Putting together the Couture vs. Lesnar fight for the UFC from a business standpoint is absolutely huge. The number of pay per views will probably be record breaking for the UFC on November 15 no doubt.
We know Lesnar can draw a lot because ratings at UFC 87 were through the roof (my countryman St. Pierre's match vs. Fitch played a big role in that as well). Now throw in Randy Couture who is coming out of retirement for a title defence, the sky is the limit.
However, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, the draw power of this fight will be great, but this fight is a very high risk affair for both fighters.
Lets face it, Brock Lesnar has shown MMA followers that he is big, he is strong and he is extremely quick for such a big guy. Putting two MMA veterans to the ground with one solid right hand in the Mir and Herring bouts is no easy feat for any fighter. He has quick heavy right hands and he can wrestle extremely well.
Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves either though. Lesnar has only three fights under his belt and a 2-1 record so far. Lesnar’s wins were dominant ones. He made Min Soo Kim tap out due to strikes in the first moments of Round One.
In his last win he dominated Herring from start to finish after a strong right hand landed early in the first to crack Herring’s ocular bone.
However, Lesnar was unable to finish Heath and pretty much rode the fight out by maintaining side control and not going for much.
Not going for a finish in the Herring fight was probably the smartest thing Lesnar could have done in that fight. Fans were shown in the Mir fight that although Lesnar can completely overwhelm an opponent with his sheer size and athletic ability, he is a green fighter and he can get caught in a submission.
Lesnar knew he had hurt Herring and that if he used his strength and wrestling abilities to maintain a dominant position while protecting his limbs he would cruise to a lopsided decision in his favour. Going for a finish and then being submitted or caught by Herring would have been a big step back for Lesnar.
It was in Lesnar’s one loss that people realized he has a lot to learn and that for all the strengths that are on his side, just like every other fighter he will need some time. He came out dominating Frank Mir and at 1:30 in the first round while standing over a dangerous Frank Mir, he was submitted via a Frank Mir heel hook.
Now on the other side we have the tried and tested Randy Couture. Couture is one of the scariest fighters to bet against for the mere fact that when he is the underdog he usually upsets the favourite and comes away with victory.
A few things about Couture have to make one respect the guy’s grit and desire. The guy is no major heavyweight, unlike Lesnar who has to cut to make weight, Couture shows up to heavyweight bouts at 6’1 and around 225 pounds. Lesnar will have a 50 pound advantage come fight night.
Secondly, Couture is 45 years old and somehow has found success well after his mid thirties and into his mid-forties. Couture is a fighter that knows how to win the clutch matches, he is 16-8 in mma and 9 of his 16 wins were in title fights in both the heavy weight and light heavy weight divisions.
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