UFC 91 Reflections: Brock Lesnar Changes the Game

The Ultimate Fighting Championship of Saturday November 15th, 2008 proved a few things that many UFC fans had been wondering about. I am not about to talk about all the fights that transpired, but there were a few eyebrows raised after the event.

Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Josh Hendricks

The first fight that answered some questions last night was Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Josh Hendricks. Only one minute into the first round, Gonzaga was able to connect with a well-timed strike and drop Hendricks.

Even though Gonzaga recently won against Justin McCully in July, he seemed nervous, and out of sorts and didn't seem to have a plan prior to the fight.

Gonzaga was destined for greatness early in his UFC career, with early wins against up-and-coming Fabiano Scherner and Carmelo Marrero. He followed those two wins with a shocking knockout of Mirko Cro Cop. Now 6-2, Gonzaga looks poised to regain his status as a contender, and his confidence as a fighter.

Joe Stevenson vs. Kenny Florian

Another fight with possible championship implications was the match between Joe "Daddy" Stevenson and Kenny "Ken-Flo" Florian. Florian won the fight with a rear naked choke late in the first round, although many thought the submission game would be Stevenson's strength. 

Even though Florian was already rising through the ranks of the lightweight class, Stevenson had been mired every few fights with a loss.

Florian's record (now 9-2) seems to be strong enough to challenge BJ Penn for his championship belt soon. Florian sports a uniquely balanced skill set.

As a Brazilian Jiujitsu specialist, Florian has also become one of the most adept with Muay Thai. Florian's disturbingly sharp elbows have ended a few of his fights, and more than one Octagon mat has absorbed a few pints blood from Florian's opponents.

Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar

Finally, the headline fight of UFC 91. Any reader of my November 14 article "UFC Championship Time: Couture vs. Lesnar" knows that I strongly believed in Lesnar as the favorite in this fight. 

The battle played out exactly as I thought it would: Lesnar proved too fast, too strong, and too unbelievable for the likes of Randy Couture.

Brock Lesnar, the new heavyweight champion, will prove to be a formidable adversary for the next several fighters who challenge for the belt. It may be nearly impossible to find someone who can prove to be a real challenge to Lesnar's intimidating stature, especially since Tim Sylvia now seems completely out of the picture.

In fact, Lesnar's imposing strength and formidable power has only been rivaled once in the history of the UFC, by Dan "The Beast" Severn. Unless he has a clone about 15 to 25 years younger, Lesnar will sit undisputed atop the weight class for at least a few years to come.

For those unlucky enough to have missed UFC 91, do not miss the next event that Lesnar headlines. There is no telling how long he will remain a mixed martial arts competitor, and we don't know how long the fickle feelings of Dana White will keep Lesnar employed in the UFC. 

Lesnar's future performances, especially if he keeps learning and improving at such an accelerated rate, will be like Michael Jordan's peak performances in the 90's.

I also think Couture will soon be calling it quits in the Octagon for good. He already tried to leave the UFC once, but I am pretty sure this one will stick.

Thanks for another great night UFC. I look forward to the next time I get to see Brock "Raging Bull" Lesnar in the Octagon. Until then...