"I think in Canada, MMA is bigger than it is in the States" - Free To Air TV Forum, FTA Keys and Downloads, Dish Network, Nagravision 3

GrnMachine · #1 (**permalink**) 26th September 2009, 06:09 PM

Canada may be our home and native land, but according to Frank Mir it may also be a more natural home for mixed martial arts.

The former UFC heavyweight champion, who trains in his hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada, has developed an affinity for all things Canadian in the time he has spent here, including a unique perspective on his sport's popularity outside of the U.S.

"I think in Canada, MMA is bigger than it is in the States to be honest with you," remarked Mir. "I'm recognized everywhere I go in the U.S., but definitely there seems to be a much warmer acceptance in Canada. I go into a restroom and the bathroom attendant is talking to me about my last fight. Everywhere I go."

"I don't know why, I don't know enough about Canadian history, but it just seems like the combat sport thing doesn't seem to scare off people in the same way. Sometimes in the States, we've had the real slow progress to move over. We have boxing but it seems like a lot of people have just had a prejudice against our sport. I don't think we ran into the same problem in Canada, it seems readily accepted," Mir said, candidly.

"I guess if you watch guys get beat up in hockey, UFC is not that big of a deal," he added.

Mir has yet to fight in one of the UFC's events in Montreal, but he hopes to get a chance to enter the octagon north of the border soon.

"I think it would be awesome," he said candidly.

Mir is the latest heavyweight to throw his support behind the UFC spreading across Canada. In August, UFC President Dana White spoke of the move to venues in other provinces with plenty of optimism.

"We're going to Vancouver. We'll be there soon ... Let's just say we got it done," said White at a pre-fight news conference prior to UFC 102.

The issue at hand is that the MMA is not completely sanctioned outside of Quebec, so despite two successful shows in Montreal, the UFC must first win a battle with provincial politicians before an event can be scheduled. Earlier this year an event was held in Victoria, and since then UFC officials have met with B.C. politicians, to try to convince city council to approve a fight card.

Mir believes that politicians who are opposing the sports expansion may be grandstanding to further their own agendas.

Our sport right now is a new hot improving sport, it's the fastest growing sport in the world right now. So to be on the bandwagon might not be the thing to get you noticed.

"I think a lot of the people here in Canada, if any of the politicians are going against it, it's not that they honestly think it's bad for society," he explained. "They don't really honestly believe that. If they did then they should look for a different job because if those are the people making decisions for me on a day-to-day basis for my overall well being, that scares me."

"If they think in the big picture of life that me being a martial artist and choosing to compete against another martial artist, and people buying tickets to go watch a sporting event. [If they believe] that's going to be the detriment to our society amongst all the other problems we have right now, they need to worry about drugs, worry about crime, and poverty. There are other issues that are a little more important and hot seated than mixed martial arts."

The UFC has tentatively set a June date for the show in Vancouver if all goes to plan, and they continue to push to hold an event in Ontario in the future.

After losing his last bout to current UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, Mir is expected to step back into the octagon at UFC 107 in December, against Cheick Kongo.

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