In All Honesty, a Healthy Brock Lesnar Can Not Be Beaten

Bryan Levick by Correspondent Written on November 24, 2009
LAS VEGAS - JULY 11:  Brock Lesnar reacts after knocking out Frank Mir during their heavyweight title bout during UFC 100 on July 11, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.  (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images) Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

Now, before any of you jump all over me, I realize that anyone can lose on any given night, but if we put a lucky shot aside, who realistically can defeat the mammoth Brock Lesnar?

In an interview with ESPN Radio, UFC President Dana White explained that Lesnar's doctors have said the former NCAA Division-I wrestling national champion has been fighting at a mere 60 percent of his potential.

If that doesn't send chills running down the spine of his future opponents, then they may not be human. Every fighter believes in his heart of hearts that he can win against anyone, but you can't tell me that the thought of taking on a man who will finally be fighting at 100 percent won't make you have some doubts.

To think of Lesnar dominating men who have been in the game much longer than he has, and doing it at less than full strength, is absolutely amazing.

Again, I understand that fighters go into fights with a nagging injury or two. There is no way you could compare a pulled muscle or a sprained foot to having a hole in your intestine, which, in turn, caused fluids to leak into your stomach.

To move on to the basis of this article, we can go over the serious contenders to Lesnar's UFC heavyweight championship.

Shane Carwin was scheduled to face Lesnar this past Saturday at UFC 106. Many people feel as though Carwin is Lesnar’s biggest threat.

Carwin is closer in weight to Lesnar than any other UFC heavyweight. He also has a solid wrestling background.

Unlike Lesnar, Carwin competed in Division II against opponents in college who were not in the same league as the Division I wrestlers that Lesnar was used to facing. As good as Carwin is, he is not the overall athlete that Lesnar is.

Cain Velasquez is learning more and more with each fight. He is as talented as any other UFC heavyweight not named Lesnar. Earning All-America honors twice at Arizona State gives Velasquez a solid foundation to work with.

Unfortunately for Velasquez, he hasn't shown a great ability in his stand-up game, an area in which he would have to improve greatly in order to have any chance against Brock.

Lesnar would more than likely outweigh the smaller Velasquez by at least 45 pounds by the time they stepped inside the octagon. That is a disadvantage that would be too difficult to overcome.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is far and a way the most experienced of the group. Having been through so many wars during his days with Pride, Big Nog is as battle-tested as any fighter alive today.

The only stoppage of his career came against Frank Mir at UFC 92, and at this point we can all agree that was an aberration. The chances of Mir defeating Nogueira again are about as good as him defeating Lesnar again.

The huge advantage Nogueira has is with his boxing. He has some of the best stand-up of any heavyweight around today. The question is, could he keep Lesnar away with his jab and avoid his takedowns?

Obviously Nogueira's Jiu-Jitsu is incredible but Lesnar has shown he can nullify a submission with a smart game plan that includes suffocating ground and pound.

Mir has said himself that in order to compete with Lesnar he would have to add a significant amount of weight. Dealing with an athlete with the size, strength, and agility of Lesnar is almost impossible, especially when you are giving up so much weight.

I really like Junior dos Santos but he is another fighter who is just too small to compete with Lesnar. It is asking way too much of a fighter to go up against another fighter while at a 50-pound weight disadvantage.

Now that it looks like Lesnar will be making his return at some point, the UFC has to sit down and figure out its game plan. The best solution at this point is a mini-tournament consisting of Carwin, Nogueira, Velasquez, and either dos Santos or Mir.

By the time the dust has settled, the UFC will have the answer to "Who's next?"

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Vote Now! - Author Poll

Who is Lesnar's Stiffest Competition

  • Shane Carwin
  • Cain Velasquez
  • Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
  • Junior Dos Santos
  • Frank Mir
vote to see results
Results - Author Poll

Who is Lesnar's Stiffest Competition

  • Shane Carwin

    43.2%
  • Cain Velasquez

    18.2%
  • Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

    23.6%
  • Junior Dos Santos

    5.1%
  • Frank Mir

    9.9%
  • Total votes: 292
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written on November 24, 2009 Opinion

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