Mir Rushed Into Emergency Surgery
03/10/2025 01:39 PM
Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir was expected to make his combat sports comeback against grappling deity Fabricio Werdum, no stranger to UFC gold, as part of the upcoming GFL MMA launch later this year.
That fight has now been canceled.
"Recently, I faced a significant hurdle: I underwent an emergency spinal fusion and laminectomy of my entire thoracic spine," Mir wrote on Instagram. "Although it was a tough decision, I'm happy to report that the surgery was a complete success!"
Mir turns 46 in just a few weeks.
"Now, I'm diving into rehabilitation and focusing on my recovery," Mir continued. "This is just another challenge that I intend to overcome, and I'm committed to coming back stronger, both mentally and physically, than ever."
No word yet on whether or not Werdum will be rebooked.
Mir (19-13) has not competed since capturing a unanimous decision victory over Roy Nelson at Bellator 231. As for Werdum (24-10-1, 1 NC), two years older than Mir at 47, he's been inactive since dropping a split nod to Junior dos Santos for Gamebred MMA in late 2023.
