Brock Lesnar: 5 Fights He Should Take for a Successful Return

Brock Lesnar’s battle with diverticulitis continued this week as we learned via UFC President Dana White that he had recently undergone surgery to repair his colon. The surgery will keep the heavyweight powerhouse out until the beginning of 2012, according to White.

He was originally scheduled to fight Junior dos Santos in the main event of UFC 131, but obviously that won’t be happening. So who should his next opponent be when he gets back in the Octagon?

If he’s hoping to make a successful return, Lesnar will need to be smart with whatever fight he accepts. The last time he was battling diverticulitis, he got right back in the cage against Shane Carwin even though he admitted that he wasn’t nearly back to 100-percent during the fight.

Sure, he beat Carwin, but things looked pretty dire in the first round when the former University of Minnesota wrestler was nearly finished on numerous occasions.

If Carwin was in peak physical condition himself and didn’t gas-out, we may still be talking about him as the UFC Heavyweight Champion right now.

So in order to avoid another potentially crazy matchup like that, let’s take a look at the five opponents Lesnar should take in order to have a successful return to the UFC.

Matt Mitrione

Like Lesnar, Matt Mitrione was spoiled by essentially starting his MMA career off immediately with the biggest organization in the world. Lesnar did have one fight outside the UFC prior to debuting in the Octagon, but it was mostly a joke anyway.

Mitrione is a big time up-and-comer with undefeated professional record. He did lose on The Ultimate Fighter to James McSweeney, but Mitrione has pushed his record to 4-0 since that “unofficial” loss.

Mitrione has some serious punching power and would be a good threat to Lesnar on the feet. If Brock could stand with him, then it would give him confidence going forward against the division’s elite fighters.

Cheick Kongo

One of the most physically intimidating fighters in the UFC is 6’4” French monster, Cheick Kongo. But at 6’3” and over 265 pounds himself, Lesnar wouldn’t be worried about being out-powered by a man who he outweighs by nearly 40 pounds.

Given his size advantage and particularly due to Cheick Kongo’s questionable guard, Lesnar would look to bring the fight to the ground as soon as possible.

The big man is just 1-2-1 in his last four fights, with his two losses coming against consensus top five heavyweights Cain Velasquez and Frank Mir.

Lesnar would make it a third straight loss to top five competition if this fight were to happen, very likely stopping Kongo with his crushing ground-and-pound style.

Pat Barry

Like his teammate and friend Matt Mitrione, Pat Barry is a hot up-and-coming heavyweight who would be a nice comeback fight for Lesnar.

Though Barry has a lot of physical skill and some kicks that could completely destroy Lesnar’s base if he gets a chance to implement them, Barry’s style may actually play into exactly what Lesnar likes to do.

When Barry attempts leg kicks against fighters who like to stand, he is able to chop down their stance and weaken the effectiveness of their punching.

But when he does it to someone who would be happy to take the fight to the ground, Barry is suddenly exposing his leg to being snatched up. And once Lesnar has a leg, you’re going to the ground.

Roy Nelson

A borderline top-10 heavyweight fighter in the world going into this past Saturday’s UFC 130 event, Roy Nelson has taken a slide back after a terrible performance against Frank Mir in the co-main event.

He’s still a top-10 heavyweight in the UFC, but that’s not saying much given the thin amount of talent in the division.

Dana White was noticeably upset after the fight and even went as far as to challenge Nelson not to make 205 pounds as others have suggested, but even to make 240.

Supposedly, Nelson and White are scheduled to have a meeting on Friday to determine Nelson’s future after such a disappointing performance.

If Nelson does get into shape, he could be an interesting fight for Lesnar, but if he doesn’t, as expected, Lesnar should be able to run right through him with his takedowns.

Frank Mir

The third fight in the trilogy between Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir seems like it is almost a foregone conclusion, if Lesnar is able to return from his layoff.

Mir took the beating to Roy Nelson on Saturday night and appears to possibly be perhaps one fight away from a title shot with Brock Lesnar. Presumably, that fight will be against another fighter in or near the top-10 by the end of the year.

But win, lose or draw in his next fight, a third fight against Lesnar just makes sense... And more importantly, it would sell.

Of course, if he’s healthy, I don’t see how Lesnar loses this fight. He is exactly the kind of fighter who Mir is going to have the most trouble with, given his smothering wrestling style and strength due to his huge frame.

There would be those who doubt Lesnar again, but the reality is that Brock Lesnar is Frank Mir’s worst nightmare.