Brock Lesnar: How Being Fast-Tracked to the Title Hurt His Development

Brock Lesnar's meteoric rise to MMA superstardom seems like something that happened overnight.

The former WWE superstar transitioned immediately from the entertainment business to professional fighting.

After an impressive victory in his MMA debut at Dynamite!! USA against Min-Soo Kim, Lesnar quickly found himself in a UFC octagon staring across from former heavyweight champion Frank Mir.

The UFC is the pinnacle of MMA. Some fighters amass over 20 fights before ever seeing the big stage. Lesnar didn't only see the big stage in a short amount of time, but his bout with Mir also served as the co-main event to the interim heavyweight championship bout between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Tim Sylvia.

Mir walked out the fortunate victor in that fight, but two bouts later, Lesnar found himself competing for a world title against UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture.

How does a fighter ascend to the apex of his career in just four bouts?

After defeating Couture for the heavyweight title, Lesnar was successful in his first two defenses against Shane Carwin and Frank Mir, but he was thoroughly handled in October 2010 by undefeated American Kickboxing Academy standout Cain Velasquez.

A month away from his showdown with Junior Dos Santos, it's interesting to ponder what Lesnar's MMA career would've been like if things were approached differently.

Would we have seen a much better fighter?

Here's how being fast-tracked to the title hurt Lesnar's development.

Missed Experience

With virtually no amateur background, Lesnar missed out on a plethora of MMA experience in stepping up to the bright lights of the UFC.

While most fighters are getting their feet wet against similar experienced opponents, Lesnar was facing world-class veterans and UFC Hall of Famers.

The success of fighters can often be weighted by experience.

What if current light heavyweight champion Jon Jones faced Quinton "Rampage" Jackson or Lyoto Machida in his second professional MMA bout?

It would be incredibly tough to deal with fighters of that caliber at such an early stage in his career.

Lesnar hasn't really had the opportunity to test out the waters. After one successful bout, he was immediately thrown into the fire against MMA's best.

It's kind of like a baseball player pitching a few games in the minors, and he's immediately called upon to close out the World Series.

Yes, Lesnar is an NCAA Division I wrestling champion, but wrestling and fighting aren't the same sport.

Wrestling is only one of the many aspects of fighting, and by jumping into the upper-echelon fray earlier, Lesnar missed out on a much-needed opportunity to hone his skills and get the most out of his natural abilities.

Rushed MMA Training

The UFC octagon isn't the ideal place to test the waters of professional fighting.

Outside of his wrestling base, Lesnar hasn't endured many years of MMA training. Still, he managed to win a world title with only four fights to his name. It was a tremendous feat, but many failed to recognize the long-term issues that could follow such a quick ascension.

As soon as Lesnar brandished UFC gold, he became a marquee name of the world's leading MMA organization. There wouldn't be much time to mature as a fighter, and he would be forced to face world-class opposition for the rest of his UFC career.

It's obvious that Lesnar was playing catch-up as a world champion. His boxing skills are far from polished, and he tends to panic during exchanges.

When pressed on the feet, Lesnar often turns away and paws at his opponents. There is sure to be questions regarding his heart and ability to absorb punishment, but Lesnar answered those questions by surviving Shane Carwin's onslaught at UFC 116.

Despite his unprecedented size and wrestling prowess, Lesnar is behind on stringing together combinations, defensive posture and countering.

Many consider wrestling the best base for MMA, but if it's the only technique in your arsenal, it'll only be a matter of time before you get exposed.

What if you can't get the fight to the ground?

Today's heavyweights aren't just going to trip up and flounder under every takedown attempt. Every current UFC champion is great at various aspects of fighting, not just one. It takes time to develop the skills necessary to compete at Lesnar's level.

Velasquez and Jones have similar MMA experience, but they were both groomed in their climb to the top. They fought the necessary opposition needed to facilitate their development as top-tier fighters.

While he should be commended for his hasty success, Lesnar could be on the verge of watching everything unravel unless he rounds out his skills.

Bad Timing?

Before Lesnar's UFC debut, UFC President Dana White said that Lesnar asked for big fights. He wasn't looking for any warm-ups.

Considering the heavyweight division was in complete disarray, the UFC was looking for the next heavyweight superstar, and if successful, a guy with Lesnar's drawing power could easily fit the bill.

It was hard not to keep Lesnar out of the major spotlight after his impressive debut against Mir. The heavyweight division was quite thin around that time. With Couture in a legal battle with the UFC, the division was headlined by Mir, Nogueira and Sylvia.

After Lesnar defeated Mir in the rematch at UFC 100, the UFC heavyweight division had a different look. Guys like Velasquez, Carwin and Junior Dos Santos entered the fold.

In the past, Lesnar was able to manipulate opponents with his size and wrestling, but the heavyweight division underwent a massive evolution. The top stars were more agile and well-rounded, which is reminiscent of successful heavyweights in the past.

If Lesnar would've arrived in the era of Sylvia and Jeff Monson, he could've realized prolonged success. A one-dimensional skill set just won't cut it in this era.

This was showcased in Lesnar's bout with Velasquez, who is also a world-class wrestler. When Lesnar couldn't keep Velasquez on his back, he was forced to stand and trade with the former Arizona State collegiate wrestler, who bested the exchanges and claimed the world title.

Crossed Threshold of No Return

When Lesnar won the UFC title, he crossed the threshold of no return.

Fans don't want to see Lesnar face lower-tier guys with similar experience. They want to see him fight the top heavyweights in the world.

This is why experience is so important. It can make or break an entire career. Fighters shouldn't just be handed UFC title shots. It's a process that should require working your way through the MMA ranks and making a name for yourself.

This is all to ensure that a fighter has the experience needed to settle into the position of consistently facing elite-level opposition.

Regardless of the outcome of his upcoming bout with Dos Santos at UFC 131, there is no turning back for Lesnar. The heavyweight division is more competitive than ever, and he'll have to learn to swim with the sharks.

Yes, Lesnar's growth as a professional fighter was likely stunted by his immediate jump into the title picture, but it isn't the end of the world. Lesnar is still a world-class fighter with plenty of abilities to build upon.

Will that be enough to defeat Dos Santos and overthrow Velasquez?

Only time will tell.