Brock Lesnar: If He Remains in UFC, Who's Next for Him To Fight?

Brock Lesnar saw his championship run and his tale of validation and glory crumble at the hands of Cain Velasquez last October.

Because of that, Lesnar is facing the first real crossroads in his mixed martial arts career.  Is his time at the top of the sport behind him?  Can he reclaim glory?  How soon will he jump back into action?  

Let's take a look at the implications of Lesnar's most probable matchups, because whatever his next step is, the whole MMA world will be watching.

Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira

Antonio Nogueira is a legendary heavyweight, who, like Lesnar, is also coming off a defeat to Velasquez.  Nogueira is having a long layoff due to hip surgeries, but is now recovering and looking forward to competing.

Pros

Nogueira is a bona-fide legend in the sport and on the decline.  While Minotauro is always dangerous with his submissions, this is still a very high-profile and winnable fight for Lesnar.  

On the feet, "Big Nog" has an advantage in technical boxing skill but Lesnar would have the advantage in power and reach.  If Lesnar wanted to, he could keep the fight standing and take the fight to the ground with powerful top control if he felt he needed.

If he did keep it on the feet, he might take some decent punches from Noguiera, which would help the public opinion of his ability to take a punch and build his confidence.

Cons

Nogueira has said he wants this fight, and if it happened at the huge Rio De Janeiro event planned for August, Nogueira would benefit from a significant home-crowd advantage.

Nogueira is (some would say "arguably") craftier on the ground than Lesnar's rival Frank Mir.  If Nogueira's chin is not truly as deteriorated as it looked against Cain Velasquez and Mir, Lesnar would be in for a long, hard fight.

Junior Dos Santos

If Lesnar miraculously gets his fire back immediately, he could jump right back into the saddle against No. 1 contender, Junior Dos Santos.

Pros

This fight would certainly be for the UFC Interim Heavyweight Championship.  A win would keep Lesnar with championship gold and give him the immediate chance to redeem his loss to Velasquez, only the second loss of his career.

Dos Santos is primarily a striker and Lesnar might be able to dominate him with wrestling and top control.

Cons

With the chance for great reward also comes great risk.  Dos Santos is the No. 1 contender for a reason.  

Dos Santos has yet to lose a round in the UFC, and he has the quickness and power to brutalize anyone in the division.

Shane Carwin

Their first fight was a highly profitable clash of titans.  Carwin is recovering from back surgery and these two powerful juggernauts could be interested in running it back.

Pros

This fight is marketable anywhere.

Lesnar tasted Carwin's power in the first round of their first fight and came back to win in the second round by submission.  That fight was a huge boost to Lesnar's confidence and maybe even enough for him to want to put on a repeat performance.

In their original battle, Carwin went to the second round for the first time in his career and didn't look good.  Fans want to see if he can redeem himself.

Cons

Carwin is no "gimmie" fight for Lesnar.  If Carwin can rectify the problems he had in the first fight (or even just pick his shots better), Lesnar could be in for his second straight brutal stoppage loss.  

Frank Mir or Roy Nelson

Frank Mir and Roy Nelson are scheduled to take on each other in May, in what will help restore some order in the upper echelons of the UFC's Heavyweight division.  

As it stands right now, Lesnar has not jumped back into the swing of things, and he could take quite some time to sit on the sidelines to make sure the next fight he takes is the right one, and that very well could be against one of these two big guys.

Pros

Most importantly, taking the time off to wait for these guys could help Brock get into the frame of mind that works best for him.  It's usually a political affair, but Randy Couture has used this strategy to his benefit before.

Against Frank Mir, Carwin showed that the blue print to overpower and pound out Mir still exists.

Against Nelson, Brock would carry a distinct advantage in athleticism and should be able to stay out of too much trouble as long as he minds his Ps and Qs.

Cons

Taking that much time off could make Lesnar rusty, and it could further dampen his reputation with the hardcore fans who like to see top fighters compete regularly.

Ben Rothwell

Nearly recovered from a torn ACL, Ben Rothwell showed he is still a relevant name at heavyweight with his win over Gilbert Yvel last year.

Pros

Ben Rothwell is a true veteran of the sport and a win over him would be a very respectable notch in Lesnar's belt.  Much like Heath Herring was.

Rothwell is used to being bigger and stronger than his opponents, that would not be the case against Lesnar.  Lesnar would enjoy an advantage in speed and explosiveness.

Cons

Although a respected veteran, Rothwell doesn't have a huge name, making the fight a little riskier for someone of Lesnar's stature.

While Rothwell won't have a significant size and strength advantage, Lesnar won't either, and Rothwell is a tough SOB.  "Big Ben" is not going to stay down unless you disconnect him from reality.

Cheick Kongo

After a disappointing draw with upstart Travis Browne, the outspoken Frenchman Cheick Kongo has salvaged his relevance in the Heavyweight division.

Pros

Frankly, Kongo is a good stylistic matchup for Lesnar and has a relatively big name.

While Kongo has worked hard to round out his game, wrestling is still his biggest weakness and Lesnar would make him pay dearly for it.

Cons

Coming off of the draw, Kongo does not have a ton of momentum behind him, making this matchup a little less marketable than other options.

Also, while Lesnar should be able to exploit Kongo's lack of wrestling, Kongo is still an explosive and dangerous striker who could stun Brock early.

The Others

Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

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)

Sometimes with matchups, you just never know what's going to be made next.  

With a timetable for Lesnar's return uncertain, things are even less predictable.

The following names are not very likely or feasible to be next for Lesnar, but anything can happen...

The winner of Chris Tuchscherer vs. Mark Hunt.  These guys are lower down on the totem pole, and Lesnar would not want to fight Tuchscherer, who his one of his training partners.

The winner of Jon Madsen vs. Mike Russow.  Madsen is also a training partner of Lesnar's, but if Russow wins, that fight could make a little sense.

The winner of Matt Mitrione vs. Tim Hague.  

The winner of Stefan Struve vs. Travis Browne.

The winner of Pat Berry vs. Joey Beltran.