Brock Lesnar: 5 Reasons Size Is Overrated and Jon Jones Would Beat Lesnar

Heavyweight perception has changed drastically over the last few years.

With the emergence of oversized beasts like Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin, fans have become captivated by size and power instead of actual technique and skill.

The philosophies of wrestling, boxing and jiu-jitsu don't equate to who has the strongest bench press. Lesnar, an NCAA Division I Heavyweight Champion wrestler, knows this better than anyone.

As a monstrous heavyweight, fans never really seem to grasp Lesnar's true strengths or weaknesses; all they see is size.

It was a humbling experience—and enlightenment for some—after watching newly-crowned heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez dominate Lesnar at UFC 121.

Surely, light heavyweight champion Jon Jones couldn't duplicate Velasquez's success—right?

In the final part of this two-part series, we're going to delve into the dream fight between Lesnar and Jones. While an actual fight between these two isn't likely, it's always fun to entertain the thought of intriguing matchups that we'll probably never see.

Unlike previous articles, you won't have to wait until the end to get a prediction for this dream fight. Here are five reasons Jones would beat Lesnar.

Part One Jon Jones vs. Cain Velasquez: Who Would Win?

Jones Has Too Many Weapons

Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

LAS VEGAS - JULY 11: (R-L) Jon Jones connects with a right punch on Jake O'Brein during their light heavyweight bout during UFC 100 on July 11, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jones defeated O'Brein by second round tapout. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

Outside of a power double and strong top-control, Lesnar has obvious holes in his game—including striking and submissions.

You would be hard-pressed to pinpoint weaknesses in Jones' game. Bear in mind, he is still an enigma at this point, and his weaknesses have yet to be exposed. Every human being has flaws, but Jones has done a tremendous job of concealing his.

On the feet, Jones' accuracy and creativity is already being compared with the likes of pound-for-pound great Anderson Silva. His awkward footwork gives him an edge in the exchanges and makes him incredibly hard to predict.

Along with great striking in the open, Jones is devastating in the clinch. His knees and elbows are some of the most lethal in the sport. If that wasn't enough, Jones is also a phenomenal Greco-Roman wrestler, who has tossed around the likes of Mauricio Rua, Ryan Bader, Brandon Vera and Matt Hamill.

The weapons continue in the grappling department. Jones is a former collegiate wrestler at Iowa State Community College, where he won a national JUCO championship in 2006. While this pales in comparison to Lesnar's Division I title, history has taught fans that world-class credentials aren't necessarily needed to find success in a particular area of fighting.

World-class grapplers like Georges St. Pierre and Sean Sherk didn't even wrestle in college. St. Pierre never wrestled period, and he continuously dominates wrestlers with a higher pedigree.

Collegiate wrestling and MMA wrestling are two different monsters, and Jones is mastering the latter. His seamless combination of strikes and takedowns keeps his opponents guessing. This is why he was able to take down two-time Division I All-American Ryan Bader so easily.

On the ground, Jones has also shown an aptitude for submission offense and defense. It would be a tough task for Lesnar in dealing with all of these weapons.

Technique Over Strength

The idea of technique over strength is consistently drilled into the noggins of students all over the world. Unless you've had experience training in an art, it's hard to grasp this concept from your living room or the local pub.

While positions seem stagnant to the casual viewer, there is actually a struggle going on between both fighters. This doesn't eradicate stalling in fights.

It does happen, but generally, fighters are jockeying for better positions and looking for openings to scramble out of bad ones.

You can think of it as a chess match.

Strength isn't unimportant in the sport, but it is drastically overestimated at times. The enduring argument leading up to Lesnar's fight with Velasquez was that the former WWE superstar was too big and strong for the Arizona State wrestling standout.

UFC 121 served as a lesson to fans. After getting taken down, Velasquez found an opening, popped back to his feet and proceeded to smash Lesnar to bits.

In a weightlifting contest, Velasquez wouldn't even come close to Lesnar, but he managed to overthrow the former champ's top game with superior technique.

If you're still on the fence, check out highlights from BJJ black belt Marcelo Garcia, who is often considered as one of the top pound-for-pound Brazilian jiu-jitsu artists in the world. His impeccable technique allows him to dominate and control opponents twice his size.

Lesnar is a world-class wrestler, and his technique played the biggest role in him earning an NCAA title. As for MMA, does Lesnar have the striking needed to set up the takedown on Jones? Why shouldn't a world-class wrestler and striker like Jones be able to replicate some of things that worked for Velasquez?

Brock’s Tentative Nature

Lesnar's tenacity and ability to survive an onslaught of punishment is stronger than even he may realize, but when pressed upon, he often shies away from punches instead of angling off and countering.

The grit and toughness shown by Lesnar in his bout with Shane Carwin was amazing, but it's easier to be the bully instead of the one getting bullied.

After Carwin pretty much passed out from heat exhaustion, Lesnar pounced on the opportunity and finished the fight.

While Carwin works on his cardio problems, there are fighters out there that can keep up a hard pace for an entire bout.

Jones loves to be the aggressor, and he has a knack for putting away the toughest of opponents. If Lesnar turns away from Jones' offense, he could quickly find himself ensnared in the clinch and getting teed off on with knees and elbows.

Lesnar's tentative nature also extends to him going into panic mode. At UFC 121, Lesnar became rattled by the fact that he wasn't able to keep Velasquez on his back. Once the fight returned to the feet, Velasquez threw a few punches and Lesnar spun circles across the cage like he had just been hit with the right hand of a hulked up "Hulk Hogan."

With Jones' stand-up prowess and wrestling abilities, it could be a long night for Lesnar if he isn't able to maintain top position.

Jones’ Reach and Footwork

Lesnar won't find much luck telegraphing double-leg takedowns against Jones. Along with his historic reach, Jones has excellent footwork. He tends to keep opponents at bay with a steady jab and a deep arsenal of kicks.

Is Lesnar's striking good enough to sift through Jones' offense and nab consistent takedowns?

This is a lot to ask of Lesnar. Shogun is a world-class striker with a plethora of experience, and he couldn't even touch Jones. When Shogun pressed forward with offense, Jones would angle off and watch the former Chute Boxe fighter swing at air.

Lesnar's striking is still a work in progress, and he would be in a lot of trouble in the open. As a wrestler in MMA, it's hard to put another great wrestler on his back without the stand-up skills necessary to set up the takedown.

The unpredictability of Jones has made even the most savvy of MMA veterans look like amateurs. At this point in his career, it's tough seeing Lesnar as the guy to solve the enigma.

Size Isn’t Everything

Throughout the history of the sport, the best heavyweights in the world have been more nimble in stature.

Guys like Fedor Emelianenko, Randy Couture, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mirko "Cro Cop" constantly found success amidst gargantuan opponents.

Even today, most consider Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos as the top heavyweights in the world, and neither guy is considered a large heavyweight.

Lesnar's speed and conditioning give him some unique qualities for a man his size, but history has a way of catching up to us.

As the smaller fighter, Velasquez had a significant speed advantage, and he was more scrappy in transitions.

Instead of plodding forward in a flat-footed stance, Jones would be much lighter on his feet. He could frustrate Lesnar with good lateral movement and quick reaction to incoming takedowns.

Velasquez and Jones aren't Couture, Frank Mir or Heath Herring. Both men are elite-level wrestlers in their prime. They also trump Lesnar in every area except for size and strength.

Sure, there's always a chance that Lesnar lands that big punch that puts Jones away, but this could apply to every heavyweight; they all have knockout power.

It's hard not to like Jones' chances in this bout. Lesnar may secure a takedown or two, but like Velasquez, Jones would find a way back to his feet and overwhelm the former Golden Gopher in the exchanges. Even against Couture, Lesnar struggled to get the takedown and maintain top position.

The mere argument of size and strength is played out in the sport of MMA. If it were so simple, there would be plenty of professional wrestlers crossing over and finding similar success to Lesnar's. Surely, Lesnar has more to offer than just size and strength, but even his most diehard fans won't give him that credit.

When you look at the entire picture, Jones is simply a better fighter than Lesnar—and size wouldn't stop him from proving it.