MMA: 5 Reasons Why Brock Lesnar Will Never Be Champion Again

Brock Lesnar is the most successful PPV magnate acquisition in the history of MMA, but his second quest for UFC glory will never be achieved again.

When Brock Lesnar burst on to the MMA scene in 2007 he not only brought with him the pomp and pageantry synonymous with the WWE but also the fans in their thousands.

Initially the transition from WWE to MMA was going according to the script:

He submitted Min-Soo Kim via punches. The Lesnar express train was derailed momentarily when he came up against Frank Mir, losing via kneebar submission.

After that minor hiccup the Lesnar express was back on track, he won a unanimous decision against Heath Herring and in only his fourth fight as an MMA pro and in only his third fight for the UFC he defeated Randy Couture via TKO to become the UFC heavyweight champion.

The Lesnar express made a brief stop at UFC 100 where he would avenge his only loss thus far. In the rematch, Lesnar annihilated Mir winning via TKO. At that point it seemed to the MMA world that the Lesnar express was unstoppable—they were wrong.

After a brief illness with mononucleosis and diverticulitis Lesnar went head to head with Shane Carwin in his first defense of the title. It wasn’t all plain sailing and the Lesnar express almost got derailed for a second time, but he weathered Carwin’s early storm winning via arm triangle choke.

The Lesnar express was gradually gathering speed—next stop would be at UFC 121 where he would throw down with Cain Velasquez and ultimately lose his UFC belt. The smaller Velasquez violated Lesnar in a way he’d never experienced before—it was sheer brutality. The Lesnar express was now on standby.

His proposed fight with Junior Dos Santo was called off, as he again succumbed to another bout of diverticulitis. The Lesnar express is now slated for the tracks at UFC 141 where he’ll meet ex Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem.

What Lesnar has achieved to date in MMA most fighters wouldn’t achieve in a lifetime. But I believe the Lesnar express has come to a permanent halt in regards to the UFC heavyweight championship.

And these are the reasons why:

1.Diverticulitis

Lesnar has now had two bouts of diverticulitis, what that must’ve done to his health let alone his psyche no one but the man himself knows.

What if he suffers another bout of diverticulitis? How many times can he keep coming back from such an illness and still be as competitive at the highest level? I know he’s sometimes portrayed as a beast but he’s only human.

It has been reported that rigorous exercise after a bout of diverticulitis decreases the chances of the illness re-occurring. That must be good news for Lesnar but it doesn’t hide the fact that diverticulitis has now become part of his overall make-up.

How he comes back after his latest battle with the illness is anyone’s guess. I wish him all the best in his recuperation but I doubt with this lingering illness he’ll be able climb the UFC summit again.

I know it sound harsh but it’s the truth.

2.Suspect Chin

Lesnar mightn’t have the fragilest of chins in MMA but his chin is suspect nonetheless. It became apparent that he hadn’t the sturdiest of chins when he went toe to toe with Randy Couture and got stunned. He got rocked again by Carwin and finally his flawed jaw was exposed by reigning UFC heavyweight champion Velasquez.

I don’t think Lesnar’s chin would stand up against the striking power of a Cormier, a Junior Dos Santos or his next opponent Alistair Overeem.  Lesnar has an averse reaction to getting clocked—his brain seems to shut down.

You either have a chin or you don’t—and Lesnar doesn’t. And no amount of training will redress that issue.

3.Strikeforce Exodus

Regardless of who wins the Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix final between Josh “Baby-Faced Assassin” Barnett and Daniel “DC” Cormier, one or both of those guys I’m sure will be signed by the UFC—Barnett and Cormier are no joke.

Barnett can stand and bang if need be or he can take it to ground where his Jiu-jitsu skills will come into play.

Cormier, who recently defeated top 10 heavyweight Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, has proven that he is a force to contend with—from prospect to the real deal. He’s got good striking ability, great takedown defense and he’s a world class wrestler.

Will Lesnar’s attributes be enough to neutralize either of the aforementioned fighters? Somehow I think not.

Then there’s the rest of the Strikeforce roster; I assume the likes of Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum and even Antonio “Big Foot” Silva will need a home as well, and what better place than the UFC, presuming Dana White thinks they’ve got that certain X factor, which is a pre-requisite for UFC employment.

With an influx of ex-Strikeforce fighters the UFC heavyweight division is going to be stacked, and Lesnar could find himself in a crowed division vying for a title shot. If he loses that would mean back to the drawing board and to the back of the queue.

4.Alistair “The Reem” Overeem

Lesnar is slated to throw down with the UFC’s newest acquisition Overeem at UFC 141. Lesnar has the wrestling ability to take down Overeem and keep him there, but that’s not a foregone conclusion. If the fight stays standing, the balance of power would shift in favour of Overeem.

There have been rumours that Lesnar has enlisted the help of kickboxing sensation Badr Hari in preparation for this bout. Whether that will succor him or not is left to be seen, but one thing’s for sure he won’t be a kick boxing sensation over night.

Overeem wins via KO.

5.Cain Velasquez and Junior “Cigano” Dos Santos

What more is there to say about Cain Velasquez? He delivered a one-sided beat down to the previously indestructible Lesnar.  In the fight, Velasquez negated Lesnar’s greatest asset—his wrestling ability. Once Velasquez had achieved that it was more or less game over for Lesnar.

If they were to lock horns again the result would be the same.

Now if Junior Dos Santos were to defeat Velasquez, I reckon he’d do to Lesnar what Velasquez did to him. It should be noted that Dos Santos is an accomplished kickboxer (18-0)—18 of those wins have come via knockout, add that to his improving takedown defense then Lesnar has a whole lot of problems.

Lesnar is in a no-win situation—if he loses to Overeem he’ll have a bay of hungry fighters on his tail, if he wins, then it’s a match up with either Cain Velasquez or Junior Dos Santos for the UFC heavyweight title.