Brock Lesnar

At 280+ pounds, Brock Lesnar is one of the largest heavyweights competing in MMA today. He also has an ego that can not be measured. And his outspoken personality is part of what makes him a UFC icon. It’s true that he’s a remarkable athlete. His amateur wrestling background helped him transition into MMA fairly easily. However there’s no doubt that if Brock hadn’t gained his cache from WWE (not to mention his pro-wrestling style promos) he wouldn’t be close to wearing the UFC heavyweight championship belt today.

The WWE Days
With his size and skill set, Brock Lesnar was a highly-touted prospect in the pro-wrestling world. He was pushed to the moon by head promoter Vince McMahon. He became the youngest WWE champion ever. Of course, another young man by the name of Randy Orton has that honor now. That’s what you get for leaving the company that made you a star.

As a rookie, Lesnar learned the ropes fairly quickly. He had to be helped along in his promos by having a mouthpiece (Paul Heyman of ECW fame) but it wasn’t too long before he was his own man. My favorite moment was his hilariously offensive send-up of Eddy Guerrero, in which he danced to a mariachi band. Oddly enough, this was yet another example of how well the big man could move.

He had several classic matches with fellow mat technician, Kurt Angle. Those two were made to wrestle each other. Their matches showed that you could incorporate real wrestling holds into a worked match. Although, Brock’s most famous moment in the ring was his botched shooting-star press that nearly broke his neck. He was able to finish the match, despite looking like death afterwards. It makes me wonder what the hell it will take to knock that guy out.

Brock Fumbles on the Gridiron
After growing weary of the WWE travel schedule, Brock decided to try his hand at pro football. Never one to aim his sights anywhere but high, he tried out for the Minnesota Vikings. Having very limited football experience, he was eventually cut before making it on to the main roster.

Most people thought that Brock’s talents would be largely wasted in the NFL. Unfortunately, it wasn’t clear at first what sport would make the most of his skills. One thing he did know was that he was fed up with the fake stuff and needed to do something truly competitive.

Getting Noticed in MMA
Luckily, by the time Brock was looking for something new, MMA was growing at an exponential rate. He wasn’t quite ready for the UFC, so he took a fight with K1. His original opponent was a 300+ lb. Korean named Hong Man Choi. Choi couldn’t get his medicals cleared in the US, so a replacement was thrown in to replace him.

Lesnar made short work of Min Soo Kim with an effective ground-and-pound strategy. With a pro MMA record of 1-0, Brock decided it was time for bigger fights and bigger paydays.

His UFC Career
Brock’s first fight in the UFC was against former champ Frank Mir. Most people felt that this was a good match-up for Brock and the company. The UFC got to save face by giving Brock a credible opponent. They didn’t want people to draw comparisons between Brock and the often-coddled Kimbo Slice. This was considered a winnable fight for Brock, given that Mir hadn’t regained his championship form yet. It also created a situation where they could hot-shot Brock to the title after beating a former challenger. Brock lost the fight by submission, so they went with the story that he made a rookie mistake against a much more experienced opponent.

Brock didn’t get much of a demotion afterwards, as he ended up facing somewhat-respected veteran Heath Herring in his next fight. Brock ended up dominating Heath for the entire 15 minutes. In the closing seconds of the fight, Brock stood up from his dominant position on the ground to mock his opponent. He waved around an imaginary lasso, referencing Heath’s cowboy persona. It was a classy moment in UFC history. It also reminded us that Brock would always remember what brought him to the dance.

Having gone 1-1 in the UFC, Brock was rewarded with a title shot. It showed that hard work and perseverance always pays off. Of course, the fact that he was a proven PPV draw helped too. Despite the glaring favoritism, Brock proved himself worthy by defeating the legendary champion (Randy Couture) by TKO in the second round. He opted to keep it classy (for real this time) in his post-fight interview. It proved that he was smart enough to know when to turn on the pro-wrestling persona and when to be respectful.

The Future
Lesnar has garnered the reputation of being someone with a short attention span. Having switched careers so easily in the past, some folks wonder if Brock’s just looking to make some money and move on. After all, that’s what he did with the WWE. However it seems that Brock’s in this for the long haul, as much as any UFC fighter can be. Injuries and changes of heart aren’t limited to the superstars.

If he loses a few fights in a row, the company will decide his future for him. However if he keeps on winning, it’s logical to expect that he’ll stick around for a while. With his ability to learn new skills, he could have found a way to make easier money, either with another MMA promotion or another sport entirely. Lesnar fans would like to think that he’s in the UFC because he likes the intensity of the competition. Provided the UFC can maintain a decent heavyweight division, he’ll stay a happy man. Granted, I wouldn’t describe Lesnar as a “happy” sort of person under any circumstances, but I’m sure you get the point.

Stats

Height: 6 ft 3 in

Weight: 265 lbs – Heavyweight

Born: July 12, 1977

Fights out of: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

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