Brock Lesnar: Two Wins From a Title Shot?

by Kid Nate on Aug 18, 2008 10:14 AM EDT in News Comment 29 comments

...after surveying the landscape, it appears very likely that at most, Lesnar is only two consecutive wins away from a shot at the title. In fact, he could even be granted a shot with just one more victory; there isn't a long line of UFC heavyweight contenders.

Sam goes on to rank the UFC field and he's right, it's damn thin. Here's Sam's UFC heavyweight ranks:

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Fabricio Werdum
Gabriel Gonzaga
Frank Mir
Brock Lesnar
Heath Herring
Cheick Kongo
Cain Velasquez
Shane Carwin
Antoni Hardonk

It's easy to see where Lesnar could earn a shot quick with a win over Gonzaga or Werdum. Could he beat those guys? Definitely, but he could also get caught in a submission by either one.

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Wow

It is pretty thin. I could see him beating Kongo and then Gonzaga and if Mir beats Nog on the TUF finale that would make for an awesome rematch indeed! This needs to happen :)

by xFenixKnightx on Aug 18, 2008 10:08 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Mir beating Nog

is a mighty mighty big IF.
Personally I think Lesnar/Nog could make Nog a legend in the U.S.

by Kid Nate on Aug 18, 2008 10:09 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know

It is a big IF lol, but I think it would be a better sell for UFC to both casual and hardcore fans overall. Brock gets to avenge his loss and a title shot. We’ll see…

by xFenixKnightx on Aug 18, 2008 10:21 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hope they add Brock to the UFC90 card. Really pumped for that one already and it would just be icing on the cake.

by xFenixKnightx on Aug 18, 2008 10:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Beating Kongo unmerciful. I also don’t see him getting caught quite as easy as he did against Mir if he fought Gonzaga. I think Brock would be a tough test for Nog, he could whip out some really slick submissions but I’m positive Brock would come in to that fight with 1000% improved sub defense. And not to mention, the little bit of Brocks GnP we’ve seen owns Bob Sapp’s.

That said I would still throwdown a bill on Nog to beat anybody but Fedor.

"I have opinions of my own --strong opinions-- but I don't always agree with them."
-George Bush

by B Money on Aug 18, 2008 10:15 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Brock’s GNP is still developing. He was on top of Herring all night but couldn’t finish him. He was very conservative against a guy who is not not known as a submission specialist. How do you think he will be against someone like Werdum or Nog?

by Pantherhare on Aug 18, 2008 10:48 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think Brock's gameplan for the Herring fight

is what we’ll see from him until he really does get more comfortable letting it go. He maintained position that was almost impossible to reverse, and so he was able to easily maintain control throughout the match. Obviously a high-level BJJ guy is going to have much more success than Herring did from the bottom, but the point remains: Brock looks to have tailored his approach to positional domination at the expense of the flashy KO or quick ending.

There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.

by misterjonez on Aug 18, 2008 10:53 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It’s thin but still a few interesting matches. I doubt they care though, they have Lesnar, Carwin, Velasquez all worth building into HW stars with Lesnar’s star already on the rise. The hardcore fans will be up in arms at the thin division but the people buying the PPV/seat tickets are likely still interested.

by pr0cs on Aug 18, 2008 10:29 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

If they skip Werdum, I will be pissed.

I have no problem with Lesner beating, say, Kongo, then getting a shot, BUT they need to give Werdum his opportunity. Hopefully we will see Werdum/Nog.

"The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushin'"

by BJJDenver on Aug 18, 2008 10:52 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, given the current landscape

Verdum definitely needs to be given a shot. He’s done about all he could do, and he’s proven himself a high-level guy in a weak division.

There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.

by misterjonez on Aug 18, 2008 10:54 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, I’m kind of looking for the Werdum/Nog match up to take the place of the GG/Nog match I was anticipating.

"The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushin'"

by BJJDenver on Aug 18, 2008 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It'd need...

a big fight on top. That wouldn’t pull much of a buyrate at all…Unless somehow Nog establishes himself as a big draw for the casuals on TUF

Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.

by Brent Brookhouse on Aug 18, 2008 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You mean if they skip Werdum again.

by George Lucas on Aug 18, 2008 2:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Very true.

"The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushin'"

by BJJDenver on Aug 18, 2008 2:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I see Velasquez and Kongo moving up at the same pace as Lesnar unless they face one another. It’ll eventually have to come down to a winner in a fight between two of the three (assuming that Werdum already has a shot coming).

It really does make it seem pretty crazy that some of the LHW’s don’t scootch up.

by Blackout612 on Aug 18, 2008 3:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I’d like to see Liddell do a few fights at heavyweight. I guess as long as he’s in the title picture at light heavy, he’ll stay put. He could be a force at heavyweight with his takedown defense and deadly striking. I also think he would be a better match for Fedor than Couture. That would be a huge draw if it happened within the UFC. Fedor aside, Lidell could bring some major star power to heavyweight.

by Cannon Jacques on Aug 18, 2008 3:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'd be interested...

to see it. But I don’t think that takedown defense would look quite as impressive against guys who are a good 30-40 lbs bigger than him

Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.

by Brent Brookhouse on Aug 18, 2008 3:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

So what?

I guess I’m one of the few people that watching brock destroy herring did not impress me. Herring has NEVER impressed me. I honestly believe if Brock were to right now, go to the ground with Werdum or Nog it would end quite quickly via sub. The fact of the matter is Lesnar is still only 2-1, with his win over a much lighter japanese fighter and experienced but a hack of a herring, hes not even close to most professional fighter record levels. Personally I want to see him have to stand and bang with a Carwin or a Valasquez. We’ll all “see him now” when they are waving the smelling salts in front of his pumpkin head.

by MMAsubb on Aug 18, 2008 3:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Good point.

You’re probably right. I still believe his striking and his experience would put him toward the top of the heap, given the thin variety of the above list.

by Cannon Jacques on Aug 18, 2008 3:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I meant to make this a reply to Brent’s comment. I’m referring to Liddell. Sorry.

by Cannon Jacques on Aug 18, 2008 3:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Following that same chain of possibilities

Liddell vs Brock would do a ridiculous buyrate.

by Blackout612 on Aug 18, 2008 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You're so right.

it wouldn’t be as big of a deal for hardcore fans, but it would be bigger in sum once you add in people who don’t know who the hell Fedor is. It would be easy to market. Brock could certainly take Chuck down. I wonder if Chuck could get back to his feet if he needed to. Liddell could really test Lesnar’s chin if it stayed standing very long.

by Cannon Jacques on Aug 18, 2008 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That'd be the dynamic that makes it a great fight

Liddell’s hands vs Brock’s developing striking (advantage: Liddell), Brock’s takedowns vs Liddell’s takedown defense (advantage: Brock) and Brock’s ground control vs Liddell’s ability to evade get back to his feet (advantage: ???).

The hardcore’s would at least be intrigued by how the fight would play out.

by Blackout612 on Aug 18, 2008 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Takedown defense?

Brock has two words for you:

LEEROOOOOOOY JENKIIIIINS!

Oh wait…

There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.

by misterjonez on Aug 18, 2008 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Lesnar will get a title shot if he wins his next fight

Here’s the deal: if Werdum does what he should and beats this no-name guy he’s fighting then he will fight the winner of Nog and Mir. Mir will not win that fight which will set up Werdum v Nog, hypothetically.

Lesnar will sit out probably until January or February and, if the rumors are true, fight Kongo. I honestly think Lesnar will put a hurtin on Kongo (look at how he fared against Carmelo Marrero). If Lesnar wins, he will have beaten Heath Herring and Cheick Kongo in a row: two top 10 caliber fighters. Throw in the fact that the guy is a fucking animal and sells a shit load of PPVs, and not only would he deserve a title shot but it makes complete financial sense. And with the current heavyweight crop, the UFC is not going to really care who Lesnar fights for the belt unless Mir somehow magically beats Nog.

The timing works out perfect for both Werdum and Lesnar to potentially receIve future title shots. Let’s review:

Werdum vs Junior Dos Santos in October
Big Nog vs Mir in December for the Heavyweight Title
Lesnar vs Kongo in January
Nog/Mir vs Werdum in March for the Heavyweight Title
Lesnar/Kongo vs Champion in June for the Heavyweight Title

As I’ve just set, I think Lesnar will murder Kongo. By the time he would potentially get a title shot around June or July, the improvement we could see in that guy would be tremendous. Another thing to think about is that by next fall Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez could each become legit contenders if they continue their dominance. As shallow as the UFC heavyweights are in comparison with the other divisions, the future looks bright for big fights in the HW division.

by dropkick101 on Aug 18, 2008 6:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I think all that is right. I also think that if Chuck loses anytime soon, he’s going to be moving up to try to go for a different title.

by Michael Rome on Aug 18, 2008 9:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Get in on this infatuation

with titles in multiple weight classes. They sure do love to hype that angle..as if Chuck needed any more marketing points.

There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.

by misterjonez on Aug 18, 2008 9:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think that it would be easier for Chuck at heavyweight. I could be wrong. He would probably have some trouble with the guys being bigger, but his striking is much better than most of the heavyweights around. A fight with Lesnar would be huge from a marketing standpoint, also. The heavyweight division just opens up another set of interesting and lucrative fights for Liddell. Two wildcard fights for him would be Fedor and Kimbo. I think Mike floated the Kimbo scenario if EXC is out of the picture. You know how satisfying it would be for Dana to feed Kimbo to Chuck.

by Cannon Jacques on Aug 18, 2008 10:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs