Frank
Mir’s proposed Global Fight League debut is likely in jeopardy
after he recently underwent emergency spinal surgery.
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The
Ultimate Fighting Championship and Bellator
MMA veteran revealed details of the procedure in a recent
Instagram post.
“I wanted to take a moment to update you on my health and share a
bit about my recent journey. As many of you know, I’ve been
dedicated to martial arts since I was just four years old. My love
for hard training has driven me to push my limits as a professional
athlete. However, this passion comes with its challenges,” Mir
wrote. “Recently, I faced a significant hurdle: I underwent an
emergency spinal fusion and laminectomy of my entire thoracic
spine. Although it was a tough decision, I’m happy to report that
the surgery was a complete success!
“Now, I’m diving into rehabilitation and focusing on my recovery.
This is just another challenge that I intend to overcome, and I’m
committed to coming back stronger, both mentally and physically,
than ever.”
Mir, who is 45 years old, did not provide a timetable for his
recovery. According to mayoclinic.org, a laminectomy is surgery “to
remove the back arch or part of a spinal bone.” The procedure is
done to “ease pressure on the spinal cord or nerves.”
Mir was selected by the Los Angeles team during the Global Fight
League
draft in January. Shortly thereafter, it was announced that Mir
would face Fabricio
Werdum. Thus far, no dates or venues have been confirmed for
any GFL events.
A former UFC heavyweight champion, Mir hasn’t competed in MMA since
October 2019, when he defeated Roy Nelson
via unanimous decision at Bellator 231. That snapped a four-fight
losing streak for the Las Vegas resident. More recently, Mir
suffered a TKO loss to Kubrat Pulev at Triad Combat 1, a mixed
rules event, in November 2021. Mir has compiled a 19-13 career mark
over the course of an MMA career that began in 2001.