The 411 MMA Top 5 11.23.09: Week Twenty-One - Desired Brock Lesnar Opponents

Posted by Larry Csonka on 11.23.2009

From Fedor Emelianenko and Bobby Lashley to Anderson Silva and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, the 411 MMA writers rank the top fighters they want to see face Brock Lesnar! Check out the full column to see which opponents made the lists and why!



Welcome:
Welcome back to the MMA Top 5! What we are going to is take a topic each week and all the writers here on 411 MMA will have the ability to give us their Top 5 on said topic, plus up to three honorable mentions. At the end, based on where all of these topics rank on people's list, we will create an overall Top 5 list. It's highly non-official and final, like WAMMA.


This week's topic is…



Desired Brock Lesnar Opponents!


Larry Csonka

5. Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir II - I am a fan of rubber matches, and the two could sell the bout easily and do another big buyrate. I think that Lesnar would maul him once again, but the build, the build for this would be excellent.

4. Brock Lesnar vs. Anderson Silva - Anderson Silva is clearing out the middleweight division and has destroyed both of his light heavyweight opponents. There have been rumors that Silva wants to eventually test the heavyweight waters, well, who better than to face BROCK! Would Silva be too quick and out strike Brock, or would Brock completely maul him? I want to find out!

3. Brock Lesnar vs. Fedor Emelianenko - I know that Brock vs. Fedor is the big money match, and the fight that most want to see, but this is my list. If this was about the biggest money fights, I would put it number one, but I just don't have the huge interesting the bout that some do. Don't get me wrong, I want to see the fight and would pay for it, but there are two others that I want to see more.

2. Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley - Sure, my wrestling fandom is coming out here, but I really want to see this fight. Brock has been a freak in MMA, just as he was in wrestling, no doubt. Lashley has always been labeled "Black Lesnar" and the "generic Lesnar" in wrestling and MMA. I want to see the clash of the titans.

1. Brock Lesnar vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira - Some call Fedor a cyborg, but Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is a complete freak. The man has historically taken insane punishment and then "come from behind" to shock people and take victories. He has a great chin, insane technical striking and with his freakish ability to withstand punishment, he may be one of a handful of guys that could weather the storm to take out Lesnar. MANY BUYS.

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Jeffrey Harris

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Frank Mir - Hey they are 1-1, and it would be the rubber match. Mir somewhat inconveniently commented that he wanted to fight Lesnar again and end his career. I wonder how Mir feels about that statement now. Still, if this isn't it for Lesnar, I say if the opportunity comes along, grant Mir his wish.


5. Bobby Lashley - Lashley's an absolute failure in TNA. He needs to get out of pro-wrestling and focus on MMA full time. Lashley would be a more than intriguing opponent. You'd have two former WWE superstars who were champions for the fake fighting company but left at the height of their popularity when they had nowhere else to go but up. They gave up possibly bigger money and opportunities in the WWE to pursue their other interests. Lashley's currently an undefeated fighter, but he hasn't had the greatest opponents and now he's dabbling in TNA when he should be getting more fights in. Still, this fight would do 1 million buys easy. Lesnar's proved to improve greatly as a fighter, and let's see how Lashley could do against an experienced wrestler and fighter like Lesnar.

4. Shane Carwin - I still really want to see this fight. I really like Shane Carwin, and no matter what people say about the Division I/Division II stuff, he's a good wrestler and grappler. People seem to forget that one of the best wrestlers in MMA is GSP who doesn't even have a college wrestling background. Carwin's one of the few guys in the UFC that can probably rival Lesnar's size. Carwin also has huge hands like Lesnar and lots of punching power. So fingers crossed this fight will still happen at some point.

3. Cain Velasquez - People spew crud like calling Cain pillowfists and that he has no power. Hey go into the cage with him and see how hard he doesn't hit. Cain's proven to be a heavyweight with great, accurate striking, great wrestling, a great chin, and fantastic stamina, conditioning, and cardio. Cain's may not be as big as Lesnar, but look how easily he manhandled Ben Rothwell who cut to 265. This would make for an intriguing bout as well.

2. Fedor Emelianenko - 2 million buys. 'Nuff said.

1. Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira - The monster UFC heavyweight champion versus the former Pride and UFC heavyweight champion. A healthy Brock vs. a healthy Nog would make for a great bout. Nog said he could play with Lesnar on the ground, so let's see it.

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Samer Kadi

5. Cain Velasquez - To be honest, I would love to watch this fight to learn more about Cain more than anything else. I think it would be very interesting to see how he would deal with a guy who outweighs him significantly, but one he can't outwrestle (unlike Rothwell and Kongo). Does he try to strike with Brock for a few rounds and hope to take him into the championship rounds? Can he avoid Brock's right hand? Can he stay vertical and defend the takedowns? The match up raises many interesting questions and possibilities.

4. Shane Carwin - And to think we were supposed to watch that fight last weekend. Carwin poses a very interesting match up for Brock, as he is a big guy himself and a very good wrestler to top it off. But most importantly, Carwin hits like a brick, and can pack up one of the biggest punches in MMA. Can Brock afford to take Carwin's right hand on the chin? It would also be interesting to see whether Brock can take him down early and control him the way he did with Mir.

3. Lyoto Machida - Say whatever you want, I would love to see that fight. Obviously, Machida would be a firm underdog. I'd love to see whether Machida's takedown defense can translate to the heavyweight division, especially taking on someone with Brock's size and wrestling prowess. Chances are, he'll have a hard time stopping the takedowns, but Brock will be at a significant speed and striking disadvantage and will have a hard time getting a hold of Machida to begin with. Again, it would be a very tough ask for Machida to pull it off but it would be fascinating to watch.

2. Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira - Nogueira possesses the more technical striking and a hell of a chin. He also has a superhuman ability to withstand punishment. That alone can allow him to hold his own with Brock in the early rounds. And does Brock really want to be on the ground with Minotauro, who in my opinion, possesses the best submissions in MMA? The match up is very interesting and while Nogueira is no longer the fighter he was in PRIDE, he's still a handful for anyone to deal with.

1. Fedor Emelianenko - The dream fight everyone would love to see, do I need to explain anything else?

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Jonathan Solomon

5. Kurt Angle - I will say flat out, we will never see this fight. Ever. Part of me would not want to see it for fear that Kurt Angle would leave it seriously injured. However, the other part of me would love to see the two square off in a legit fight. Stories from their shared WWE days said they use to shoot with each other but I forgot who it was said got the better of the other. Obviously, I would pick Lesnar in such a fight because of his size, youth and health (assuming Lesnar makes as close to a full recovery as he can).

4. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira - As long as Minotauro is healthy in this hypothetical contest, I would consider him the HEAVY favorite. Nog is a good boxer and his submission skills are legendary. The intrigue for me in this fight would be to see how well Lesnar can match up with one of the two best heavyweights in the history of the sport. Can Lesnar improve his groundwork enough so that he can take Big Nog down and not get submitted? Plus, this would be one fight to cause a certain demo of the MMA fan base to explode should Lesnar defeat Mr. Nog. Gotta love that.

3. Cain Velasquez - It's crazy how the big wrestlers have come onto the UFC stage in recent years. Cain Velasquez may be the man with the most underground pub based on his gym work. He's said to be as powerful and as good (if not better) in the wrestling game than Brock Lesnar. It is such an equal match-up of skills, it's uncanny. It would settle the debate as to who is the best heavyweight wrestler in the UFC.

2. Bobby Lashley - The man who many in pro wrestling referred to as an alternate version of Brock Lesnar, it turns out is not too bad a fighter. Lashley actually won three national amateur wrestling championships at Missouri Valley College and wrestled while serving in the U.S. Army. While Lashley has not taken the same route or challenges in MMA that Brock has, Lashley still has amazing athleticism that few have. His wrestling background would pose an interesting match-up for Lesnar. Lashley's chin has never been tested so I'm wondering if a) he has one, and b) can Brock knock it off?

1. Fedor Emelianenko - As intriguing a match-up as there has ever been for Fedor. Believe it or not, The Last Emperor has fought a few men larger than Brock and has thrown them by the wayside. However, Bob Sapp and Zulu were not quite the same fighters as Brock. Fedor has fought great wrestlers as well but Lesnar is a special combination of those qualities and that is something Fedor has never competed against. Can Lesnar's chin stand up to the monster bombs? How well can Fedor contend with Lesnar's sheer strength? All questions I would love to see answered.

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Daniel Bonnizzio

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Anderson Silva - This would truly be able to tell us if Anderson is man or machine.


5. Frank Mir - As of right now it would be the only trilogy in either man's career, and the rubber match to boot. Everyone knows the two don't like each other and the shit-talking that would go on leading to Lesnar/Mir III would be enough to sell the PPV alone, not even counting if they stack the card like they did at UFC 100. Frank still owns the only loss on Brock's record and in order for it to truly 'vanish' they need to meet in a rubber match. Frank is much more technically sound in his standup then Brock is, and on the ground I give Frank the advantage so long as he doesn't let Brock be the wrestler. I understand that it may very well be a much shorter version of their UFC 100 match or a longer version of their UFC 81 match but the fact is these guys would be willing to lay it all out and end it and I would love to see the sparks fly.

4. Randy Couture - Still the only man I think is able to get the better of Brock. I had him winning the first round of their fight until he caught that right on his temple, and I think that if he came into the second fight with more respect for Brock's strength he would be more careful and would keep him on his toes. I'm fully aware that Randy is well past his prime as a fighter and that we could see the same thoughts pop up when he announced his return against Tim Sylvia those years ago, but the fact is that Randy is the only one I can think of who has won a round against Brock.

3. Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueria - Brock's known as a great wrestler who will put you on your back if he wants you on your back. Nogueria is known as a guy who once he gets put on his back, you are basically done. What happens when these two style combine? Sure Brock has already fought a great BJJ practitioner (twice) but Frank's BJJ is nowhere near the level that Nogueria has developed his game, and in an MMA scenario Nogueria has sheer quantity of experience over Frank and Brock. So, how would Brock fare against a real veteran whose style plays right into his? They say styles make fights, so let's see how these styles mesh.

2. Fedor Emelianenko - The best heavyweight not in the UFC against the best heavyweight in the UFC. Both men only have one loss on their record, early in their careers. Both men are experts in their choice of fighting styles, and both men are seen as some of the best out there. Fedor is known for overcoming the odds and Brock is known for having a ridiculous ability to learn, but can Fedor outwit Brock's size, strength and pedigree to get the win, or can Brock get past Fedor's resourcefulness and never-die attitude about fighting and pull out the victory?

1. Cain Velasquez - When these three came into the UFC last year, many pointed out their similarities. Big men. Great wrestlers. All three of them a national wrestling champion. However, of the three of them, I feel Cain is the most well rounded of them. Shane and Brock have size, something Cain is lacking compared to some of the other 'super' heavyweights in the UFC. What Cain does have though is the ability to place well-executed combos and strikes into his superior wrestling, where Shane and Brock still rely on that one big punch to end the fight. Cain's well-roundedness is the reason I would love to see him fight Brock. He potentially has the ability to keep the fight on the feet should the two of these guys fight, and if that happens then we might see Brock out of his element. Unable to take the fight where he wants it, he'd be forced to stand where unless he lands that huge punch, Cain would be able to tag him.

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Jeremy Lambert

5. Cain Velasquez - Of the UFC Big 3 (Lesnar, Carwin, Cain) Cain Velasquez is probably the furthest a long in terms of overall skill. Although Lesnar is bigger, Cain is more technical, faster, and sets a pace like no other Heavyweight in the division. Being as big as Lesnar is, who knows if he could deal with that pace for 15 or 25 minutes. Lesnar may hit harder and be bigger but this could be an instance where his size works against him if the fight goes for any good length of time.

4. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira - Lesnar has already beat a very good jiu-jitsu artist in Frank Mir but Nogueira's jiu-jitsu is on a whole different level. As big and strong as Lesnar is, he'll never face someone as slick off their back as Nogueira or someone with the survival skills of Nogueira. It would be Lesnar's size, strength, and power against Nogueira's technical skill and craftiness.

3. Anderson Silva - Instead of fighting the best Heavyweight in the world, why not fight the best fighter in the world? Anytime Anderson Silva fights it's a treat to watch because of his skill but he's never faced a guy with the size and strength of Lesnar. At the same time, Lesnar has never faced a guy with the speed and skill of Anderson Silva. It's the ultimate striker vs. wrestler match up.

2. Shane Carwin - After hearing/reading all the smack talk between Carwin and Lesnar, I was really excited for this fight and very disappointed when it ended up being postponed. Carwin is a guy who can give Lesnar trouble because he hits just as hard, has just as much size, and has a wrestling background. Anytime a fight is announced, advertised, and falls though; it just makes me want to see the fight even more. That's the case here.

1. Fedor Emelianenko - I don't see how this can't be #1. Right now they're the top two heavyweights in the world and we always need to see a fight between #1 vs. #2. As good as Fedor is, Lesnar has all the tools to be the first man to legitimately beat him. It's a fight that will likely never happen but if God is truly a MMA fan, we will see this fight in our lifetime.

AND 411's MOST DESIRED BROCK LESNAR OPPONENTS ARE…



5. Shane Carwin – 8pts.




4.Bobby Lashley – 9pts.




3. Cain Velasquez – 13pts.




2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira - 21pts.




1. Fedor Emelianenko – 26pts.

Come back next week for another edition of the MMA Top 5~!

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