Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar
Pats’ Prediction: I see Lesnar landing a huge right hand that sends Randy down near the beginning of the fight, and then pouncing on him to finish him off with vicious ground and pound. Lesnar by TKO in a shocking upset, round 1.
In his much-anticipated return to the Octagon, UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy “The Natural” Couture faces a literally massive test, in the form of man-beast Brock Lesnar (+105 Couture / -130 Lesnar odds at Sportsbook.com). One half of a heavyweight “tournament” in which the winner will face the winner of Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera vs. Frank Mir for the undisputed Heavyweight Title, this fight promises fireworks, with a UFC legend facing off a physical specimen the likes of which the sport has never seen.
Brock Lesnar, despite his relatively young career, is probably the most recognizable fighter on UFC’s roster. A former WWF champion pro wrestler, Lesnar’s worldwide fame is matched only by his astonishing physical gifts. Lesnar is, put simply, a monster, who has to cut a substantial amount of weight to make the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s 265 pound Heavyweight limit. Despite his gargantuan proportions, though, Lesnar is surprisingly agile.
A former Division I NCAA Wrestling national champion, Lesnar has a firm base on which to build MMA success. Despite his wrestling background, Lesnar has already proven that his punching is also a force to be reckoned with by sending both Frank Mir and Heath Herring crashing to the mat with a single punch each.
Clearly, Lesnar’s one achilles heel is his lack of experience and subsequent lack of technique. He lost to Frank Mir in a fight he was totally dominating because his submission defense was not up to snuff. It’s definitely safe to assume that he has been working his submission defense at his camp, Minnesota Martial Arts.
Lesnar’s opponent, prodigal son Randy “The Natural” Couture, is probably UFC’s foremost legend and Hall of Famer. After entering the game very late, Couture continually amazed fans, duking out with the best in the world at both Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight, capturing both titles and seemingly defying the human aging progress. Astonishingly, Couture’s amateur wrestling credentials outstrip even Lesnar’s.
He is a world class greco roman specialist, and over the years has added solid boxing and submissions to his repertoire, making him a truly formidable force. After a recent layoff during his contentious contract dispute with the UFC, Randy will have to overcome ring rust as well as Lesnar if he hopes to remain a champion.
In all honesty, I don’t see a way for Couture to win this fight. His wrestling may be slightly better than Lesnar’s, but that is rendered moot by Lesnar’s titanic advantage in both size and strength. In the standup game, Randy’s size disadvantage hurts him, as does the fact that Lesnar’s fists pack destructive power and are the size of watermelons.
On the ground, while a competent submission fighter, Randy is not on the same level as someone like Frank Mir. Randy failed to choke Tim Sylvia when they met, and had his back for over 4 minutes in the first round. Mir, for his part, snapped Sylvia’s arm. Begin betting at a www.sportsbook.com or another UFC sportsbook online.
