CHICAGO – “Greatest of all time” discussions rarely produce definitive answers, but there’s no doubt that Frank Mir’s next opponent is a top candidate to that title when it comes to MMA heavyweights.

Mir knows his Bellator 198 headliner with Fedor Emelianenko is big. It’s a long-awaited showdown between two men who held titles in their respective promotions at some point but had failed to cross paths before. When it comes to the minds and hearts of hardcore fans, Mir knows Emelianenko holds a prestigious place.

But, at least when it comes to “casuals,” he still can’t escape the presence of a WWE star, fellow ex-UFC champ and two-time opponent who might be returning to MMA soon.

“I get asked questions about (Brock Lesnar) as much as I get asked questions about Fedor,” Mir said during a press conference to promote Saturday’s Paramount-televised event at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. “And me and Brock probably aren’t fighting any time soon.”

Mir and Lesnar last met in the cage in 2009, in the headliner of the historic UFC 100 card. The fight was a rematch of their UFC 81 encounter in 2008, when Mir’s leglock brought a first-round end to what was Lesnar’s only second pro MMA bout. In the rematch, though, Lesnar came out on top, taking a second-round knockout win and defending the heavyweight crown he’d taken from Randy Couture.

Mir (18-11 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) has a different type of huge fight ahead of him now, against an opponent who’s “almost a polar opposite” to Lesnar (5-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC). When it comes to GOAT discussions, Mir argues there’s really no comparison to Emelianenko (36-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) given his achievements.

“As far as contributions to the sport, being a well rounded fighter, martial arts ability, Brock is not there, obviously,” Mir said. “(He’s) nowhere near the psychological toughness and strategist that Fedor is. As far as to hardcore fans, I think this is a more important fight with Fedor.”

But then when Mir is, say, walking down the airport and someone’s mom sees him?

“As far as the marketing purposes, Brock is the powerhouse,” Mir said. “He could be 80 years old and say he’s going to go sit on a toilet and people are going to buy tickets.”

Exaggerations aside, Mir has a point. Lesnar has fought only once in six years, at UFC 200, and had his decision win over Mark Hunt overturned after being flagged by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. He’s now serving a one-year suspension and hasn’t had an official win since 2010, when he defended his belt against Shane Carwin. Still, UFC president Dana White hasn’t ruled out the chance of Lesnar fighting for the belt again should he return.

Possible opponent and UFC 205-pound champion Daniel Cormier, who’ll try to become a two-division champ when he meets heavyweight kingping Stipe Miocic at UFC 226, wouldn’t be mad at that profitable opportunity, either – which, again, says a lot about the type of commercial appeal Lesnar still has.

Lesnar is an “anomaly” in that sense, according to Mir. But one that can be justified when you look at his background.

“Pro wrestling just has its own fanbase that’s unreal, that I still can’t wrap my head around,” Mir said. “But let’s be realistic: If Batista said he was fighting, he’d be a main event fight and selling a ton of pay-per-views. They have that draw.

“But we know, I think as martial artists and fans, that no one there holds a candle to Fedor’s accomplishments.”

For more on Bellator 198, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.