MMA Spotlight 8.14.08: Brock Lesnar-The Next Big Stink?

Posted by Reuel Mante on 08.14.2008

Many believe that UFC is wasting money on new heavyweight Brock Lesnar. Nothing could be further from the truth.



Before I get to the article, I'd like to apologize for last week's lack of MMA Spotlight. My wife and I have the worst computer in the world and there's nothing we can do about it right now. Possible birthday gift for her? Brand new computer? Oh it's definitely on the horizon. So once again, I apologize for last week and I will do my damnedest to stay on point.

Brock Lesnar

There were a lot of reports stating that Brock was the underdog in his fight against veteran Heath Herring this past Saturday at UFC 87. Surely, Herring has over forty fights and has seen and fought them all. The Texas Crazy Horse has had his share of beatings as well as giving them. MMA fans the world around still remember him knocking out Yoshihiro Nakao after an impromptu kiss during their staredown. Herring's made an impression by never being knocked out his entire career. So what would a guy like Lesnar bring to the table in his third MMA fight to defeat Heath? Superior fighting skills, that's what. Brock proved to me that he will be a force to be reckoned with come the next several years. If things go the way they went on Saturday, you are looking at a future heavyweight champion by 2010. Today, I break down the gifts that Lesnar has that will get him there.

Now before I get people yelling at me like I'm Chris Benoit, hear me out. One skill that's been a constant throughout Brock's athletic career has been his devastating power. Herring is a strong fighter. Standing 6'4" and weighing at 250 lbs makes him a huge guy even in the heavyweight division. What we witnessed was Lesnar manhandling him for fifteen minutes straight without any extra effort. Some of you might want to say that all he did was lay on Heath's back while punching his broken orbital bone further in his head. Sounds simple, right? Wrong. Controlling Heath for the majority of the fight and maintaining top position on the ground takes a skilled and powerful man to accomplish that. Plus, Herring is also a wrestler so a sweep or transfer from the bottom was very likely. But that didn't happen. Brock kept to his game plan and punished the Texan from start to finish while keeping him down. The last man I've ever seen pull that off on Herring was Fedor and we really don't need to explain the Last Emperor's abilities.

Continuing on with Brock's power, his striking has proven to be a major factor in all three of his fights. Min Soo Kim tapped out in less than two minutes due to Lesnar's destructive ground and pound. Frank Mir could've lost the fight due to Brock's constant power punches on the feet and ground. Hell, Herring's left orbital bone broke due to the first punch thrown by Brock. The man is so strong that every time he landed a leg kick, I was waiting for a tibia or a fibula to snap in half. Another aspect of Lesnar's striking was on display this past Saturday. Both men were tied up against the cage, Heath tried to dirty box, and Brock gave him some huge knees to the gut. Each knee that landed, Herring's mouth would either gasp for air or grimace in pain. As Brock gets more experience and devotes training to tighten up his strikes, imagine the domination in the striking game. Kimbo Slice watch out!

One thing I noticed about Lesnar way back when I saw him in the WWE was that he is a uniquely shaped individual. His arms are grotesquely muscular, his traps are incredibly wide, and his legs are like tree trunks. I'm sorry but the guy just looks like he was built for MMA. How so? Because the man has such a wide body, it was nearly impossible for Herring to even reverse flip Brock when they were on their feet. Brock was attempting to control the take down and Heath attempted a reverse and it looked like he almost got it but then I noticed that Lesnar didn't even budge. What's worse is that the man has such a low center of gravity that it looks unfeasible to take him down from the outside. Experienced fighters like Randy Couture would want to take him down from the inside clinch. Even then, you have those strong arms and thick legs that one would risk being thrown around like a rag doll. Let's keep in mind that Brock is a 2000 NCAA wrestling champion. One doesn't get there by being a slouch.

The man has got speed. Now I'm not talking like he's got Georges St. Pierre speed but Lesnar definitely has great speed for a heavyweight. Just watching him move around the Octagon was incredible. But then watching him move in close to land that first punch so quickly, it's not secret why Heath didn't duck or block. He was trying to figure out Brock's timing. Too little too late. After Herring rolled back from the punch, Lesnar virtually speared him on his back so quickly; it resembled Sean Sherk racing to the bathroom with a needle full of Nandrolone. For a guy who walks around at 265+ lbs, speed can even be just as threatening as power.

The final aspect of Brock Lesnar is his attitude. Spending three years working for the WWE as their golden boy certainly has put a huge chip on his shoulder. Plus, getting paid $250,000.00 for just showing up to fight in the UFC hasn't helped. But his confidence doesn't come from everybody treating him like the second coming of Christ. It comes from the fact that he knows he's better than everybody they will put in front of him. That loss to Frank Mir at UFC 81 is probably seen as a fluke in his mind. Now, I don't pretend to know what he's thinking but his confidence and openly mocking Herring after the final bell sure didn't show mental scarring. Working with the creative team in the WWE has obviously taught him how to bring out the attitude in interviews. That experience also showed how much he learned to feed to the crowd. The Minnesota audience loved him but I guarantee that other places will show disdain and anger. We will see in the future how that plays out.

In conclusion, Brock Lesnar's stock just rose in the UFC and Dana White couldn't be happier about that. Does this article clearly articulate why he will be a champion in the near future? Not completely. But it's a start. I know I'm not the first to analyze him and definitely won't be the last. Mark my words, two more bodies will fall before his feet and White will name him the number one contender. You know what the scariest part about him is? Brock is only 31 years old and he's still learning. Lesnar is the Next Big Thing. Until next time folks, I'll see you.