Lesnar vs. Velasquez: UFC 121 Shocker Raises More Questions Than Answers

“Brocktober” came to an abrupt on Saturday night as Cain Velasquez sent shock waves through the MMA world by dominating Brock Lesnar in a lopsided first round victory.  This wasn't just a win for Cain.  It was a domination that made Lesnar look silly and amateurish. 

Some celebrated, some mourned, and as Brocktoberfest was halted at UFC 121, more questions were raised than answered. 

Lost amidst the excitement surrounding the fight was the importance of the ramifications of this bout.

For starters, how will the UFC and Dana White promote Cain Velasquez in the future?  What will this mean to the UFC as a business?  Waving a Mexican flag will only go so far before the shtick becomes old, not to mention the supreme annoyance it will cause amongst mainstream America. 

Whereas Brock Lesnar played the role of villain so well, Cain Velasquez brings with him the tag of indifference.  Having the charisma and personality of a corpse on an episode of CSI, Cain will have a difficult time arousing the interest of anyone outside the hardcore MMA fan.  That’s certainly a problem that the UFC marketing machine will have to address.

Of course then there was the actual fight which also raised more questions than it answered.

For beginners, why did Brock Lesnar, a heavyweight weighing 270 pounds, start the fight as though he had shot out of a cannon?  Was this an actual planned strategy based on a blitzkrieg attack to finish the fight in the very first round?  Or was this simply a case of Lensar being over-zealous and relatively inexperienced?

Even more inexplicable is Lesnar’s inability to demonstrate basic defense when he is being pummeled. After the beating he took from Carwin, was this issue not discussed at camp?  Did Brock want no part of how to learn to defend yourself while being punched courses?

Essentially, Brock Lesnar has repeated the same behavior in two consecutive fights upon being punched the in the head: Make a sour face and turn to your side in a turtle position.    

Granted, none of us would really enjoy getting punched in the head by Mr. Carwin or Mr. Velasquez, but if you’re a professional fighter (not to mention the Champ), you have to understand some basic clinch work.  Why does the heavy weight champ understand nothing about the clinch range?

Even more puzzling is Brock’s behavior when pushed against the fence.  In his last camp, he had brought Randy Couture in for a few pointers.  Did Randy not share that when pressed against the fence, turning to your side is the absolute worst maneuver a fighter can execute?  This leaves him defenseless and open and Randy better than anyone understands that.

There were no demonstrations of facing up, sinking in double under-hooks and buying recovery time. Yet, these are basic maneuvers we observer been executed at some point in most fights we watch in the Octagon. 

Speaking of basic maneuvers, we come to the next point: Ground game.  We know that Brock is an accomplished collegiate champion wrestler and we all know that wrestlers do not enjoy being on their back, but at some point, there has to be some understanding of basic level Jiu Jitsu. 

We don’t expect Brock to pull Guard and work a triangle. That’s not his game or strength.  However, when you’re woozy and dazed with the opponent on top of you, pulling guard can buy you recovery time.  Pulling guard is the stuff they teach you on your first day at your local Jiu Jitsu academy. 

Lesnar’s modus operandi upon being attacked on the ground was to, once again, roll on his side and cover his face hoping the opponent becomes fatigued from punching him.  While it’s a strategy that served well for Rocky Balboa for years, it has been less fruitful for Brock Lesnar.

And while we are at it, here is the most peculiar of all questions: What was the deal with Brock Lesnar stumbling around like the town drunk in the midst of the fight?   That may be a common sighting at 3 AM outside your average frat party, but in the Octagon?

After watching that replay three times, I still don’t have an explanation, nor a cause for the weird drunken stumble half way through the first round.

Drunken stumble observations aside, we have to ponder the future: Where does each party go from here?

For Dana White and the UFC, it's the challenge of trying to market Cain to the mainstream fans. 

For the new undisputed champ Cain Velasquez, this could be the beginning of a potential heavy weight reign.   Velasquez who already was an accomplished collegiate wrestler, has displayed tremendous improvement in his striking ability which could pose a challenge for his future opponents.

Then again, that all could come to an abrupt end after an encounter with one hungry Junior Dos Santos.  A case could be made that Cain Velasquez’s significant victories have come against an over-the-hill Nogeira and relative newcomer Lesnar.  It remains to be seen how effective Cain Velasquez will be in 2011.

Where does Lesnar go from here?  Certainly Dana White and the UFC will be anxious to get him back into Octagon as Brock’s presence usually spells a ratings bonanza.   Lesnar / Mir part III could be a bigger pay-per-view seller than most championship bouts the UFC can throw together. 

Lastly, will Brock be able to make the necessary adjustments to take his proverbial game to the next level?  He certainly has top notch instructors at his camp, not to mention incredible teachers such as Erik Paulsen.   He has the work ethic and guidance to lead him back to the championship.

Will he bring in new coaches to devise better strategies than the current playbook being designed by his college wrestling coach, Marty?

The heavyweight division is stacked and at the top of the food chain stand Cain Velasquez, Junior Dos Santos, and Shane Carwin.  If Brock is to be the heavyweight champ again, he has to account for the aforementioned questions raised after his last performance.

For the avid MMA fans, 2011 will be an exciting year for the heavyweight division in the UFC.  Yet, there are many questions still waiting to be answered.