Whether you hate him, love him, think he's overpaid or over rated, you know about him. He brings the presence of a professional wrestler (his former profession) to the UFC and has done wonders for the organization. Once Dana White caught wind of the exciting heavyweight's interest in becoming a martial artist, there was little to go before Joe Silva and Lorenzo Fertitta figured out who he could face. Brock had won his professional MMA debut against Min Soo Kim, and had proved himself to the likes of the UFC. His next fight came at UFC 81 where Lesnar tapped to Frank Mir's knee bar blatantly 5 times before Steve Mazzagatti stopped the fight. This fast paced, and wild battle brought utter excitement to the octagon in what was one of the most anticipated premiers in UFC history. This fight immediately displayed the level of mere power that Lesnar had brought to the UFC. Lesnar was next given Heath Herring. This knockout featured that famous straight right which ended up awarding Brock a title shot against Randy Couture. After capturing the belt in an exciting knockout victory over Captain America, Lesnar had instantly become a star.
His commanding presence combined with the rare quickness and coordination of such a giant athlete was an instant success for the UFC.
After undergoing surgery for the relapse of a seriously dangerous case of diverticulitis, Brock Lesnar is now healthy and ready to compete. After coaching the 13th season of The Ultimate Fighter, Lesnar was forced to pull out of his match up with Junior Dos Santos to have the surgery on his intestine. The task at hand was demanding, and energy consuming, but the Minnesota native was able to beat the disease for a second time. Now, as he makes his long awaited return to the Octagon, there are a number of match ups for the big fighter. Some are good for Lesnar and some are good for the UFC.
Allistair Overeem: The combined popularity of Overeem and Lesnar would shoot the ratings for this fight off the chart. After Overeem's falling out with Strikeforce has now left him with the option to sign with the UFC. The would most likely retain his top contender status in a new organization, given that he was supposed to be competing the championship of Strikeforce's Heavyweight Grand Prix. The overwhelming strength that Lesnar possesses should be an intriguing opponent for Overeem's poised striking.
Frank Mir: Before all of the people who think of the Mir Lesnar trilogy as a fight past its prime, there are a few things to be said. First off, Frank Mir is coming off two impressive performances beating both Mirko Cro Cop, and Roy Nelson. It was a devastating knee that dropped the Croatian kick-boxer at UFC 119, and a full three rounds of battering "Big Country" that has brought Frank Mir to his current two-fight win streak. Additionally, before Lesnar was diagnosed with a second wave of diverticulitis, he was set to face Dos Santos, who now is scheduled to compete for the title in November on UFC's first show on Fox. Lesnar and Mir are relatively in the same position in terms of title relevance, and Mir has not yet been matched up with a new opponent. Lastly, after both of the previous fights between the two, there wasn't a friendly handshake, show of class or anything of the sort. In fact, after Lesnar was victorious in the rematch, he went off on Mir and his team and had to be separated by security-after already knocking him out. These men have unfinished business, and what better way to settle it than a rubber match?
Minotauro Nogueira: This Brazilian legend has just shot himself back into the the MMA scene with a astonishing and impressive knockout over the young phenom, Brendan Schaub. With the recently announced Saitan Super Arena in japan being home to UFC's February 26th card, there is a paramount stage that suits both fighters, as both of them have previously fought in Japan (Lesnar only wrestled). Big Nog was the Pride Heavyweight champion who defeated the likes of Dan Henderson, Josh Barnett, and Mark Coleman. This match up between Nogueira and Lesnar is amusing and has the possibility of playing out a number of different ways. Lesnar can plunge forward and trade hands with the knockout specialist in Big Nog, or decide to take him down. Once on the ground, the elite jiu-jitsu skills that the decorated brazilian possesses will be a threat to the massive ground and pounding Lesnar. It is also important to remember the beating that Lesnar took in the first round of his battle at UFC 116 in order to come back and win a second round submission over the gassed out Shane Carwin. This fight has serious potential, and needs to happen relatively soon because for the aging Nogueira, time is of the essence.
The resilient Brock Lesnar has a will that not only helped him weather a barrage of punches from the biggest hands in the UFC, but more importantly gave him strength to fight the disease that was thought to end his career. The page has been turned in the career of Brock Lesnar, and exciting match ups are just around the corner.
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