Life is full of challenges that need to be met head-on. Not only do these challenges make us better people, they help us strive toward jumping over other hurdles presented to us during our lifetime. Every once in awhile we will fail at what we do, but it is the ones who get right back up, don’t give up and try again without getting discouraged, that exceed expectations, learn from their mistakes and become better at what they do; legitimizing themselves in the process.
Brock Lesnar is no stranger to challenges. Even before his college career as an amateur wrestler, Brock wrestled at Webster High School in Webster, South Dakota where he managed to have a 33-0 record in his senior year. Brock would later attend the University of Minnesota on a full wrestling scholarship for his junior and senior years of college; where he would become a two-time NJCAA All-American, two-time NCAA All-American, two-time Big Ten Champion, and win the 2000 NCAA heavyweight championship with a record of 106-5 overall in four years of college.
Still, unknown to most of the world, he would enter into the Professional Wrestling world with a development territory for the WWE known as Ohio Valley Wrestling where he would train to make the next leap from amateur wrestling to the world of professional. He made his presence known and it was Vince McMahon who would recognize the marketability of someone of Brocks size and abilities. When Brock was ready, the WWE was ready for him. He would eventually write himself into the WWE record books as a three-time WWE Champion, and the second youngest WWE Champion in history.
But the road life in the WWE would take a toll on Brock Lesnar where he would hardly ever have a day when he wasn’t traveling and able to spend with his wife Rena (formally a WWE Superstar known as Sable). So Brock would soon drop it all for another passion of his before he would be too old to make an attempt at it. After a few years at the top of the WWE ladder Brock would quit for a career in the NFL playing for the Minnesota Vikings where he proved to be a little too tough for the team. His dominating figure proved to be a little too violent with the Quarterbacks in practice and scrimmage games. He would eventually be cut from the team only after a few pre-season games with the Vikings. It would become clear to many of us that Brock proved too violent for the NFL. So it would become inevitable that Brock would enter into the world of MMA.
In K1 Brock would totally dominate his first opponent in Kin Soo Kim within two minutes of the first round by submission via strikes to the head. Brock would quickly move to a deal with the UFC and have his first bout with former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir. With the UFC 81 results we saw that Brock was a little too anxious for his own good. Although he was winning the fight against Mir, his inexperience at a ground game would prove fatal as Mir managed to secure a kneebar and force a submission at 1:30 of the first round while on the floor. Brock was mounting a standing attack against a grounded opponent and his inexperience at protecting his feet against a grounded opponent would become an issue.
After the Mir fight, he was 1-1 in MMA and 0-1 in the UFC and it was time for Brock to go back to the basics. Something he forgot while being a little over zealous in his UFC debut. You need to protect yourselves at all times. Even when your opponent is on the mat and your first reaction is too ground and pound your opponent; your approach must remain guarded. It can all end instantly here with the right opponent as Brock found out so quickly.
Brock wouldn’t let this discourage him, going back to the basics and focusing on his mistakes he would come back against Heath Herring and show us how he can totally dominate in the octagon. Quickly from the start of the match Lesnar opened Herring up quickly with a right to the face and stayed on top of Herring throughout the match. Never allowing Herring to mount much of an offensive against Lesnar. But as we watched the match we could see that Lesnar was now more aware of protecting himself against a grounded opponent. Knowing where is miscalculation was in the past he was able to go the distance and also win a unanimous decision to win the match against Herring.
After seeing the UFC 87 results, Brock Lesnar has the makings of a champion in the UFC. His strength, size, agility and presence will dominate most opponents. If he can keep in mind that sometimes the best offense is a defense I don’t see many opponents beating him at a standing fight or a ground and pound. As long as he learns protect himself, uses his amateur wrestling background he will be a force to be reckoned with no matter the MMA organization he fights in.
