Las Vegas, NV (USA) – Long considered the most prestigious title in mixed martial arts, the UFC Heavyweight Championship currently rests in the hands of two men – Champion Brock Lesnar and interim belt holder Frank Mir. On Saturday, May 23rd, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Lesnar and Mir will meet to not only determine an Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion, but to settle some very personal business they began in this same city over a year ago.

"Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir put on one of the most intense one round fights I've ever seen at UFC 81," said UFC President Dana White, referring to Mir's submission victory over Lesnar in February of 2008. "But when it was over, both guys saw things very differently. Lesnar blamed his loss on inexperience and being too aggressive, while Mir saw his win as a triumph of his technique, something he says will happen every time they fight. On May 23rd, each fighter has his chance to prove his point, and while a lot has happened for these two since that first fight, I know the rematch is going to be just as intense as the first one, especially considering that the winner walks away as the UFC Heavyweight Champion."

Tickets for UFC 98: LESNAR VS. MIR 2 priced at $800, $600, $400, $250, $125 and $75, not including applicable service charges, go on sale Saturday, March 7 at 10 a.m. at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith's Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.ufc.com, www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Thursday, March 5 at 10 a.m. PT via the website ufc.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Friday, March 6 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through ufc.com.

UFC 98: LESNAR vs. MIR 2 will be available live on pay-per-view on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu, Shaw Communications and Viewer's Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.95 for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available).

A gifted athlete with the size, speed, and power to impose his will on any opponent, 6-3 ½, 265 pound Brock Lesnar (3-1) made an immediate impact in the UFC when he debuted in February of 2008. A four-time All-American, two-time Big Ten Champion, and 2000 NCAA Division I National Champion in wrestling, Lesnar made a name for himself internationally after college as a professional wrestler, but he soon found his calling in mixed martial arts in 2006. After a 69 second win in his pro debut a year later, Lesnar entered the UFC in 2008 and was seconds away from victory against former heavyweight champ before a stoppage in the action for a point deduction allowed Mir to come back and submit the newcomer moments afterwards. But at UFC 87 in August of 2008, Lesnar showed why he was a force to be reckoned with by dominating Heath Herring, and by November 15, the ever improving Minnesotan shocked the world when he TKOd one of the greatest heavyweights of all time, Randy "The Natural" Couture. Now firmly entrenched on the top of the heavyweight division, Lesnar wants to even the score with Mir.

"I'm delighted to have a rematch against Frank Mir," said Lesnar. "I can't wait to get my revenge and finish this fight on the ground the way it should have been finished last time."

Many believe that 29-year old Las Vegan Frank Mir (12-3) was destined for stardom the moment he stepped in the UFC Octagon, and he lived up to all expectations when he submitted Tim Sylvia in 50 seconds in 2004 to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Unfortunately, Mir's career ground to a halt when a serious motorcycle accident later that year forced him to the sidelines for almost two years. His eagerness to return forced him into some spotty performances when he stepped back into the Octagon in 2006, but at UFC 74 in August of 2007, Mir was back in top notch form as he submitted Antoni Hardonk in just 77 seconds. He followed that pivotal win with a come-from-behind victory over Brock Lesnar at UFC 81 in February of 2008, but it wasn't until UFC 92 on December 27, 2008 that Mir came all the way back, as he became the first man to stop the legendary Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueira at UFC 92, en route to regaining the interim portion of the championship he never lost in the Octagon. On May 23rd, the 6-3, 240 pound Mir has the opportunity to once again reign as the undisputed title holder.

"Brock Lesnar has been calling for a rematch with me ever since I beat him the first time," said Mir. "All I can say to Brock is be careful what you wish for because I'm a better, smarter, stronger, and faster fighter than I was the last time. He won't be able to push me around like he's done smaller opponents, and I'm looking forward to becoming undisputed champion again."

Source: UFC.com

Fiveouncesofpain.com's Sam Caplan breaks down the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight rankings in an article at CBS Sports, and when you really take a look at the UFC heavyweight division, Brock Lesnar really isn't that far away from a shot at the UFC heavyweight title.

UFC heavyweight rangkings list:
1. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
2. Fabricio Werdum
3. Gabriel Gonzaga
4. Frank Mir
5. Brock Lesnar
6. Heath Herring
7. Cheick Kongo
8. Cain Velasquez
9. Shane Carwin
10.Antoni Hardonk

In terms of the UFC by itself, these rankings are pretty much as close to official as you can get. With two or possibly even one win over Werdum or Gonzaga, Lesnar could basically become the number one contender to the heavyweight crown.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira will defend his title against Frank Mir in December following the eighth season of the Ultimate Fight in which they are coaches on and if Lesnar does fight and win his next fight or two he could be on the line for a title shot in early 2009.

Heath "The Texas Crazy Horse" Herring was convincingly defeated by Brock Lesnar at UFC 87 on August 9 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota by unanimous decision. Unhappy with his performance and the outcome, Herring looks to the future and would eventually like a rematch with the former Division I collegiate wrestling champion and three times World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Champion.

Herring had high expectations heading into the octagon against Lesnar, but was caught by a right hand in the opening moments of the bout that sent him and his expectations crashing to the canvas.

"I think that shot pretty much changed the whole dynamic of the fight," said Herring. "I sure would like to know what would have happened if it hadn't landed."

"Once that right hand landed it was like I was fighting half blind, or pretty much blind at that point. It was all pretty much downhill from there," explained the 30-year-old heavyweight. "I just tried to come back and mount some type of offense. Unfortunately, I was never able to mount anything that significant.. After getting rocked with a shot like that, and not being able to see, you're more in survival mode."

"It doesn't sit very well with me. I'll be honest. I mean, you go out there and right at the beginning of the fight get caught with probably the biggest shot ever and you're starting off right away in a negative position."

Lesnar's post-fight antics and conduct in the final seconds of the match have received as much attention as the right hand that nearly finished the fight in round one. When asked his thoughts on Lesnar's actions, Herring responded, "That's kind of what everybody expected. Isn't it? I mean, that's where he comes from. He's got the pro wrestling background. That's kind of what they do."

"If the fans don't like it, the fans need to make their opinions heard on it, but I expected as much," added Herring. "If that's how he's going to behave, that's how he's going to behave. I'd still like another shot at it, but we'll see how that goes later."

During the post-fight press conference, Lesnar commented that there was bad blood between the two camps leading up to the event that resulted in the taunting after the win. "That was for Heath's camp because on the way out to the Octagon there was some things said before the fight," stated Lesnar.

Herring disputes the bad blood claims. "I don't know really where all of that is coming from. I just recently heard any of that to be honest with you," said the UFC and PRIDE veteran.

Following the fight, rumors swirled about alleged injuries suffered in the loss. Herring assured the damage is minimal and expects a quick recovery.

"Everything should be all right," said the Texas native. "They thought I had a small orbital problem. But I think that's going to heal up and everything should be okay."

"The only thing I had was that left eye. That was it. I didn't have any bruises, aches or pains otherwise, but that left eye was enough to sway the battle in his favor."

Questioned where he goes from here, Herring answered, "You just try to move forward. I mean everybody can sit here and put their two-bits in, or their two-cents in about this and that. Right now, I've just got to move forward with this. I'm not happy with the loss. I'm not happy with the fight at all. I've just got to go back to the drawing board and start over."

When former Division I collegiate wrestling heavyweight champion and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstar Brock Lesnar made the decision to compete in MMA, he set lofty goals. After his debut win over Kim Min-soo in K-1, Lesnar set his sights on the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

"I'm a fighter, and I believe that if somebody should be holding a belt in the UFC, it's Brock Lesnar," that's what the 31-year-old pro wrestler told in August 2007.

Lesnar debuted in the UFC against former heavyweight titleholder Frank Mir at UFC 81 and lost via kneebar in a fight he was dominating. "I've been in front of a lot of crowds, but the one thing I hadn't been in was the Octagon and fighting a former champion," commented Lesnar. "I put a lot of pressure on myself that first fight. I had more pressure on my first fight I think than I did this fight."

UFC President Dana White had reservations about bringing Lesnar into the UFC. "When Brock said he wanted to fight in the UFC, I told him, 'This isn't the place to learn how to fight. You should fight in smaller shows,'" White told the media during the UFC 87 post-fight press conference. "He wanted to come here and test himself against the best."

After Lesnar's performance against Heath Herring at the Target Center in Minneapolis, White admitted something he rarely admits. "I'll be honest, I didn't think he could come in here with no fights and compete at this level. He proved me wrong. He looked unbelievable... I'm very impressed and I think everyone else is too."

Following his first win in the UFC, Lesnar told the media, "I got really excited after I won. And I have every right to be. I came off a loss. And it was tough. I don't like to lose. And it feels good."

Lesnar dropped Herring early in the first round with a right hand. Questioned if he's been working on his striking, he answered, "I've been working on everything, not just the right hand. It's one of those things where we broke Heath Herring down. And the advantage we had in our camp was Heath didn't have any footage on me and we had everything on him. He was expecting me to shoot on him and I faked a shot, faked a jab, and came with the right hand and put it where I needed to put it."

Following his impressive victory some criticized Lesnar for his post-fight antics, comparing it to his pro wrestling days in the WWE. "That was just me. I was excited," stated the heavyweight fighter. "That was for Heath's camp because on the way out to the Octagon there was some things said before the fight. And I had the last laugh and the last words to say. That's all that matters to me.

"I may have went a little overboard," he added. "But I was having fun. You know? I like where I'm at and if I offended anybody, I'm sorry. Ah… not really."

With only three MMA fights, Lesnar hasn't shed that stigma of being a former professional wrestler despite the fact that several mixed martial artists also participate in pro wrestling matches in Japan.

"First and foremost, I'm an amateur wrestler," stated Lesnar. "I was in the entertainment business for four and a half years. I didn't forget who I was nor will I ever forget. I started wrestling when I was five years old. Nobody gave me anything in my entire life. I've had to fight for every damn thing that I've got and I'm proud of it. I'm proud to be here."

Lesnar admitted that two years ago he was at a crossroads in his career and didn't know what direction he'd end up going. But the former three times WWE Champion has found a place in the UFC. "I feel at home here. People bounce around from job to job their whole lives and never find a home. I feel like this is where I belong."

White appears to agree, "(Heath Herring's) fought the best fighters in the world. He got dominated… dominated by Brock Lesnar. Brock Lesnar is a mixed martial artist, no doubt about it."

Do you agree with him?

After almost signing with UFC earlier this year, it now appears that capoeira and jiu-jitsu expert Andre Gusmao will finally make his debut for the promotion in August at UFC 87.

Currently undefeated in his professional career, Gusmao was prematurely speculated to face David Heath at UFC 81 in February, but it was then discovered that he was still under obligation to the International Fight League (IFL).

During his time with the IFL, Gusmao served as an alternate for Renzo Gracie's Pitbulls, racking up four wins in the promotion.

Gusmao was supposedly signed and ready to fight Heath when his previous contractual obligations were revealed, but now it appears he has fulfilled his time with the IFL and now moves on to the UFC.

At this time no opponent has been named for Gusmao in his debut, but more fights for the Minnesota card are expected soon.

UFC 87 bouts (officially announced):
- Georges St. Pierre vs Jon Fitch
- Kenny Florian vs Roger Huerta
- Brock Lesnar vs Heath Herring

UFC 87 bouts (unannounced yet):
- Frankie Edgar vs Hermes Franca
- Cheick Kongo vs Dan Evensen
- Mac Danzig vs Clay Guida
- Steve Bruno vs Chris Wilson
- Karo Parisyan vs TBA
- Andre Gusmao vs TBA