Frank Mir is excited at Triller Fight Club’s new venture.
The organization, which has mainly been putting on boxing bouts, is bringing in a new form of fighting this month to combat sports. Triller’s Triad Combat is set to inaugurate on Nov. 27 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. It’s been advertised a style that levels the playing field between MMA fighters and boxers.
Mir headlines the card against boxing veteran Kubrat Pulev. The former UFC heavyweight champion is excited to be part of the first event of Triad Combat.
“Being a part of Triller now and this (Triad Combat) is again another revolution that’s going to add to the excitement of the sport,” Mir told MMA Junkie during the Triad Combat virtual press conference on Tuesday. “The two-minute rounds in itself. If I could change anything in MMA, that’s what I would change, ‘Hey, make this into a two-minute round. We can have 20 of them if we have to.’ That way there’s a good amount of time fighting.
“But I think five-minute rounds it’s like running the two miles. It’s not as exciting as watching guys run 400 meters or shorter. People go intense and people don’t have to hold back. I think it’s much entertaining for sports fans.
“And the pure martial artist in me sees it as more real. I’m not going to have a five-minute fight on my way to the car if someone tries to take my keys. It’s going to be short, sweet, vicious, and violent. That’s what we’re going to see of the Triller Triad card. I’m very thankful for Triller to try and be innovative.”
Mir last fought in April, losing a decision to Steve Cunningham in a boxing bout under the Triller banner. He believes Triad Combat’s rules will give MMA fighters more leverage when it comes to boxing, but doesn’t see it as a completely even contest.
“If you just break down statistically, the amount of weapons I’m allowed, I’m still not allowed to knee or kick or takedown or submissions,” Mir explained. “So it’s still very much removed a lot of weapons from my toolkit, but it adds just enough with allowing us to punch from the clinch and hold and wrestle.
And look, there’s just a difference between wrestling and throwing punches afterwards that a lot of people aren’t used it doing. It’s difficult. There’s a certain amount of physical condition that requires in dirty boxing. That’s something I’ve been doing for a few years. So I think in that instance, it does push the needle a little bit towards the MMA guy. But as far as fifty-fifty, if they allowed to throw knees and throws – even if they didn’t allow me to stay on the ground – I think that’d be closer to an actual statistic fifty-fifty. But it does allow a few of the weapons that MMA guys have that boxer’s aren’t used to.”
Frank Mir sees Triller’s Triad Combat as a ‘revolution’ that will add excitement to combat sports
