UFC 119: Mir vs. Cro Cop | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Daniel Cornmeat
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Introduction
UFC 119: Mir vs. Cro Cop. September 25, 2010. Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana. The first UFC event in Indiana. Frank Mir stopped Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic by TKO at 4:02 of round three via a knee to the head in the clinch. It was a quiet, grindy fight — two heavyweights controlling distance and trading shots in close — until the knee finished it.
The original main event had been Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, but Nogueira required hip surgery. Mirko Cro Cop replaced him. In one of the card’s most notable undercard results, Sean McCorkle submitted K-1 kickboxing legend Mark Hunt with a kimura in round one of Hunt’s UFC debut. Ryan Bader defeated Antonio Rogerio Nogueira by unanimous decision in the LHW main card bout.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Quick Stats
3. The Build-Up
4. Main Event
5. Co-Main Event
6. Full Results
7. Bonuses & Awards
8. Records & Milestones
9. Legacy & Impact
10. FAQ
11. References
Quick Stats
Date: September 25, 2010
Venue: Conseco Fieldhouse (now Gainbridge Fieldhouse), Indianapolis, Indiana, USA (first UFC in Indiana)
Attendance: 15,811; Gate: $1,600,000; PPV: 295,000 buys
Main Event: Frank Mir vs. Mirko Cro Cop — Heavyweight (Cro Cop replaced injured Nogueira)
Result: Frank Mir def. Mirko Cro Cop — KO (Knee in Clinch) — R3, 4:02
Notable: Sean McCorkle subs Mark Hunt R1 (Hunt’s UFC debut); Bader def. Little Nog UD; first UFC in Indiana
The Build-Up
Frank Mir had been on an upswing since losing the HW title to Brock Lesnar at UFC 100. His TKO of Cheick Kongo at UFC 107 had been dominant. Mirko Cro Cop’s late-career UFC run included the submission of Pat Barry at UFC 115 (after being dropped twice) but had also included several losses and clearly declining explosiveness.
Original main event: Mir vs. Nogueira, rescheduled from UFC 107. Nogueira required hip surgery on August 15 and was replaced. The Mir-Nogueira fight was eventually rescheduled for UFC 140 in December 2011.
Main Event
Frank Mir vs. Mirko Cro Cop — Heavyweight
The first two rounds were controlled and close. Frank Mir worked clinch knees and controlled distance. Cro Cop circled and threw kicks but didn’t find the explosive openings of his prime. In round three, Mir landed a knee to the head of Cro Cop in the clinch. Cro Cop went down. Referee Herb Dean stopped the fight at 4:02.
Co-Main Event
Ryan Bader vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira — Light Heavyweight
Bader outworked Little Nog with wrestling and ground control over three rounds, winning by unanimous decision 30-27 on all three cards. Bader remained unbeaten at 11-0 and continued building his LHW contender case.
Full Results
Preliminary Card (undercard and Spike TV)
Thiago Tavares def. Pat Audinwood — Submission (Guillotine) — R1 — LW
Waylon Lowe def. Steve Lopez — Decision (Split) — R3, 5:00
TJ Grant def. Julio Paulino — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 — WW
Sean McCorkle def. Mark Hunt — Submission (Kimura) — R1 — HW; Hunt’s UFC debut; McCorkle was massive underdog
Matt Mitrione def. Joey Beltran — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 (29-28 x3) — HW; shown on Spike
CB Dollaway def. Joe Doerksen — Submission (Guillotine) — R1, 2:13 — MW; shown on Spike
Main Card
Melvin Guillard def. Jeremy Stephens — Decision (Split) — R3, 5:00 (28-29, 29-28, 30-27) — LW
Sean Sherk def. Evan Dunham — Decision (Split) — R3, 5:00 (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) — LW
Chris Lytle def. Matt Serra — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 (30-27 x3) — WW
Ryan Bader def. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 (30-27 x3) — LHW; Co-Main
Main Event — Heavyweight
Frank Mir def. Mirko Cro Cop — KO (Knee in Clinch) — R3, 4:02 — HW
Bonuses & Awards
Performance bonuses were awarded at UFC 119. Frank Mir and Mirko Cro Cop each earned Fight Night bonuses for the heavyweight main event.
Records & Milestones
First UFC in Indiana — Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis.
Mark Hunt’s UFC debut — the K-1 kickboxing legend submitted by McCorkle with a kimura in round one; Hunt went on to become a genuine UFC HW contender.
Frank Mir vs. Nogueira rescheduled — the original planned main event was delivered at UFC 140 in December 2011, where Mir TKO’d Nogueira in round one.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 119 is primarily remembered for the undercard result: Sean McCorkle’s submission of Mark Hunt. Hunt had been a K-1 heavyweight world champion and one of the most feared strikers on earth. His UFC debut had been built up as a major crossover moment. McCorkle — a journeyman heavyweight — put him on the mat and kimura’d him in round one. Hunt returned, developed his wrestling defence, and went on to become one of the UFC’s most beloved heavyweights. The UFC 119 loss was the lowest point of his UFC arc.
Frank Mir’s career between UFC 100 and UFC 119 — the Kongo TKO, the Cro Cop KO — positioned him as a credible top-five HW contender. His eventual title rematch with Lesnar never materialised, but the UFC 119 win kept him in the division’s conversation.
FAQ
Was UFC 119 the first UFC event in Indiana?
Yes. UFC 119 at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis was the first UFC event held in Indiana.
Why was the original UFC 119 main event changed?
Frank Mir was originally scheduled to fight Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, but Nogueira required hip surgery and withdrew on August 15, 2010. Mirko Cro Cop replaced him. The Mir-Nogueira fight was rescheduled and eventually took place at UFC 140 in December 2011.
What was notable about the Sean McCorkle vs Mark Hunt fight at UFC 119?
Mark Hunt, one of the world's most feared strikers and a K-1 kickboxing world champion, made his UFC debut at UFC 119. Sean McCorkle, a relatively unknown heavyweight, submitted Hunt with a kimura in round one. Hunt went on to have a significant UFC career despite the loss.
How did Frank Mir finish Mirko Cro Cop?
Mir landed a knee to Cro Cop's head in the clinch in round three. Cro Cop went down and referee Herb Dean stopped the fight at 4:02.
What happened to Ryan Bader after UFC 119?
Bader's unanimous decision win over Little Nog continued his unbeaten run and positioned him as an LHW title contender. He faced Jon Jones for the LHW Championship at UFC 126 in February 2011, losing by TKO in round one.
References
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