veteran UFC heavyweight Frank Mir was looking forward to enjoying the last month of summer like many other fathers around Las Vegas.

Mir had big plans with his family after spending May and June training for a July 15 fight against Todd Duffee, which he won in just 1:13.

"I got the phone call that they'd really like me to go ahead and fight (against Andrei Arlovski on Sept. 5). I didn't jump at it. I was like, 'I was kind of looking forward to hanging around with the family, drinking some beers, smoking some cigars,’€²" the Bonanza alum said.

"I had a two-week vacation booked to go with the family to my uncle's property in Washington. My kids have had a pretty poor summer because I've been in camp and when I'm done for the day, I'm tired. They'll ask me to play catch or something and I'll have to like sit in a chair at the end of the driveway. I was looking forward to giving them some fun."

Eventually, Mir decided to accept the fight against the fellow former heavyweight champion, which meant jumping right back into training camp.

The opportunity is certainly a valuable one. Mir had been mired in a four-fight losing streak before recording back-to-back first-round knockouts. A win over a resurgent Arlovski, who has won five straight fights, could put him right back in the title picture.

It's an important bout between two former champions, both 36 and nearly a decade removed from their respective title reigns, who were written off by a vast majority of people in the sport.

"I have a lot of respect for Andrei. He's a guy that if my kids were to tell me right now they were fans of Andrei, I would completely cultivate that," Mir said. "Here's a guy who was at the top. He went from the pinnacle of our sport to getting cut, signing with other organizations, losing more and he's getting put out cold. Everyone is saying he's done, his chin is gone, he needs to retire and this guy doesn't listen to anybody. He just said, 'Nope, I'm going to keep moving forward and figure out a way.' He's better now."

Still, Mir was hoping to put off this matchup for now.

"In one sense, I'm not happy about it on a social level. I think we both have a lot to offer the sport and I don't want to see either one of us derailed right now. I would have been much happier with this situation if we could have skipped each other at this point. I could have fought someone else in the top three and he could have fought Werdum for the title and then we could have faced each other in a title fight instead if he would have won," Mir said.

"That would have been the ideal situation for me. To say here's two guys that everyone counted out and said their careers are over. They figured out ways to move forward and persevere and now they're back."

But Mir said he felt a sense of obligation to the UFC, which kept him around despite his four-fight losing streak, to accept the fight.

"How do I say no?" he said. "I was reluctant. Then I realized sometimes work calls. I have people that depend on me, you clear your mind from any sort of distractions and you move forward."

The bout is part of the UFC 191 card at MGM Grand, headlined by a flyweight title fight between John Dodson and champion Demetrious Johnson.

KEY MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT SET — Yoel Romero will fight Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza in a matchup of middleweight contenders on the UFC 194 card at MGM Grand on Dec. 12, sources close to the organization confirmed Monday.

The two originally were slated to fight in February, but Souza contracted pneumonia and had to withdraw. Romero pulled out of the rescheduled date in April after he tore the meniscus in his knee.

Romero has won all six fights since entering the UFC in 2013, five by knockout. The Olympic wrestling silver medalist is coming off a third-round knockout of Lyoto Machida in June.

Souza, the former Strikeforce middleweight champion, is on an eight-fight winning streak that includes fight straight since entering the UFC.

The winner is likely to be in line to challenge for the middleweight belt against Luke Rockhold or current champion Chris Weidman, who will also fight at UFC 194.

The event is headlined by a featherweight title unification bout between champion Jose Aldo and interim champ Conor McGregor.

MAGNY REPLACES STORY — Welterweight Neil Magny agreed to step in on short notice to replace injured Rick Story against Erick Silva as part of Sunday's card in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Magny had a seven-fight winning streak broken with a submission loss to Demian Maia on Aug. 1.

UFC Fight Night 74, featuring a main event featherweight bout between Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira, will air on Fox Sports 1 (Cable 329) at 4 p.m. The main card begins at 6.

TITLE FIGHTS ANNOUNCED — UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum will defend his belt against former champion Cain Velasquez, though no announcement has been made for a date or site.

The future is more clear for lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos. He will risk his belt against Donald Cerrone in Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 19. The bout will headline an event that will air on Fox.

Cerrone has won eight straight fights since losing a unanimous decision to dos Anjos in 2013. It will be the first title defense for dos Anjos, who won the belt with a unanimous decision over Anthony Pettis in March. He is recovering from a torn MCL in his knee.

Werdum took the belt from Velasquez with a third-round submission victory in Mexico City in June. Velasquez, noted for his superior cardio, appeared to struggle with the altitude after electing to not train in Mexico City, unlike Werdum.

The rematch is expected to take place in late 2015 or early 2016, according to UFC president Dana White.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him: @adamhilllvrj