UFC 133

Lore & Background

The Brazilian, known for his devastating knockout power and a background in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, entered this fight as the young champion looking to prove his title win was no fluke. Frank Mir, a veteran of the division and a former champion himself, came in with the underdog narrative of a man desperate to reclaim the gold he had lost just months earlier. The main event delivered a dominant performance from dos Santos. Rather than a war of attrition, the fight became a showcase of the champion's elite striking and composure under pressure. Mir pressed forward, but dos Santos's hands found their mark repeatedly, and the bout ended in the third round via TKO, cementing dos Santos's status as the division's new king and giving him a clean first defense. The dos Santos–Mir rivalry, though brief, became a defining storyline of the early 2010s heavyweight landscape, a clash of two men who had both stood at the top of the division at different points.

Reader's Guide

Mir April 28, 2011 · MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV Headline: Junior dos Santos def. Frank Mir by TKO (R3) to retain the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. The win validated his knockout of Mir and established him as a legitimate, dominant champion rather than a one-hit wonder. • Frank Mir entered as a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion making a second attempt at the title in a short span, giving the bout a genuine rivalry texture rather than a random title shot. • The fight showcased dos Santos's well-rounded game—his striking volume and accuracy neutralized Mir's pressure, and the third-round TKO underscored the champion's ability to finish fights on the feet, not just on the mat. • A clean, decisive main event that set the tone for dos Santos's reign and defined the Light Heavyweight division's direction in the early 2010s.

Did You Know?

• The fight ended in the third round via TKO, with dos Santos's repeated striking forcing the stoppage rather than a submission or a single knockout blow.
• Frank Mir had previously held the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, making this a bout between two men who had both stood atop the division.
• The event took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, one of the most recognizable and frequently used UFC venues in Las Vegas.