5. Travis Browne

In terms of pure fight quality, Travis Browne outperformed Frank Mir at UFC 130. He was in an exciting fight that saw a completely unexpected, incredibly exciting finish. Browne is quickly rising up the Heavyweight ranks, and he remains officially unbeaten for his entire professional Mixed Martial Arts career. This fight doesn’t make as much sense as the others on this list, though, considering that Browne needs at least one more fight, preferably against a divisional gatekeeper, before earning a shot at a former champion. And that’s why he’s starting out this list.

4. Brendan Schaub

Schaub is right on the cusp of breaking out into a major Heavyweight star, and that’s why he outranks Browne. Schaub improves on a fight-by-fight basis, and has looked incredibly dominant in all of his UFC fights except for his UFC debut, where he was knocked out by Roy Nelson. Schaub will be getting his shot at entering the upper echelon when he faces Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira later this year, and if he wants to go from a “bottom of the top” situation to a full-fledged championship contender, he’ll need to face someone like Frank Mir.

3. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

But if Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira beats Brendan Schaub, a rematch with Frank Mir not only makes more sense, but it’s got a great story to go alongside it. Mir is the first person that ever stopped “Big Nog”, but fans of Nogueira love to point out that he was dealing with a staph infection at the time of their bout. Despite both men taking different paths in their careers since their bout, the question does remain: could a healthy “Big Nog” beat Frank Mir? If Nogueira does rebound from his recent losses with a big win over an up-and-comer like Schaub, that’s one question I’d love to see answered.

2. Brock Lesnar

There are two main reasons why former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar takes the #2 spot despite Mir and Lesnar having one of the biggest and highest-drawing rivalries in the sport. One is that Lesnar is on the sidelines recovering from major life-altering surgery and will be out until the start of 2012 at the very earliest. The second reason is that Mir was resoundingly brutalized in both bouts, he just took advantage of a controversial point deduction in their first fight. Nevertheless, only one other fight would do a better job of proving once and for all that Mir is ready for another shot at the gold.

And the number-one opponent for Frank Mir is…

1. The loser of the Shane Carwin vs. Junior dos Santos fight.

One of the best ways to get on the shortlist of likely title contenders is to beat the man that just got done fighting in a fight where the winner does get the next shot at the title. Plus, both men would make very interesting opponents for Frank Mir. Could Mir take down Junior dos Santos, who has so far displayed a penchant for only going to the ground when he chooses? Could Frank Mir beat Shane Carwin, the man who brutally pummeled him in humiliating fashion? Mir would prove the most by beating either of these men, and that’s why both earn the top spot.

During the broadcast of the UFC’s “Prelims LIVE” series of fights, White announced that Lesnar had successfully undergone a major, potentially (most likely) life-altering surgery. The one and only Sherdog brings us a recap, with White saying the following: “Brock Lesnar had surgery yesterday. They removed about 12 inches of his colon, and they repaired it. He says he feels great. He’s a little sore, but the operation was a huge success. We’re hoping that he can be back by the first of the year. He’s excited to recover and get back in the UFC.”

And there you have it, fans and friends: Brock Lesnar has taken drastic measures for a drastic disease. I am not a medical professional, so please forgive me if the following statements are without merit. But these are my honest reactions to this very interesting bit of news.

First and foremost: I think Brock Lesnar won’t be the same athlete anymore. Typically, whenever a fighter undergoes major reconstructive surgery, they’re just not the same. It could be one major surgery, or repeated surgeries on the same appendage.

There are several precedents for this: Mirko Cro Cop hurting his knees/legs so many times that his kicks were never the same. The same thing could be said with the same injury for Mauricio Rua. Tito Ortiz got major reconstructive back surgery and said he was a new man… he has yet to win a single fight in the UFC after returning. Nate Quarry got the same type of major reconstructive back surgery… he did wage a bit of a comeback, but his last fight saw him lose by second-round TKO and he hasn’t fought since March of last year.

So, what does this mean for Brock Lesnar? It’s simple: to become a UFC Heavyweight Champion again, he’ll have to do something that virtually no one has ever been able to do: he has to recapture what made him a champion while dealing with the major surgery that saved his life but will possibly lead to a shorter career.

The good thing about this is that Brock Lesnar is a man that thrives on doing the near-impossible.

No one thought Brock Lesnar would be a UFC Heavyweight Champion, and then he beat Randy Couture, pulverized Frank Mir, and submitted Shane Carwin. If anyone can come back from this kind of debilitating injury, it’s Brock Lesnar. I’ve always been a fan of Brock Lesnar, and until he officially retires from the sport, I’ll always love to see Brock Lesnar fight. Win or lose, the man is a mega-star and a mega-draw.

All in all, my reaction to this news is positive. I’m glad Lesnar decided to permanently deal with this disease, I think that’s going to give him a better life and I think that’s going to allow him to stay happy and healthy both inside and outside of the Octagon. I’m a little wary on how this surgery will affect his performance, but I guess we’ll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it.

Lesnar, the largest pay-per-view draw in the UFC, has recently been sidelined once again with a second battle with diverticulitis, an intestinal disease which previously had him sit out from active competition for just under a year due to the severity of the condition.

Brock was originally scheduled to be taking on Junior dos Santos in a title eliminator at UFC 131 where the two men were to headline the event. Now, Lesnar has since been replaced by former interim champion Shane Carwin, to which current titleholder Cain Velasquez thinks that the promotion made the right decision.

Cain has always been a man of few words. Even in defeating Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 110 and following up the performance with an impressive first-round TKO victory over the aforementioned Lesnar last October to claim the title, he was still relatively tamed for a man now considered to be the number one guy in his division.

So don’t expect his reaction to Lesnar’s dismissal and Carwin’s ascension to headliner status to be any different.

Once word broke out, MMAFighting.com spoke with the current champion in order to touch base on the many happenings and shuffles that have been made to his division now that Lesnar has exited, momentarily. Cain spoke empathetically about Brock’s situation, however asserted that the promotion did it’s best in finding a suitable replacement for the Lesnar.

“I think (they made the right call), yeah,” said Cain.

What do you think MMA peeps–was Carwin the rightful replacement or could you think of somebody more suitable for the job? Put it this way–UFC President Dana White stated that there would be no cross promotion between the UFC and Strikeforce, despite both organization being under the same banner. However, when Jon Olav Einemo was left without an opponent once Carwin was pulled from their previously scheduled match-up, officials plucked Aaron Rosa from the Strikeforce roster and he is now a UFC fighter. Think about it. Sound off in the comment section below.

“He was next in line, for sure. He’s a tough guy. I think it was a good call.”

I want to say this before I say anything else: I wish nothing but the best for Brock Lesnar. I sincerely hope he is able to both treat and beat this illness in any way he so chooses. Lesnar is a very controversial man, but at the end of the day, he’s a human being like you and me. He’s facing what could be another long battle with diverticulitis, and I sincerely hope he recovers both fully and quickly.

With that said, let’s move on by talking about Lesnar’s future as a Mixed Martial Arts fighter. Lesnar himself has said that this won’t derail his fighting career, and that it’s only a small setback. However, a few fans and insiders are a bit cynical of Lesnar’s promises. I honestly think they have a right to be: the first time Lesnar fought this disease, it didn’t just nearly cost him his career, it nearly cost him his life. Right now, there are two ways this thing could go: Lesnar could either keep treating this disease for the rest of his life, or get what could very well be life-altering surgery.

If Lesnar opts not to get surgery, the question of his physical abilities will always linger. Can Lesnar still “go”? Can he re-ascend to the level of a UFC champion knowing that his condition could flare up at any time? Would Lesnar even be able to compete at a high level if he’s constantly having to take antibiotics to keep diverticulitis at bay?

In all honesty, I don’t think he can. Allow me to explain.

Lesnar has said multiple times that he values his family above all else, and that he won’t put himself in any unnecessary danger. The thing is, the situation he’s in right now… if he keeps fighting in MMA, he’ll always be putting himself in danger. The type of stress and fatigue a training camp puts on your body could weaken his body to the point where symptoms flare up, it’s not likely to happen very often, but when it does, it’ll force him to pull out of fights. And if Lesnar can only fight a few times every few years before taking a long absence to deal with his disease, his star status is going to fall very quickly.

The alternative is that Brock Lesnar undergoes major surgery… surgery so major that he could be medically disallowed from ever fighting again. And even if he is allowed to fight, the question of whether or not he can still fight at a world champion level will remain. I’m not a medical professional, far from it, but I have read that the surgery Brock is thinking about getting would require him to have a part of his colon surgically removed. And that’s a type of surgery that really is life-altering.

I’ll end by saying this: no matter what anyone else thinks, I consider myself a Brock Lesnar fan. I like Lesnar both as a fighter and as a man. I would be sad to see him leave MMA because of this disease, but I would fully understand why he chose to do so. Right now, all I really want is for Lesnar to be healthy. Whatever comes next, and how he chooses to fix this problem… well, we’ll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it.

And what about you, fans and friends? Any thoughts on Brock Lesnar?

Lesnar, who in the past has battled with diverticulitis, has been diagnosed with the illness once again and will have to face some serious life altering choices in the very immediate future.

Brock could face a subsequent surgery to help combat his battle with the intestinal disease and should he opt for the procedure, it could put a halt to his career altogether.

It wasn’t too long ago where Brock has had to face these same kind of questions before. Lesnar was originally slated to make a title defense against Shane Carwin at UFC 106 in November of 2009, though Brock was then forced to pull out of the bout once he was stricken with the disease.

Diverticulitis is defined as a digestive disease particularly found in the large intestine. Diverticulitis develops from diverticulosis, which involves the formation of pouches (diverticula) on the outside of the colon. Diverticulitis results if one of these diverticula becomes inflamed.

In Lesnar’s case, the disease had taken a toll on his body to the point where he was bed ridden for a long period of time, lost 40-pounds during his battle with the sickness, however eventually regained his strength through a changed diet and returned to the octagon a year later following his title defense against Frank Mir at UFC 100 in July of 2009.

His comeback bout was opposite of Carwin, whom Brock eventually submitted with a second-round arm triangle choke at UFC 116 on July 3 of last year. The win was short lived, as Lesnar made a quick turn around to take on budding contender Cain Velasquez in October of last year and eventually suffered a first-round TKO defeat to the young American Kickboxing Academy product, relinquishing his heavyweight crown.

Brock was then pitted on this current season of “The Ultimate Fighter” opposite of Brazilian striker Junior dos Santos. The two were expected to meet at UFC 131 this June before UFC President Dana White revealed earlier today that the former world champion is suffering his second battle with the debilitating sickness and has since then been subsequently removed from the main-event opposite of Dos Santos.

“He’s got some serious choices to make in the next couple of weeks whether to fight this thing or to take surgery,” said White, courtesy of MMAJunkie.com.

The surgery will be the determining factor in Lesnar’s longevity in the sport, though by the looks of it, Brock is nowhere near ready to hang it up.

“I’ll tell you one thing: I’m not retiring…this isn’t the end of my fight career.

“I’ve just got to find the right solution to fix this problem”, said Lesnar.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think about the news? It’s his second occurrence with the disease, and though the conditions the second time around are more tamed than the first, the gravity of the situation is still as serious. Sound off in the comment section below.

There, Lesnar was originally slated to face off against top contender Junior dos Santos in a bout that would determine the next title challenger. However, Brock has since been diagnosed once again with diverticulitis, an intestinal disease that had previously seated him just over a year away from the cage.

Now in his place, former UFC interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin will now be taking on Junior in place of Lesnar, filling in for headlining duties.

Carwin was already slated for the UFC 131 event, which takes place in Vancouver, Canada on June 11th at the Rogers Arena. Shane was to take on Jon Olav Einemo, a PRIDE veteran that was making his organizational debut with the UFC, however Carwin opted for the bout with Junior in an effort to put him back at the top of the division and possibly warrant him another title opportunity.

Shane was last seen in action when he was submitted by the aforementioned Lesnar in their goliath-like meeting at UFC 116 last July. After an early barrage by Carwin which saw the heavy-handed striker knock down Brock in the early goings, Lesnar was able to capitalize on a fatigued Shane for the inevitable submission win.

Subsequent back and neck injuries forced him out of a more immediate return to action at UFC 125 this past January against Roy Nelson. After a successful surgery, Carwin will now be making his return against Junior dos Santos, a more favorable opponent than a relative unknown in Einemo whom has not competed professionally since November of 2006.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the new match-up? Who do you favor? Sound off in the comment section below.

As mentioned, he was the number one pick for Team Lesnar, which was headed by the former UFC heavyweight champion in Brock. A strong wrestler with heavy hands, Bentley would be a bad match-up against just about everyone he went up against. Lesnar and the fellow coaches felt that a bout with Ryan McGillivray would be the path to least resistance for Bentley, which would later become a big mistake.

In the first-round of their bout, Bentley was able to drop the bigger and taller McGillivray with a strong left hook in the first 30-seconds of the bout, taking Ryan by surprise immediately. The Team Dos Santos number two pick was able to quickly recover, despite taking several elbows and punches whilst on his back. Bentley foolishly allowed Ryan back to his feet and later paid the price.

Ryan was to reassert himself on the feet by immediately taking the center of the cage and showing a willingness to strike, despite the knockdown. A strong right hand caught the attention of Bentley, who simply smiled at the blow. A right cross though, had conjured anything like a smirk from Len, and a left hand had Bentley laying on his back on the mat. From there, Ryan was able to remain on top, stave off an armbar attempt, and in the closing moments of the round cinch up a d’arce choke to close a very, very tight round of action.

The round could have gone either way. It was that close.

In the end, McGillivray was able to take the decision win by working a late round takedown and flurry in the second, gaining control back for Team JDS.

Despite the loss, Bentley took some solace in the fact that UFC President Dana White took him aside and spoke to him privately, telling him that it was a great fight–one to be proud of. And it was the usual “who knows what could happen” speech.

And in defeat, Len put himself on a different class as one of the leading men to come back in the competition and become one of the two obvious “wild-card” picks. Javier Torres might also give him a run for his money just based on his pure ability and the close, close fight he had with Chris Cope. Despite the tedious details, Bentley made a good impression, and more importantly, put on the most entertaining fight of the competition thus far.

So, MMA peeps, do you think Bentley should be considered for the “wild-card” pick, or can you think of somebody better? It might be too late to tell, but who knows. Sound off in the comment section below.

5. Randy Couture

Couture is a perennial entry in my “Apocalypse” lists, and for good reason. The man is so versatile, I think he could survive whatever horror my imagination feels like throwing at him. In most alien movies, there’s always that one grizzled veteran that everyone respects, the one that helps lead the rebels to victory and overcome the alien masses. Plus, Couture earns an immediate spot on this list for his ability to recruit the other members of “The Expendables”, which would undoubtedly and quickly become the most savage, most vicious, most notorious anti-alien team on the face of the planet. Picture “Inglourious Basterds”, except with aliens. And Sylvester Stallone. That’s what will happen if Randy Couture is thrust into an alien apocalypse.

4. Brock Lesnar

In most alien films that involve the aliens taking over, there’s always that one big action scene where the imprisoned humans stage an outbreak and score the first concrete victory for humanity. Normally it’s the hero of the film that gets all the credit, but there’s usually a hulking, usually-silent behemoth there to help him. Brock Lesnar could be that hulking behemoth. Whether it’s holding something open so the prisoners can escape or saving the hero in the nick of time by pulverizing an alien’s brains between two giant fists, Lesnar would be two hundred and sixty-five pounds of pure humanity-saving muscle.

3. Dana White

Who said you had to be on the human’s side to survive an alien apocalypse? Dana White is the king of the shocking deal: we never thought he’d buy PRIDE and he did, we never thought he’d buy Strikeforce and he did. In the new world of alien domination, I can definitely see Dana White staying alive by negotiating with the aliens and ensuring his survival by trying to lead humanity to its doom. Everyone vilifies Dana White already, so I’m sure I’m not the only one that thinks that White would be humanity’s Benedict Arnold, working together with the alien overlords to ensure his continued survival while at the same time ensuring humanity’s destruction.

2. Bruce Buffer

There isn’t a single “alien apocalypse” movie I can think of that doesn’t feature some grand motivational speech somewhere in the course of the movie. And who better to give that speech than Bruce Buffer? Buffer practically explodes with energy and all he does is announce who’s fighting. Buffer would probably give himself a heart attack if he had to rally humanity against its evil alien overlords. But before he did, he would probably give the best pre-fight rallying speech in history. Just picture him screaming “IT’S TIME” to a couple thousand eager rebels and try not to get goosebumps. And if Buffer does survive such a speech without his head exploding, he’d certainly be the go-to motivational speaker for the entire resurgent human race.

And the number-one fighter I think would be most likely to survive an alien apocalypse is…

1. Phil Davis

Look at this man. Really look at him.

Does that man look human? No? Well, there’s a reason for that: it’s because he’s not. Phil Davis is an alien, and in an alien apocalypse he would be the good alien that all the bad aliens try to eliminate. And just when you think all hope is lost for “Mr. Wonderful”, the cavalry arrives: an army of Phil Davis alien clones. That’s right, not only is Phil Davis an alien, he’s his own alien race. Alien clone Phil Davis army: humanity’s greatest weapon.

And if you hadn’t clued in before: APRIL FOOLS, fans and friends. This was all in fun and I hope you enjoyed it. But I just have to ask: who do you think could survive an alien apocalypse?

Shamar Bailey, a Strikeforce veteran was recognized as one of the top prospects on the show. And while the coaches recognized his obvious talent, it was Brazilian Junior dos Santos which was able to snatch up Bailey as his first-pick amongst the 14 welterweight would-be hopefuls.

And as has been the formula in the past, Dos Santos managed to pit his best fighter against the perceived weak link of Brock Lesnar‘s team in order to get the ball rolling and remain in control early in the competition.

Shamar, a talented wrestler, was pitted against Nordin Asrih, Lesnar’s last pick, and the welterweight bout was underway.

The fight was billed early as a striker versus grappler match, and while every fight begins on the feet, Nordin never had a chance.

Bailey took down the native of Germany seemingly at will over and over again, maintaining top position and often working to side control, mount, and working in short punches and elbows. Eventually, Asrih began to visibly fatigue and was able to mount no offense, though hung tough to the final bell.

In the end, Bailey was the obvious winner on all of the judges score cards and was awarded the unanimous decision win.

Dos Santos was extremely proud of Baily, while Lesnar sat back and admitted that the fight’s finish was inevitable and felt that the fate of the match was sealed from the start. UFC President Dana White was not particularly a big fan of Shamar’s style, as he described as just Bailey taking his opponent down and resting on top of him for the full ten-minutes of the exhibition bout.

And now, Team Dos Santos is control early of the picks, moving 1-0 in the competition.

So, MMA peeps, what did you think of the bout? Sound off in the comment section below.

Tonight, the first episode of the thirteenth season of “The Ultimate Fighter” has wrapped up.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar coaches opposite of Junior dos Santos a field of 14 welterweight hopefuls who will work there way through the competition to meet in the finals this June in Las Vegas to determine the next winner of the TUF series, who will battle for the six-figure UFC contract.

An early favorite for the show in Jury, is now sidelined from the show during a freak injury and he has since been replaced.

During the evaluation process where both Lesnar and Dos Santos had their chances to preview the new batch of fighters to enter the show, and during a sparring session, Myles in a scramble turned his knee the wrong way and laid motionless on the mat in pain for a few moments. The injury didn’t seem to severe, though later things took a turn for the worse.

As team picks were completed and Jury was casted as part of Team Lesnar, he visited with Dr. Jeffrey Davidson for the analysis of his knee, which he later revealed was a completely torn ACL, which would inevitably sideline him from the show.

UFC President Dana White later broke the news to Jury that he would have to leave the show but in a manner of speaking indicated that because of Jury’s record, and his age, that he could find himself in the UFC very soon.

Chuck O’Neil later would joined the program and replaced Myles as part of Team Lesnar.

So, MMA peeps, what did you think of Myles’ exit? Those of you who are not familiar with the 22-year-old, you should look him up on the interweb and see why he was a heavy favorite on the program. Sound off in the comment section below.

Before I begin, I’d like to point out that I’d like to see all five of these matches no matter when they happen and no matter who holds what championship in whichever division. Also, this list doesn’t take into account the army of dominoes that would have to fall into place for many of these fights to occur. In a perfect world where there are no such things as contract disputes and everyone can fight everyone else at their best, these are the five fights I want to see the most.

5. Anthony Pettis vs. Gilbert Melendez

I think of this match and I can’t help but smile. I also can’t even begin to imagine the potential insanity both men could unleash in the cage against each other. Gilbert Melendez is Strikeforce’s best Lightweight by far, while Anthony Pettis has fully and finally reached top-division status after an amazing five-round war with Ben Henderson. This fight would probably set the standard for years to come.

4. Quinton Jackson vs. Muhammed Lawal

It’s two of the best characters in MMA fighting each other… what’s not to love? Also, let’s not forget that both “Rampage” and “King Mo” love to bang and would probably spend every single second of this fight trying to knock each other’s heads off. Plus, I can’t even imagine how awesome the pre-fight trash talk will be between these two. Nothing about this fight or its build-up would be pretty, but entertaining? This fight has that in spades.

3. Nick Diaz vs. Georges St. Pierre

Although I don’t have a problem with taking a firm and even controversial stance on important issues, I’m not so rigid in my opinions that a fighter has no chance of winning me over. To this day, Nick Diaz stands out as the clearest example of that rule: I once utterly loathed him, but thanks in no small part to his many brilliant performances, I now consider myself a fan. I’ll go even one step further: he’s one of my favorite fighters, and currently one of the best Welterweights in the business. I’d love to see him fight GSP, who is already regarded as one of the best ever. Both men have a shot at winning this match, and I think Nick Diaz is one of the last, great challengers for GSP at 170.

2. Alistair Overeem vs. Brock Lesnar

This is the kind of fight where you wouldn’t be surprised if the ground shook the first time these two colossal titans locked horns. And that’s really the best way to describe these two hulking behemoths: they have a physique right out of Roman legends. And let’s not forget that these are two of the top Heavyweights in the business. Despite constant abuse from his cynics, Brock Lesnar is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and one of the highest-drawing UFC stars of all time. Despite constant accusations of chemical enhancement, Alistair Overeem is a K-1 World Grand Prix Champion, the Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, and the DREAM Interim Heavyweight Champion. This would be an awesome match no matter where both men are at in their careers when it does finally get around to happening.

And my number-one pick should come as a shock to virtually no one that’s followed me and my musings for any prolonged period of time.

1. Randy Couture vs. Fedor Emelianenko

When you talk about a “legacy fight”, this is what you’re talking about. Neither man has anything left to prove, both men will go down as one of the best in the history of the sport. However, I can and will admit that this fight doesn’t have the appeal it did back when Fedor was undefeated and Randy Couture was the UFC Heavyweight Champion. But none of that would matter if these two ever stepped into the Octagon against each other. I can’t think of a better way to end an era, as I think this fight would virtually close the book on Fedor’s and Randy’s careers. This fight still has an incredible amount of appeal, and it’s still easily the number-one “Strikeforce vs. UFC” fight I absolutely want to see.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? What fantasy fights do you hope one day to see?

Despite suffering a loss upon his debut to fellow Brazilian Fabricio Werdum, he has since rattled off an impressive three-fight win streak which includes wins over UFC vet Mike Kyle, former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski, and most recently a second-round TKO victory over the legendary Fedor Emelianenko.

And despite all of his recent success, and his impending tournament performance, Silva still has his eyes on one man that he has seen as an unprofessional man in this sport: Brock Lesnar.

Now a semi-finalist in the upcoming Strikeforce eight-man heavyweight grand prix after his dominating performance over “The Last Emperor”, Silva has put the whole division on notice. However one man he hopes is playing close attention is Lesnar, the former UFC titleholder who most recently suffered the only loss of his career, a first-round TKO to current champ Cain Velasquez, last October.

“I’ve never had issues with anybody, I’ve always respected everybody, but as a professional I believe it’d be interesting fighting Brock Lesnar”, said Silva who spoke with TATAME.com about his desires to face Brock in the future.

“I don’t agree that Brock is the second on the ranking, it doesn’t make sense. This fight would be interesting so I put Brock on the place where he was supposed to be… It really doesn’t make any sense”.

In the past, Silva has stated on several occasions of his desire to face Lesnar, specifically because of his in ring antics which have had him reprimanded by UFC President Dana White, most notably his UFC 100 post-fight interview where he besmirched Bud Light, one of the leading sponsors of the UFC, or prior to that where he yelled in the face of a badly beaten Frank Mir just moment’s after their bout’s conclusion.

Brock has often at times been unable to shed his WWE persona, however only time will tell, especially with the upcoming season of “The Ultimate Fighter” where the North Dakota native will be coaching opposite of top contender Junior dos Santos. The two will later meet in the cage this June in Vancouver, Canada at UFC 131.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of Silva’s comments regarding fighting Lesnar? Is it a fight you would like to see, and how do you see the fight going? Who do you favor? Sound off in the comment section below.

Former heavyweight champion Lesnar will be taking on contender in dos Santos for the number one contender spot for the heavyweight crown.

The two men are currently filming the thirteenth season of “The Ultimate Fighter” which features a full cast of welterweight hopefuls. The season premier’s on March 30 and the series will conclude on June 4 where the finals will take place at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

Lesnar recently relinquished his heavyweight title when he took on Cain Velasquez in the main-event for UFC 121, which took place last October in Anaheim, Cali. Brock stormed out early, however the methodical Velasquez weathered the storm and pounced on Lesnar with his superior stand up, rocking the North Dakota native early and finally finishing him off inside of the first-round. The loss was only Lesnar’s second in his mixed martial arts career, which began in June of 2007.

Junior, meanwhile, has yet to be defeated in his career with the UFC. The Brazilian striker, who is training partners of the Nogueira brother’s and middleweight champion Anderson Silva out of the famed Blackhouse camp, has become widely known as arguably the most devastating knockout artist in his division. He recently scored a dominating decision win over former IFL champion Roy Nelson last August for UFC 117. The win secured his number one contender spot for the heavyweight title. It also marked the first time that dos Santos has gone to a decision in his entire career, with all of his wins ending mostly by way of knockout.

Since Velasquez suffered an injury in his title bout with Lesnar which required surgery and will sideline him till the end of the year, the bout with Lesnar and dos Santos eventually came to fruition, and to reiterate will determine the next title challenger for Cain.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the heavyweight match? The two standouts will be meeting in the cage on June 11 for UFC 131, which takes place at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada. The two men are expected to serve headlining duties for the pay-per-view event. Sound off in the comment section below.

First, the upcoming Thirteenth season was to feature both a middleweight and welterweight field, however UFC officials have made this particular season an all welterweight cast, expelling some top level competitors who tried out in the higher weight-class, including DREAM and Strikeforce veteran Karlo Amousou and now soon-to-be UFC fighter Chris Weidman, to name a few.

Now, the head honcho’s of the largest mixed martial arts organization have revealed the full cast of welterweight’s who will be featured on the upcoming season, which will be coached by heavyweight studs Junior dos Santos and former champion Brock Lesnar.

The UFC has decided to do without the elimination round of the tournament, which has been used in the past in order to determine some of the cream of the crop heading into the TUF house. Instead, 14 fighters will move directly into the house and will be split into two teams, with either Lesnar or dos Santos’ team.

Arguably the most notable of the field, Shamar Bailey will be featured in the upcoming season–a Strikeforce veteran who holds a win over UFC vet John Kolosci.

The series will premier on March 30 on Spike TV.

The full layout comes courtesy of MMAJunkie.com:

Name: Nordin Asrih
Age: 32
Trains: Dusseldorf, Germany (Pride Gym)
MMA record: 16-5-1

Name: Shamar Bailey
Age: 28
Trains: Indianapolis, Ind. (Integrated Fighting Systems)
MMA record: 10-3

Name: Len Bentley
Age: 27
Trains: Olympia, Wash. (Victory Athletics)
MMA record: 9-4

Name: Michael “Mick” Bowman
Age: 26
Trains: Liverpool, England (Wolfslair)
MMA record: 7-2

Name: Keon Caldwell
Age: 26
Trains: Moultrie, Ga. (Team Reality)
MMA record: 8-1

Name: Chris Cope
Age: 28
Trains: San Diego, Calif. (Arena MMA)
MMA record: 4-1

Name: Zachary Davis
Age: 26
Trains: Rockville, Md. (Evolve/Team Lloyd Irvin)
MMA record: 4-1

Name: Anthony Ferguson
Age: 26
Trains: Ventura, Calif. (Knuckleheadz Boxing)
MMA record: 10-2

Name: Clay Harvison
Age: 30
Trains: Marietta, Ga. (X3 Sports)
MMA record: 6-1

Name: Myles Jury
Age: 22
Trains: San Diego, Calif. (Victory)
MMA record: 9-0

Name: Ryan McGillivray
Age: 24
Trains: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (Legends Training Centre)
MMA record: 11-4-1

Name: Ramsey Nijem
Age: 22
Trains: Orem, Utah (River Academy/The Pit)
MMA record: 4-1

Name: Charlie Rader
Age: 29
Trains: New Orleans, La. (Power MMA)
MMA record: 16-5

Name: Javier Torres
Age: 25
Trains: Las Vegas, Nev. (Team Tompkins)
MMA record: 3-0

Dana White took time recently to speak with Fighters.com and hit on some of the biggest topics in MMA. White reacts to the coming Strikeforce Heavyweight tournament, Randy Couture‘s pending return to the cage, and how Brock Lesnar will fare as a coach on the Ultimate Fighter reality show.  Good stuff from the boss, and he too thought Frankie Edgar was going to lose when he was rocked early in the first round against Gray Maynard.

Click through to watch the video.

He lashed out very publicly in the media, claiming that the new champion sustained no damage in his fight with Lesnar and is stalling–which was later disproved with the torn rotator cuff that Velasquez later had subsequent surgery on that would sideline the American Kickboxing Academy product for approximately 6-8 months.

However now, cooler heads have prevailed. He may not exactly have his number contenders spot secured at the moment, however he does have two very interesting opportunities ahead of him. Junior will have the chance to coach the ultra-popular reality series “The Ultimate Fighter”, and will be facing the largest pay-per-view draw in former champ Brock Lesnar later this Summer, both of which have helped satisfy the fan-favorite dos Santos.

“Dana called on New Year’s Day. A few days earlier it was announced that Cain was injured. He said it was up to Junior, does he want to sit and wait for Cain or does he want to fight. Junior said no, he wants to stay busy,” said Ed Soares, dos Santos’ manager who recently spoke with MMAWeekly.com regarding his heavyweight star.

Junior originally claimed top contender status when he deftly defeated season ten winner of the TUF series in Roy Nelson at UFC 117 in August of last year. Considering that Velasquez may not be returning till possibly the fourth-quarter of this year, Soares and the heavyweight slugger thought it was in their best interest to take the opportunity presented to them, which Ed believes will pay off in the long run.

“Our first choice, and he rightfully deserves it, was to fight for the title, but considering that couldn’t happen, I think this is the next best thing that could have happened for his career”, said Soares.

“And in the long run, it might be a better path. To get the exposure that they’re going to get on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ and then to fight a guy like Brock Lesnar, who is such a huge draw, I think it’s a pretty good solution to the problem.”

After coaching duties are culminated in June when the all welterweight season comes to a head at the finale show on the 4th at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Lesnar and dos Santos are rumored to be headlining an as-of-yet announced pay-per-view event in Vancouver, Canada. UFC 131 is rumored to be headlined by the two heavyweight dynamos at the Rogers Arena on June 11.

So, MMA peeps, do you think dos Santos made the right decision? While Lesnar is a dangerous opponent, his weakness is Junior’s strongest asset, the obvious punching prowess that the Brazilian holds, having finished five of six opponents in the octagon with strikes. Sound off in the comment section below.

Mike Straka, host of ‘Fighting Words with Mike Straka’ on HDNet, sat down with Fighters.com recently to review some pending topics in the UFC, Strikeforce and sport of MMA at large.  Straka has been a regular on the MMA beat for several years and was the creator and host of the former FoxNews.com MMA show – Fox Fight Game.   In this sit-down, he opines on the fate of Brock Lesnar as a coach on the Ultimate Fighter show, Mark Cuban’s passion for MMA, the potential for the UFC to create a 24hr cable channel and much more.

Click through to watch the video.

The following comes from a recent interview Nogueira gave where he discussed JDS, strikeforce, and more. Speaking with Bloody Elbow, “Big Nog” recently stated the following: “[Lesnar] doesn’t kick, so Cigano will not need to train too much defensive Muay Thai… he can now rely more on training offensive Muay Thai. And this is the type of fight where he’ll look for the KO, train a lot of wrestling, train the guard… even though Lesnar’s GnP is not as good as Cain’s. But (Cigano) will look for the KO in this fight.”

It’s hard to see any major difference in JDS’s strategy for Lesnar as compared to his strategy for… well, virtually everyone else he’s fought. Then again, there’s a phrase about not fixing what’s not broken that comes to mind and applies pretty well to this situation. JDS isn’t the most imposing specimen ever, but big muscles don’t always mean big power. And while the hulking freak of nature is always a good way to sell tickets, I strongly believe that JDS’s punching power is virtually uncontested at Heavyweight, save for perhaps Shane Carwin, who outweighs JDS considerably.

Although I’ve had my issues with some of the things he’s said in the past, it’s plain to see that Junior dos Santos is a near-perfect mix of the smaller Heavyweight that sets a good pace and the larger Heavyweight who has fists like freight trains and knocks people senseless with reckless abandon. I’m an unabashed fan of Brock Lesnar, but even I can admit that he’s got a whole lot of work ahead of him if he doesn’t want his chin to be added to JDS’s mantelpiece.

There’s still some hope for the former champion, though. Although it was another dominating performance, JDS did show signs of cardio problems near the tail-end of his fifteen-minute fight with Roy Nelson, who absorbed all of JDS’s best shots and somehow remained conscious. I won’t pretend that Lesnar has that type of chin, but there are ways to drain your opponent’s stamina without turning yourself into a punching bag. Lesnar may have a shot if he can keep JDS down and keep him down, or grapple against the cage and grind him out. Even so, that’s still a tall task, given how JDS has shown complete disdain for his opponent’s takedown ability and gotten right back up whenever anyone gets him down, which doesn’t happen often.

I don’t really like admitting it, but Brock Lesnar may be in for an even bigger beating than the one Cain Velasquez gave him, unless the absolute best Brock Lesnar we’ve ever seen steps into the Octagon to fight Junior dos Santos.

And what do you think, fans and friends? It appears that JDS’s strategy is virtually unchanged at this point, so if this strategy remains in place when the two do finally fight, how successful do you think JDS will be?

5. This is not a one-man show.

This always seems to be overlooked, but a TUF coach is not a one man army. He’s allowed to bring in as many assistant coaches as he wants, and he can also take as large or as small of a role as he wants. Just look at TUF Season 12 and Georges St. Pierre as a reference: GSP is widely regarded as one of the best of all time, and for the most part, he was an ancillary character and made the coaching team he brought in do all the heavy lifting. The success or failure of Team Lesnar does not solely rest on Lesnar’s shoulders, and the TUF hopefuls will be able to learn from many different coaches besides Lesnar. Depending on who Lesnar brings in, Lesnar should make a fine coach.

4. Lesnar’s “caveman” training is known for its incredible pace and toughness.

If you’ve ever seen a Brock Lesnar training video, you know how Lesnar trains like an animal and pushes his body to its limits every chance he gets. His methods are unorthodox, but they’re the biggest reason why Lesnar is one of the most imposing specimens that’s ever fought in MMA. Lesnar’s training regiment should go a long way towards toughening up his team and preparing them for the harsh wars that all possible UFC fighters should be prepared for. So long as Lesnar manages to successful walk the tightrope between “hard training” and “over-training”, he should be able to mold his team into winning fighters.

3. Lesnar should have a wealth of advice when it comes to dealing with the pressures of superstardom.

Lesnar has got to be one of the most controversial athletes the UFC has ever seen, and a large part of that comes from the fact that Lesnar was able to ascend to the top of the sport so quickly. In today’s era of young prospects that rocket to superstardom in the blink of an eye, Lesnar should have a lot of sage advice when it comes to dealing with the mental aspects of quickly becoming a major player. Sometimes a fighter is beat before he ever enters the Octagon, because he’s lost the fight against his own self-doubt. Lesnar knows how to overcome that pressure and become a champion, and if he can teach that to his TUF students, that’s going to make him an excellent coach.

2. Lesnar is a highly decorated amateur wrestler.

People always seem to either sweep this one under the rug or only mention it in passing, as if Lesnar’s credentials deserve nothing more than a cursory glance. In fact, Lesnar is one of the best pure wrestlers that’s ever competed in the UFC. Lesnar has an incredible wealth of experience in what is generally regarded as the best base possible for entering into MMA. Any fighter, especially a TUF hopeful, could really benefit from Lesnar’s wrestling expertise.

And the number one reason why Brock Lesnar will be a good TUF coach is because…

1.  Lesnar is a former UFC Champion.

As vocal as Lesnar’s cynics may be, none of them will ever be able to take away the fact that Lesnar held a championship in the most competitive, prestigious Mixed Martial Arts organization in the world. He beat the best the UFC had to offer, the fact that he did it so quickly shouldn’t be viewed as a negative. At worst it’s a double-edged sword. Lesnar may not have the insane record of fighters like Matt Hughes or Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, but he’s still a former champion and that fact alone provides him with an incredible amount of experience that any young prospect would surely benefit from.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? What’s your opinion on Lesnar’s ability as a TUF coach?

Here’s what Nelson had to say over at MMA Junkie: “It’s definitely frustrating when you put your time and effort into something and then the rug is kind of pulled out from underneath you… I’ll fight Shane Carwin, Frank Mir, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Brock Lesnar, Junior dos Santos, Cain Velasquez – any of those guys I’m cool with… For me, it really doesn’t matter. My goal is always to be champion.”

As I said at the start of this piece, I’ve always been a fan of Roy Nelson. I’ve watched Roy ever since he started knocking people out in the IFL, and I’m very happy that he’s had the success that he has. Nelson is entertaining, a finisher, and has shown a lot of skill in his numerous wars. Most MMA fans continue to judge him by the size of his gut, but for me, it’s his big heart that has continuously made me a fan of the man.

Is it so strange to envision a world where Roy Nelson is UFC Heavyweight Champion? I can admit that it doesn’t seem likely, but as hectic and unpredictable as MMA has been lately, would it really surprise you? A lot of the purists balk at the idea of Roy Nelson becoming a UFC champion, but then again, a lot of them balked at the idea of a former pro wrestler becoming a UFC champion. That’s not said to disrespect Brock Lesnar, that’s said only to prove my point, which is that you can never judge a book by its cover and that the only way to truly find out if a fighter is a potential champion is to put them against the best and see how they do.

If people keep underestimating Roy Nelson, he’ll keep proving them wrong. Many fans thought Nelson would be easy pickings for JDS, but Nelson absorbed some of JDS’s best punches and still took the man to a decision, in the process nearly gassing JDS out and exposing some potential flaws in a surging Heavyweight monster that, until then, had been a flawless engine of destruction. He’ll have his hands full with Frank Mir, but Frank Mir will have his hands full too. It’ll be a great fight between two skilled competitors, and the fact that both men have their fair share of detractors and cynics shouldn’t take away from that.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you make of Roy Nelson’s recent comments, and how far do you think he’ll be able to go as he continues to fight the best in the UFC?

Here are the highlights from a media conference call the notorious UFC head honcho had recently, brought to us by the one and only Sherdog: “There were a lot of different people we were looking at… I was literally driving to work one morning and I said, ‘You know what? This makes sense. Let’s see if we can do this’… To put [Junior dos Santos] on the shelf for a long time is ridiculous, and much credit to him for not wanting to go on the shelf… It’s gonna be a tough season. I know it is.”

The report also states that White responded to the question of whether or not Lesnar was a credible TUF coach by saying that the question was one of the dumbest he had ever heard.

Currently, “The Ultimate Fighter Season 13” is set to premiere on March 30. For my insights into Lesnar vs. JDS, click here. For some great reasons to already be looking forward to this season, click here.

All in all, I’m very pleased with Brock Lesnar and Junior dos Santos as coaches. I think both men are top-division stars in the most competitive promotion in the world, so I think they’re both fully deserving of a coaching gig. Lesnar is a former UFC champion, JDS is a wrecking machine in human form. Why would anyone want to pass up an opportunity to learn from them?

To be completely honest, though, Lesnar and JDS weren’t my top picks for TUF 13. Although it was a rumor that was quickly shot down, I really would have liked it if Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva had been the coaches for this upcoming season. Then again, with Sonnen’s latest media scandal, he’s probably not going anywhere close to a UFC Octagon for the foreseeable future.

In the end, I think this is going to be a great season of “The Ultimate Fighter”. Lesnar remains one of the most controversial athletes in the UFC despite his recent, more-somber attitude. Fans remain incredibly divided on the man, but they always seem to join together when it comes to paying to see him fight, since Lesnar has quickly become one of the biggest UFC Pay-Per-View draws of all time. Junior dos Santos is a pretty big star in his own right, as well. And, of course, you’ve got all the classic TUF drama we all know and love, as a bunch of young prospects are crammed inside one giant house and left to battle it out week after week in order to determine the next TUF champion.

So while it may not be the most ideal situation, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 13 should be a season that everyone will be talking about for quite some time. And what about you, fans and friends? What’s your opinion on this season and its coaches?

5. I always look forward to another season of TUF.

This one is the most simplest and applies to basically every season of TUF I’ve ever watched, so it definitely makes this list but it does rank the lowest. In general, I’m always excited for another season of TUF. I really can’t remember a season I outright hated, some of the seasons weren’t as good as others, some had stupid drama or bad fight quality, but all in all, I’ve enjoyed TUF for a long, long time now. Unless some utterly drastic and incredibly negative changes are implemented, I just don’t see myself wavering from that stance.

4. It’ll certainly be interesting to see how “Cigano” and company overcome the language barrier.

Please don’t mistake this for some xenophobic statement. But I do honestly wonder how JDS is going to coach a team considering that he can barely speak English. There’s a chance that something will inevitably get lost in translation, there’s even a chance that JDS will only play a small role as a coach and rely mostly on his training staff and translator. Will his team be able to win and win consistently given that unique hurdle? It certainly sounds like it could make for some interesting television.

3. We’ll get a chance to see a side of Brock Lesnar none of us have ever really seen before.

A vast majority of us, including myself, only know Brock Lesnar as the former pro wrestler that became a huge UFC star. We only know the Lesnar that snarls, spits out his mouth piece, and pounds people’s faces in. In his more-recent fights, we’ve also gotten to know a different side of Lesnar, a more humble, soft-spoken side. One of the best things about reality TV is that we’ll be able to get a real, honest look into a person’s life, and when it comes to Brock Lesnar, we’ve really never been given that kind of all-inclusive peek behind the curtain. And that’s a huge reason to tune in.

2. It’s a welterweight-only season.

Do lighter-weight fighters put on more entertaining fights? They do if they’re on “The Ultimate Fighter”. I hate to keep bringing this up, but time and time again I’m forced to recall the atrocious all-Heavyweight tenth season of TUF, which gave us some of the worst fights in TUF history. I’m glad that TUF continues to focus on the smaller weight classes, because I think a cast of hopefuls shine brightest when they have the right mix of strength, speed, agility, punching power, and cardio. As a fan of lighter-weight fighters, an all-welterweight season is a big reason for me to tune in.

And the #1 reason I’m looking forward to the thirteenth season of “The Ultimate Fighter” is…

1. There’s probably going to be a whole lot of drama this season.

When I think of the UFC putting Brock Lesnar into a prominent role on a show like TUF, I think of somebody tossing a live grenade into a pile of other live grenades. In short: Lesnar’s going to add fuel to a lot of fires, and there should be some great drama this season. How will Lesnar react to this season’s bad boy? Will any TUF hopeful try to make a name for themselves by calling out Lesnar now that he’s coming off of a loss? It’s inevitable that the coaches will engage in a bit of a rivalry, so that should be well worth watching as well. As a whole, there just seems to be too much potential drama to pass up this season of TUF.

So, that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? Are you already excited for TUF Season 13?

The two heavyweight standouts will be featured for the thirteenth season of “TUF” which includes an all-welterweight cast, and at the conclusion of the season finale which is scheduled for June 4 at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, both Brock and Junior will meet in a likely pay-per-view main event which is rumored for June 11 in Vancouver, which is anticipated to be dubbed UFC 131.

Though the recent news has only come to light as of yesterday, the Brazilian striker has already come up the favorite over the former titleholder.

MMAJunkie.com caught up with Joey Odessa, an influential odds maker in the mixed martial arts community (Twitter-@MMAOdds) has opened up the lines already between the two goliaths, with Junior the favorite at -155 over Lesnar, who is currently riding with +125 odds. So in short, JDS holds a 61% in defeating Lesnar, according to Odessa.

Who can argue? Lesnar has had lots of trouble in the past with talented wrestlers with a penchant for punching people in the face. In his last successful title defense against Shane Carwin at UFC 116 last July, “The Engineer” was able to drop Lesnar with a barrage of punches in the first-round of their heavyweight affair. Carwin gassed once Brock was able to survive and make it to the second-round, where he was able to eventually secure an arm-triangle choke.

In his last fight against Cain Velasquez, there would be no gassing-out for “The Terminator”–which is a moniker bestowed upon him by UFC President Dana White. Velasquez withstood an early barrage of random strikes from Lesnar and eventually connected on several combination’s against the cage, finishing off Brock on the ground for the TKO win at UFC 121 last October, giving the North Dakota native his first loss on strikes and in turn captured the heavyweight crown.

Junior, while he doesn’t hold a wrestling pedigree that a Lesnar, Carwin, or Velasquez hold, he does have some of the best takedown defense in his division. In fact, during his 6-0 stretch inside the organization, he has not been taken down once, and instead knocked out 5 of those opponents, with last fight at UFC 117 in August being his lone decision win since his time spent within the promotion when he defeated former IFL champion Roy Nelson.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think about the early lines on the fight? Can Brock takedown JDS, or will dos Santos (a product of the famed Black House) be able to knock out the NCAA Div. I wrestling champion? Sound off in the comment section below.

I’d like to start by saying something very few fans think is true nowadays, something that even Lesnar fans don’t want to bring up because they think it’ll open the figurative floodgates of negative comments and that they’ll soon get laughed out of the conversation. But if you’ve followed me for any length of time, you’d know by now that I’ll say what I believe no matter how it’s perceived. So here it is.

Brock Lesnar has a good chin.

Everyone is talking about how Junior dos Santos may end up eating Lesnar alive if the fight stays on the feet for any length of time. It’s true that JDS’s striking is leagues above Brock’s, but fans are going too far by insinuating that Lesnar has a glass chin. Lesnar has been subjected to some brutal punishment by some of the best strikers the UFC’s Heavyweight division has to offer. His chin has taken the best shots of both Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez, only Cain was able to seal the deal and put Brock away.

I honestly think Lesnar’s main problem is his inability to keep his composure when he starts getting hit.

Even though he has a good chin, Lesnar has no earthly idea what to do when he starts taking a beating. And I think that, above all else, will dictate who wins this fight.

Lesnar has all the physical tools necessary to achieve UFC superstardom, that’s a proven fact that I don’t think anyone can argue. He hits hard even if his technique is sloppy, his ground and pound is vicious, his takedowns are great, his cardio is off the charts for a man his size. What Lesnar needs is to focus on the mental aspect of the fight game. I truly think Lesnar fumbled against Carwin and Velasquez simply because nobody had ever really kicked his ass before.

If Lesnar keeps his composure, he’s going to win this fight and may win it in dominating fashion.

It’s true that no one has been able to keep Junior dos Santos on the ground, but JDS has never fought a dominant powerhouse and highly prestigious wrestler like Lesnar. Cain Velasquez was also a dignified wrestler and he still trained for months with huge Heavyweight fighters to best replicate Brock’s ferocious takedowns, and not only that, Velasquez trains with the single best MMA camp for wrestling-based fighters, the American Kickboxing Academy. Junior dos Santos does train with the Nogueira brothers, but Lesnar has shown considerable improvements in his submission defense. If it goes to the ground, Lesnar should be able to control JDS.

If it stays standing, of course the fight favors JDS. His striking is virtually unparalleled  in the UFC. Lesnar will have to be at his absolute best both physically and mentally in order to survive JDS’s onslaughts. I truly believe that quite a lot of this fight focuses on Lesnar’s mental state. Can he lose a striking exchange without flopping and flailing around? Can he keep himself composed when he starts getting hit, rather than literally running away? If he can, he should be able to survive long enough to keep trying to take JDS down and bring the fight into his element. If he can’t, we’re in for a mirror-image of Velasquez/Lesnar, except this time Lesnar will probably be outright KO’d.

This fight isn’t about Lesnar’s glass chin. It’s about his weak heart. It’s very clear that Lesnar had no way of coping with the pressure both Carwin and Velasquez put on him. But if he can find that fighter’s spirit, if he can find that will to survive, he’s got a great shot of taking down Junior dos Santos.

Ultimately I’m picking JDS to win this one. But as a Lesnar fan, I wanted to point out that Brock has much more of a chance than most people are giving him. It’s not a remote possibility that Lesnar will beat JDS. But in the here and now, Junior dos Santos has all the tools necessary to beat Brock even at his absolute best. I’ll never count out Brock Lesnar, but I also said that I’d never again bet against Junior dos Santos. And while I plan to break that promise when JDS inevitably faces Cain Velasquez, I really have no choice but to join the majority and call for an early-round (T)KO victory for Junior dos Santos. Part of me sure wishes I’m proven wrong, though, and another part knows that I just might be by the time it’s all said and done.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think of this fight?

Here’s what these fighters bring to the table.

Brock Lesnar: On one hand, Lesnar, not dos Santos, has held the UFC Heavyweight Championship belt.  On the other hand, we’re talking about a guy with only seven professional MMA bouts to his credit and a 5-2 record.  Many of us (this writer included), jumped on the Lesnar bandwagon after he defeated Heath Herring, Randy Couture, Frank Mir, and Shane Carwin consecutively perhaps a little too quickly.   Though he started his career by putting the hurt on opponents with some big punches on his feet (Herring, Couture, and even knocked Mir’s equilibrium a tad in their first fight), his recent bouts against Carwin and Cain Velasquez have left something to be desired in the striking department.  More specifically, when he’s been tagged his defenses have faltered pretty badly, seeming to get confused and disoriented all too quickly.

But to forget Lesnar’s strengths would be a mistake.  First, he’s a physical marvel.  When it comes to a combination of power, sheer size, and athleticism for someone so big, Lesnar is unrivaled.  What’s more, he is an elite wrestler, a man that once took home both the 1998 NJCAA Heavyweight and 2000 NCAA Heavyweight Championships. All told, Lesnar managed a 106-5 wrestling record over four years in college, all of which he achieved All American status during. 

Which lends to the notion that you do not want to be underneath Lesnar for any length of time on the ground.  By the way, he’s also learned a lot about submission defense, as he proved in his second fight against Mir. 

Junior dos Santos: No, dos Santos is not nearly as well-known as Lesnar is; and no, he hasn’t held the UFC heavyweight belt.  But he has competed in more professional fights than his adversary, posting a 12-1 MMA record.  Dos Santos holds a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and benefits from the tutelage of MMA legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.  That said, beyond demonstrating some pretty impressive takedown defense against Roy “Big Country” Nelson in his last fight, we haven’t seen much in the line of ground fighting from the Brazilian, as he doesn’t tend to end up there.

What we have witnessed is some amazing striking, which isn’t so surprising considering dos Santos also has a kickboxing background.  In sum, he hits very hard and uses his hands, particularly those uppercuts of his, like few in the game today.  Dos Santos is simply an elite striker.

The Final Word on Brock Lesnar vs. Junior dos Santos: This fight can probably best be broken down in simple grappler vs. striker terms.  Though dos Santos sports a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and has trained with Nogueira, one still has to figure that if Mir couldn’t last long on his back against Lesnar, dos Santos will have trouble if he ends up in that predicament.

On the flip side, if Lesnar couldn’t handle Velasquez’s striking- which is good- then dos Santos’s stand up will likely put the hurt on him pretty quickly, even if we do assume he improves in that regard. 

In the end, I don’t think if dos Santos gets wrapped up by Lesnar he’ll be able to continue to stand or get back up easily, as Velasquez recently did.   Nope, the real questions in this fight are the following:

1. Can Lesnar take dos Santos down before he gets tagged and submit/TKO him?

2. Is dos Santos savvy and tough enough on the ground to survive that initial onslaught, if that’s where he ends up?

3. If dos Santos does survive, will Lesnar’s wrestling advantage and cardio allow him to continually take his opponent down through three rounds?

4. Can Lesnar survive on his feet against dos Santos for a significant length of time (I don’t think he can)?

Got to say that this fight is interesting on numerous levels.  Looking forward to it.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar is not visiting the WWE anytime soon, since he will now be one of the featured coaches for the thirteenth season of the ultra-popular reality show. The North Dakota native will be pitted against current number one contender Junior dos Santos for the all-welterweight season of “TUF”.

The show will wrap in the coming months and the debut episode will air on March 30, not on March 26 as previously expected. UFC Fight Night 24, which is headlined by a light heavyweight showdown matching former champ Tito Ortiz against Antonio Rogerio Nogueria, was originally expected to serve as the lead in for the new season of the reality show, however UFC President Dana White revealed during a teleconference earlier today that such will not be the case.

Junior gained the number contender position when he bested former IFL champion Roy Nelson last August at UFC 117. The win, his first decision of his UFC career, marked his sixth straight inside the octagon which includes notable knockout victories over Mirko “Cro Cop”, Gabriel Gonzaga and Gilbert Yvel. The Brazilian striker was slated to meet current champion Cain Velasquez at a later date, however the title holder will be going under the knife to repair a torn rotator cuff and will be sidelined for the better part of 2011.

So, in steps Brock Lesnar. The former WWE star-turned-mixed martial artist recently relinquished his heavyweight crown to Velasquez at UFC 121 last October, however before the brutal encounter the former NCAA wrestling star rattled off a four-fight win streak over the who’s who of MMA talent, counting wins over Randy Couture, Frank Mir, and Shane Carwin–all by some of stoppage.

After a few implications that Lesnar may be interested in returning to his WWE roots for a future Wrestlemania show, all the rumors could now be put to rest as the two men will now fight at the culmination of “The Ultimate Fighter” in June, for an as-of-yet-announced show, which is expected to be UFC 131. The pay-per-view event has been talked about for the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada–most likely JDS and Lesnar will be serving headlining duties, though nothing has been set in stone.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the news? Lesnar has struggled in the past with great defensive-wrestlers with a good striking acumen, and in dos Santos he’s arguably the best of both worlds in the heavyweight division. Though he doesn’t hold any specific wrestling credentials, the Brazilian has great hips on the ground and is able to pop right back up once hitting the mat. Interestingly enough, the Black House fighter has yet to be taken down in the UFC. Will Brock be able to take it home–and more importantly, how do you think both will fare as coaches? Sound off in the comment section below.

If you’ll remember, fans and friends, I was one of the Nelson fans that basically campaigned for “Big Country” to receive a match with former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar. A lot of people seemed to reject the notion of Lesnar vs. Nelson, but I felt that it would have been a fantastic match. The difference in size and muscularity alone made it an instant must-see, but let’s not forget, Roy Nelson has quickly become a legitimate major-level star in the UFC.

If Lesnar beat Nelson, it would have immediately established that Lesnar was here to stay and wanted his championship back. If Nelson beat Lesnar, it would have given Nelson the kind of victory he would have had if he had beaten Dos Santos, instantly making him a championship contender. Everybody wins, and it would have been a very interesting fight between two men that love taking it to the ground and smothering their opponents, albeit in hugely different ways.

But Frank Mir is no slouch, and despite the downright boring performance he put on when he mercifully KO’d Mirko Cro Cop after three utterly atrocious rounds, the man is still a top-division UFC fighter. He played it safe to a fault against Cro Cop, but I think Mir will open up against Nelson. Or Nelson, unlike Cro Cop, won’t be as afraid to go to the ground with Mir as Mir was to keep the fight standing.

It’ll be interesting to see who takes control of the fight on the feet, since Frank Mir’s striking game seems to fluctuate bizarrely on a per-fight basis. He looked like he could more than hold his own against Cheick Kongo and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, but against Shane Carwin and Brock Lesnar he faltered and faltered hugely. Some may say that that’s just Frank Mir not being able to cope with large wrestlers, but the thing of it is… in certain ways, Roy Nelson is a large wrestler.

Does Roy Nelson have bulging biceps and a body that looks to be carved out of granite? If you’ve ever seen him fight, you’d of course be laughing right now. But consider this: doesn’t Nelson do the same thing those muscle-bound behemoths do? Doesn’t he set up his takedowns with those big fists? Doesn’t he vigorously pursue a takedown and use his size and weight advantage to bull-rush opponents? Lesnar and Carwin may use their ridiculously-toned bodies to keep their opponents down while Roy Nelson uses his sizable gut, but isn’t the outcome the same? Don’t all three use their distinct advantages to smother, stifle, and ultimately pound out opponents?

This is why I think Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson is so interesting. In a quite bizarre point I’m sure some people will criticize me for making, Roy Nelson is of the same build as a Brock Lesnar or Shane Carwin. He uses his size, strength, and unusual speed for a man of his size and stature in order to get the better of his opponents. Like Carwin and Lesnar, sometimes it doesn’t work. But when it does, much like Lesnar and Carwin, there seems to be no stopping him. Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson should be an amazing fight, and I personally can’t wait to see it happen. And, in case you needed it officially confirmed, I’m definitely pulling for “Big Country” in this bout.

But what about you, fans and friends? What’s your opinion on this fight, and who do you think will win it?

He doesn’t like cameras, he doesn’t like attention, so a coaching stint on the next season of “The Ultimate Fighter” would seem like the furthest thing from reality…but it could very well be happening soon.

Recently rumors have circulated concerning the next season of TUF, as far as who will take up the coaching slots. Fighters ranging from Wanderlei Silva, Chael Sonnen, Urijah Faber, and Dominick Cruz have all been discussed as possible candidates to coach the upcoming field of welterweight/middleweight fighters, however all signs point to former champions Lesnar and arch rival Frank Mir.

Mir was rumored to face Brendan Schaub in the first quarter of 2011, however plans have changed. Suddenly, Schaub, who was a finalist on the tenth season of “The Ultimate Fighter” is now scheduled to take on budding prospect Stefan Struve in an upcoming event in the beginning of the new year. No event has been pegged, however verbal agreements are in place according to MMAWeekly.com.

Frank is no stranger to the reality show. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist was featured as the head coach opposite of former UFC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Minotauro Nogueira on season eight, which culminated in December of 2008.

Mir was last seen in action when he defeated former PRIDE champion Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 119 this past September. After a sluggish first-two rounds turned in, Frank unleashed a big knee in the third round which knocked out the Croation striker in the final moments of the fight.

Lesnar, meanwhile, recently relinquished the heavyweight strap when he was paired up with proud Mexican-American Cain Velasquez. The South Dakota native stormed the American Kickboxing Academy product early, however Velasquez’ superior stand up came into play and in the waning moments of the fight, Cain was able to record the TKO victory and claim both “Knockout of the Night” honors and the heavyweight title last October at UFC 121 in Anaheim, Cali.

Both Mir and Lesnar are very familiar with each other, which can only be described as a huge understatement. Frank got the first crack at Brock when he made his inception into the worlds largest mixed martial arts organization when the two men met at UFC 81 in February of 2008, eventually submitted the former WWE star with a knee bar.

Lesnar exacted revenge 17-months later after claiming the title from then champion Randy Couture. In a battle to unify Brock’s strap and Mir’s interim title (which he claimed in a victory of Antonio at UFC 92), the NCAA wrestling champion unleashed an aggressive dose of ground-and-pound on Mir, eventually stopping the Las Vegas resident in the second round.

Now it seems that both men will be able to settle the score in the near future, but only after what will soon look to be an intense season between the two. Both Brock and Mir have shared words between one another both in the cage and in the media, but never before on TV for millions of people to see. Maybe, now they will.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the possibility of a Mir-Lesnar season? MMAWeekly.com seems to agree, and the sudden pull of Mir from a heavyweight tilt opposite of Schaub is suspicious, to say the least. When the two men meet again, who will reign supreme in the rubber match? Sound off in the comment section below.

According to MMA Weekly, both Frank Mir and Brendan Schaub have verbally agreed to fight each other sometime in early 2011, although nothing has been signed and an exact date is still to be determined. After a convincing Unanimous Decision over former UFC Heavyweight Championship contender Gabriel Gonzaga (who has since been released by the UFC), former “Ultimate Fighter” Season 10 cast member Brendan Schaub vocally called for higher-level competition. In fact, “The Hybrid” called out Frank Mir in particular. Schaub is on a three-fight win-streak with two finishes, and has only lost once in the UFC.

As stated earlier, Frank Mir was tentatively scheduled to fight Brock Lesnar for a third time following Lesnar’s recent loss to newly-crowned UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez at UFC 121. The two men have a sordid and storied history: in their first fight, not only did Frank Mir spoil Lesnar’s debut, he handed him his first-ever loss. In their second fight, Lesnar resoundingly trounced Mir and left his face a bloody, bruised mess. To this day, the two men remain arch-rivals. Despite all of this, early reactions towards Mir/Lesnar 3 were so negative that Dana White basically called off his plans to make it happen. It appears that Mir has found his next opponent.

I like this fight for several reasons, and I think both men have it in them to put on an entertaining performance. First and foremost, I don’t think Brendan Schaub is afraid of Frank Mir or his ground game. The biggest problem I saw with the Mir/Filipovic fight was that Frank Mir was afraid to strike with Mirko Cro Cop and Mirko Cro Cop was afraid to grapple with Frank Mir. In his four fights in the UFC, Schaub has shown no fear of facing anyone in any facet of the MMA game.

If push comes to shove, Schaub will push the pace and force Mir to engage with him. And that’s an entertaining fight for several reasons. It always feels like Frank Mir’s best has to be dragged kicking and screaming out of him, but when it does emerge, Mir is an amazing performer. His striking has gotten a lot better, and his submission skills have always been at the top of the division.

Brendan Schaub is also no joke, and I think he’s proven once and for all that he’s ready for top-division competition. His loss to Roy Nelson is basically a distant memory now that he’s gotten some convincing wins under his belt. This fight will be the biggest test of Schaub’s career so far, and that includes the Nelson fight. If Schaub beats Mir, he’ll have all the base he needs to campaign for and ultimately receive a rematch with “Big Country” Roy Nelson, if he chooses to do so. And if Schaub wins that rematch, or any other match against a top-division athlete, I think we’ll have finally seen Schaub emerge as a legitimate championship contender.

So big, big things are in store for either man if one of them is able to finish and finish convincingly. Regardless of who wins, a boring performance is the last thing both fighters need right now, so expect this fight to be one to remember. And what about you, fans and friends? What’s your early opinion on this planned fight?

Here are the highlights from a recent UFC 124 pre-fight press conference, courtesy of MMA Weekly: “We’ll see what happens… [Brock Lesnar] will not wrestle in Wrestlemania. Won’t happen, cause he’s under contract with me… I don’t want to blur those lines… He’s done incredibly well. I don’t want him going back to the WWE, blurring the lines between what’s real and what’s not.”

I have to be honest, fans and friends: I just don’t understand how anyone could take the rumor of Lesnar returning to the WWE seriously. It’s easy to forecast doom on a fighter you dislike when he actually falters, and worse yet, it seems as if everyone is trying to sweep Lesnar’s accomplishments in the UFC under the rug completely. According to the cynics, Frank Mir was never good, Randy Couture was too old, and Shane Carwin beat himself as much as Brock Lesnar beat Shane Carwin. According to the cynics, Brock’s only recourse is to return to the land of “fake fighting” to spare both himself and the UFC any further embarrassment.

None of that makes sense to me. Before he lost to Velasquez, Lesnar had three straight fights with three champions, and won them all in dominating fashion. Randy Couture was the UFC Heavyweight Champion, Frank Mir was the Interim Heavyweight Champion, Shane Carwin was also the Interim Heavyweight Champion. Lesnar has faced stiff competition, he has been in there with some of the best. In the UFC, you don’t become a champion unless you’re one of the best fighters in the world. That includes interim championships. Frank Mir was good. Randy Couture wasn’t too old. Lesnar saw an opportunity, took it, and beat Shane Carwin.

Also, why would Lesnar want to return to the WWE when he’s already become one of the biggest Pay-Per-View draws in UFC history? WWE would undoubtedly spare no expense to bring Lesnar back, but Lesnar would be working the same hectic schedule that led to his leaving the WWE in the first place. After his UFC fights, Lesnar practically vanishes off the face of the earth, and that’s how he likes it. If he ever went back to the land of the squared circle, he’d once again be working hundreds of days per year, subjecting his body to the constant aches and pains that being a pro wrestler entails. Why would he return to the lifestyle that he grew to hate so fiercely that, in the end, he would ultimately walk out of the WWE despite being one of its biggest and highest-paid stars at the time?

In all honesty, I’m tired of this rumor somehow remaining persistently prevalent when talks turn to Lesnar’s future. Is this a possibility? Sure. But it’s an incredibly remote one, and it’s only being talked about because anti-Lesnar cynics want him to go back to the WWE. They want Lesnar to return to “fake fighting” so they can further feel vindicated. That’s why people are still talking about this: they want it to happen so badly that they conveniently forget the fact that there’s very little chance of it actually happening.

I look forward to seeing Brock Lesnar return to the UFC, which he will. I look forward to seeing how he deals with the pressure of a loss. The last time Lesnar lost in a high-profile match-up, he went on a four-fight win-streak that saw him capture the UFC Heavyweight Championship and skyrocket to the top of the Heavyweight rankings. If he pursues this latest comeback with the same amount of vigor, the Brock Lesnar that emerges from the rubble of the beating Cain Velasquez gave him will be downright scary.

However, his skill has been undeniable. While his wrestling pedigree and gargantuan size is a formidable deterrent against most opponents, Cain Velasquez was able to solve the puzzle, quickly at that.

Velasquez seized the opportunity to exploit Lesnar at UFC 121 last month, handing him his first knockout loss in his career. The win earned Cain the UFC heavyweight championship, and with the victory, the Mexican-American also showed the chinks in the seemingly untethered armor of Lesnar.

But, Antonio Silva, the former EliteXC heavyweight champion and current Strikeforce contender, says that he always knew that Brock was subpar to the rest of his class, and suggests that the Minnesota resident should go back to his professional wrestling days, entertaining the crowd with his “fake fighting” and leave the real fighting to the professionals.

“Man, I think he must return to his fake fights that it’ll be best for him”, said the harsh critic in Silva, who spoke with TATAME Magazine recently about his feelings on Lesnar, after witnessing his defeat against Velasquez.

“I’ve always said that, he’s not a better fighter than Fedor (Emelianenko), or (Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira) Minotauro, or (Junior dos Santos) Cigano… He’s not the number one”, continued the Brazilian in what turned into a long, long rant.

“I’ve said that when (Fabricio) Werdum beat Fedor, who would become the number one? To me, it must have been Werdum because he had just beat the number one, but no. They put Brock Lesnar as the first, Werdum on the second place and Fedor in third. For sure now the top position is on good hands because Cain is a great fighter, he’s complete, has proven to have a good ground game, a good Wrestling and he’s a good exchanger. Now it’s on good hands. It was ridiculous for us, fighters, to see Brock Lesnar with only four or five bouts being considered the top athlete on earth, it’s ridiculous. And people like Cain Velasquez, Cigano, Fedor and Minotauro coming after Brock Lesnar… He’s a fake fighter.”

Strong words from Antonio, but likewise, I’m sure he expressed a lot of sentiments that others may have been feeling. Cain is the heavyweight champion, but is he the best heavyweight in the world? Or does Fedor’s pedigree still regard him as such? Or even Werdum, who defeated the perennial king? MMA peeps, what do you think? Sound off in the comment section below.

Here’s what Carwin had to say in a recent interview with Heavy.com: “The loss, I think, was a good thing for me. It exposed me to things I need to work on… I hope to come in a little bit lighter than the max weight now… It’s lessons learned for me… (I try to) look ahead to the future and be excited for that… I don’t think anybody deserves an instant rematch or anything. Once you lose, there are other people that are waiting in line, and you have to go back and prove yourself… That’s what I have to do right now.”

I’d like to make one thing clear from the get-go: when it comes to me and Shane Carwin, the jury’s still out. It seems like a large section of the MMA media is willing to forget and simply sweep under the rug that Shane Carwin was linked to a nationwide steroids conspiracy not too long ago. After some early fallout from the scandal, talks of Carwin’s past steroid use quickly vanished altogether and nowadays it’s not even mentioned at all anymore. I’m not going to stand for that. I don’t forgive without reason, and I certainly don’t forget.

So here it is: Shane Carwin is going to have to do a lot to get back in my good graces. I hate when fighters take steroids, it’s one of my major “stand my ground” arguments where I’ll shout my unchanging viewpoint from the rooftops if I have to. Steroids are wrong, detrimental to the sport as well as its fighters, and I lose a gigantic amount of respect for any athlete caught using the juice. I like that Shane Carwin is humble in defeat and willing to fight his way back up from the bottom, but he’ll have to live up to that calling and more if he ever wants to be a relevant force in the UFC again.

But ultimately I think the man deserves a second chance. I can’t hold a grudge forever, and many could accuse me of already holding this grudge for too long. I strongly disagree, but the point could be made. Nevertheless, Shane Carwin was and probably still is a good fighter. He’s made some mistakes both in and out of the Octagon, but if anyone could make a dramatic return, it’s the guy that knocked out everyone in his path with reckless abandon and stormed up the rankings in dramatic fashion. In the end, the future of Shane Carwin lies in the heart and mind of no one but Shane Carwin. It’ll be interesting to see what changes when he returns, to say the very least.

And what about you, fans and friends? How do you feel about the former UFC champ, and how successful do you think he’ll be when he makes his inevitable return?

Here’s what the always-controversial Dana White had to say in a YouTube interview with Fighters Only Magazine: “I announced [Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir 3] at the Q&A yesterday, and I didn’t get a very popular response. People on my Twitter have been going crazy, saying ‘we hate this [expletive] fight, no way’. So, listen, I believe my job is to give the fans the fight that they want to see, so, maybe I’ll rethink that.”

I have to agree wholeheartedly with the fans on this one. I really don’t want to see another Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir fight, at least not in the immediate future. It just seems like too much of a throw-away match, for lack of a better term. Allow me to explain.

Both men are at dubious points in their careers. Frank Mir just got done competing in one of the most boring UFC main event fights in recent history, a three-round snooze-fest that mercifully ended with him TKO’ing aging relic Mirko Filipovic. Mir’s act, for lack of a better term, has gotten old and stale. I’m tired of seeing him talk ridiculous amounts of trash only to get his face beaten in, or only for him to spend three rounds tip-toeing around the Octagon, afraid to engage with a striker that’s horrendously past his prime. Even with the big KO over Mirko Cro Cop, Mir’s credibility is pretty low right now.

The same holds true for Brock Lesnar, and this is coming from a guy that thinks that Brock Lesnar normally doesn’t get enough respect. His performance against Cain Velasquez was simply abysmal. Cain shrugged off his takedowns like they were nothing, he had Lesnar backpedaling and twirling the entire fight, and Cain made beating Brock look easy. The vultures were circling to begin with, but now they’re in a feeding frenzy over Lesnar. The cynics are practically falling over themselves in their rush to say things like “Brock Lesnar is garbage” or “Brock Lesnar should just retire” or even “Brock Lesnar will go back to the WWE”. What Lesnar needs right now is a huge win, not a third fight with Frank Mir.

Honestly, Lesnar vs. Mir 3 wouldn’t have proved anything, and hopefully Dana White is serious when he talks about shelving this fight. Neither Lesnar nor Mir seem to have evolved much as fighters since their second fight at UFC 100 in July of 2009, and that’s really the only way a third fight works. Lesnar vs. Mir 3 would have been a painfully obvious attempt to salvage the credibility of the winner at the expense of the loser. It’s not a fight I want to see, not by a long shot, and I’m glad that a lot of people agree with me.

But what about you, fans and friends? What are your feelings on Lesnar/Mir 3 and the fact that it may be cancelled/shelved?

To say that these two fighter have disdain towards one another would be a huge understatement.

At least, that’s what you would think, but Mir has since tampered his temper and found some solace in his career and where he stands in the heavyweight division.

Both competitors have split victories, with Lesnar getting the better of the two in their last meeting at ufc 100, when the former NFL hopeful pounded Mir en route to a TKO victory inside of the second round.

However, with Lesnar’s recent setback against Velasquez, Mir see’s a potential bout with Lesnar as a step down essentially in competition, given Brock’s performance at UFC 121.

“Honestly right now, probably no”, said Frank while speaking with MMASucka, giving his feelings on a potential third bout with the former UFC heavyweight champion.

Frank went on to elaborate more on his decision to not pursue a trilogy with Lesnar. It dates back to his performance against Shane Carwin, a man whom Mir is all too familiar with. While Mir succumbed to strikes against the behemoth heavyweight at UFC 111, Lesnar fared better, submitted the Greg Jackson product in the second-round at UFC 116 last July. However, Brock faced a troublesome first round when he was nearly finished with a barrage of Carwin strikes.

“Just because the (Shane) Carwin fight, (Lesnar) didn’t look all that spectacular. I think a lot of people might have thought that he lost that fight”, said Mir.

But the bout with Velasquez was really the icing on the cake. The now Mexican-American heavyweight champion dominated Lesnar at UFC 121, managing a take down of his own, and eventually pouring it on the former WWE personality en route to a first-round TKO victory.

“And then the (Cain) Velasquez fight obviously, Velasquez made (Brock) basically shout ‘Stop, Enough, Enough’ before he tapped due to strikes and that looked really bad”, concluded Mir.

So, MMA peeps, looks like a third bout with the two former champions may not be in the works–but then, who would you like to see both competitors matched up with? Sound off in the comment section below.

UFC President Dana White alongside color commentator Joe Rogan served as the special guest’s during UFC 122′s pre-fight Q&A session with the fans, in Oberhausen, Germany at the Konig Pilsener Arena.

Earlier today, the head honcho spoke about potential match ups for his stars in the future, chief among those in question was the recently dethroned former UFC heavyweight champion, Brock Lesnar.

It had been rumored for sometime now that Lesnar could face Roy Nelson, the season 10 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” in his next match up, however nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, according to White, Lesnar would like another shot at his arch rival (if mixed martial arts had arch rivals, these two would be the epitome) Frank Mir.

“The last I did hear from him, he said that he wanted to fight Frank Mir again,” White said about his former heavyweight champion during the Q&A session when prompted by a fan. “That fight kind of makes sense. You know, rubber match, we’ll see.”

A rubber match would mean big bucks for both men, and would also mark the first trilogy in the UFC’s heavyweight division. Mir recently bounced back from a knockout loss to Shane Carwin with a third-round knockout over former PRIDE champion, Mirko Cro Cop, at UFC 119.

Earlier rumors circled around Lesnar potentially asking for a match up with the aforementioned Nelson, which in his mind served as an easier match up than most other competitors in the heavyweight field, allowing him to bounce back from his crushing defeat at UFC 121 at the hands of current title holder Cain Velasquez.

“That’s not true, he never asked for Roy Nelson,” expounded the UFC President.

So, with Brock vs Mir 3 next on deck, potentially, how do you think it will shake out now, MMA peeps? Given Brock’s new aura of vulnerability, does Mir have a chance? Sound off in the comment section below.

Here’s what the former IFL Heavyweight Champion had to say over at Bloody Elbow: “…It really just comes down to the MMA media wanting hits on their website by taking shots at Brock. You would never see anyone of these writers ask Brock to his face why he balls up when he gets punched just as you wouldn’t see them asking me why I’m considered as a lackluster challenge for him… At the end of the day you are going to win some and lose some but the marker of a champion is how many times you can get back up. I think it’s great that Brock wants to fight me. It would be a great matchup and I believe the fans want to see it so let’s make it happen.”

If you’ll recall, fans and friends, I’ve apparently been one of the few advocates of this match. For my initial argument on the subject, please read my “Despite All Their Differences, Roy “Big Country” Nelson is the Perfect Opponent for Brock Lesnar” article, available here. Perhaps it has something to do with me being both a Brock Lesnar fan and a Roy Nelson fan, perhaps it’s simply because I’m giving both men the credit they deserve. And if you’re wondering? Yes, I do think that Roy Nelson and Brock Lesnar deserve more credit than they’re getting.

It still amazes me that people seem to keep judging Roy Nelson solely on his physique. People practically fell over themselves to criticize his lack of cardio when he lost to Junior dos Santos. I say: you try going three rounds with the man and talk about cardio problems. I think Junior’s style would have gassed out just about anybody. Let’s not forget that before that fight, Nelson tore through “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 10 and then proceeded to tear through the UFC with two straight (T)KO victories. Even if Roy Nelson is 2-3 in his last five fights, I still consider him a great fighter that can be a big threat to almost anybody in the UFC. And even if he’s not ready for top-of-the-world talent, you at least have to admit that he has no problem demolishing the UFC’s middle-level Heavyweights.

There are so many arguments both for and against Brock Lesnar that I’d rather not re-state the obvious when talking about why I feel he should get more respect. I don’t like repeating myself, and I try not to. All I’ll say is that Lesnar made some mistakes, but ultimately his loss to Cain Velasquez only proved that he’s human. If Lesnar wants it, the only person stopping him from another championship run is himself. A lot of people are debating whether he wants it or not, but none of us can get in Lesnar’s head.

Ultimately, this is a great fight on paper, and it’s a perfect fit for where both men are at in their careers. Both men need a big win and could score a dominating finish, but both would also gain a lot of respect if this turned into a three-round war of attrition. I really don’t see any reason to stop this fight from happening, other than the preconceived notions on both fighters that the cynics have before the two ever step into the Octagon. It may not happen overnight, but so long as it’s a possibility, I’ll continue to support the idea of Brock Lesnar taking on Roy Nelson.

And what about you, fans and friends? What’s your take on the matter?

1. Georges St. Pierre (6,985,000 PPV Buys): Georges St. Pierre is simply the perfect mix of everything. He’s incredibly humble. He’s a very good-looking man. He’s an amazing fighter. He’s got an entire country (his native Canada) on his side. In a list mostly filled with brash talkers or knockout artists, GSP stands out as the squeaky-clean do-gooder. Above all else, GSP getting the #1 spot proves that MMA fans aren’t just a bunch of knuckle-dragging Neanderthals that only want to see fighters rip each other’s heads off.

2. Chuck Liddell (6,324,000 PPV Buys): I think that “The Iceman” making the #2 spot proves two things: that rivalries sell fights, and that image is everything. For the longest time, Liddell had the look of a man who had just gotten out of prison with the attitude and serious punching power to back up his mystique. His incredibly bitter rivalry with Tito Ortiz also gave the UFC a huge amount of PPV buys, and stands the test of time as one of the best MMA rivalries in the history of our sport. Chuck Liddell is the embodiment of the old-school MMA mentality: sometimes all you need is the ability to heinously separate an opponent from his consciousness in order to be a huge MMA star.

3. Brock Lesnar (6,045,000 PPV Buys): While Liddell embodies the old-school mentality of the gruff and tough brawler that the fans can’t get enough of, Lesnar is probably the definition of the phrase “controversy creates cash”. You can love him, you can hate him, but you still pay to see him fight. At this point, just the mere mention of Lesnar’s name is enough to stir up a heated debate in just about any online community. Lesnar’s high rank on this list says that MMA fans can be incredibly divided on a fighter while still paying again and again to see that fighter fight. It’s one of the biggest keys to success for both an MMA fighter and an MMA promotion: whether you pay to see him lose or pay to see him win, at the end of the day, everyone pays.

4. Forrest Griffin (5,630,000 PPV Buys): I have to admit, this one shocked me considerably. Seriously: Forrest Griffin has helped sell over five million Pay-Per-View buys? What this says to me is that “The Ultimate Fighter” deserves all the credit it constantly gets for being the bridge the UFC walked over to get to the land of mainstream acceptance. Griffin also proves that you don’t have to be the best fighter to be a big draw, sometimes all it takes is a self-deprecating sense of humor and the uncanny ability to absorb crazy amounts of damage. Forrest Griffin is a fighter that comes to fight, and he doesn’t mind if he gets beaten to a bloody pulp in the process, and that’s why I think MMA fans have embraced him so thoroughly.

And rounding out both the top five and Part 1 of this two-parter is…

5. Matt Hughes (5,399,000 PPV Buys): Matt Hughes is living proof that a country boy can survive. Sorry, I just couldn’t resist. I think Matt Hughes’ spot on this list proves that MMA fans are a loyal bunch, they’ll support a once-dominant champion through thick and thin so long as he keeps turning in quality fights. Hughes has only lost a step or two from when he was tearing through the UFC’s welterweight division, and he remains one of the UFC’s biggest stars. His spot on this list proves that if a high-level fighter has staying power, his drawing power will stay equally as high.

That’s it for today, fans and friends. Tune in tomorrow when I cover the rest of the Top Ten UFC PPV Draws of All-Time and give my thoughts on what I think they say about our industry as a whole. And what about you? Did any of these entrants take you by surprise, and what do you think their spot on this list says about the MMA world as a whole?

Here’s what the young Heavyweight champion recently said in an interview with MMA Fighting: “There’s a million things you can look at and critique with any fight… He expended a lot of energy early and wasn’t able to recover… We fly in the best guys in all situations… We got the best guys there are, period, coming in and training with him and pushing him in each situation. So whoever says that, they obviously aren’t in the gym, they have no idea. Unless you’re there, you don’t understand… [Lesnar’s loss] wasn’t because a lack of effort.”

I think Cole Konrad may have a point; people do seem to put a lot of unwarranted criticism on Lesnar’s training camp. People see the name “Team Death Clutch” and just assume it’s a joke. In reality, Lesnar’s camp is the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, which has a storied history of churning out some excellent wrestling-based Mixed Martial Artists. In addition to Lesnar, this is the same camp that gave us Sean Sherk, Brock Larson, Jacob Volkmann, and the aforementioned Cole Konrad. They do have their fair share of hit-and-miss fighters, but they’re far from a bad camp.

The thing of it is, though, Konrad is only right when he says that people are unfairly criticizing the camp as being a joke. Konrad’s logic begins to fall apart when you compare the MMAA to virtually any other high-level training camp. Personally, I only criticized Lesnar’s training camp in comparison to Cain Velasquez’s. The American Kickboxing Academy, Cain’s camp, is home to some of the best fighters in the world. In fact, AKA routinely shares the spotlight with Jackson’s MMA (home to Georges St. Pierre, Rashad Evans, Nate Marquardt, etc.) and Black House (home to just about every notable Brazilian fighter fighting in the UFC) as one of the best camps currently operating.

I also think that flying in “the best people” no longer cuts it in high-level MMA training. A lot of fighters routinely make trips to other camps in order to gain new insight into their fighting style and new advice from a fresh host of trainers. Some fighters like their temporary homes so much that they decide to stay. I’m not saying that Lesnar should rush out to find a new camp, but I do think that Lesnar should be the one hopping on planes instead of having people flown in to train him. I know this goes against Lesnar’s stoic “cave man” persona, but it’s an idea that couldn’t hurt and one of the few good ones Lesnar has left if he ever wants to have a championship around his waist again.

Cole Konrad is simply defending his friend and his camp from some unwarranted but not unfounded criticism. Team Death Clutch, MMAA, no matter what it’s called, at the end of the day it’s a decent training camp that could be better. It’s not horrible, but it’s not AKA, or Greg Jackson’s, or Black House. If Lesnar does want to still actively compete and fight the best talent in the UFC, perhaps he does need to make a major shake-up in his training camp. “Good but not great” only gets you so far, and that’s exactly where Lesnar’s camp finds itself.

And what about you, fans and friends? How do you feel about Lesnar’s future and his training camp?

There are several reasons why I think Lesnar vs. Nelson would be a great match-up. First and foremost, Roy Nelson is ready for the best and he’s hungry to get back inside the Octagon now that his bout with Shane Carwin has fallen apart. And Lesnar finds himself in almost the exact same spot as the man he so famously submitted: with his back against the wall, needing to prove quite a lot in his next bout. If Roy Nelson fit the mold as the best opponent Shane Carwin could face to both get a huge win over and prove himself against, and Brock Lesnar fits Shane Carwin’s mold, then Lesnar/Nelson is more common sense than fantasy match-making.

Plus, let’s be honest here, it’s a fantastic aesthetic. These two couldn’t possibly be more different. It would be quite a spectacle to see the hulking Viking goliath take on the curly-haired big-bellied brawler. I wouldn’t call this a “freakshow” match despite the huge difference in the physiques of both men, though. I think both Lesnar and Nelson have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they belong in the UFC. This has the potential to be a fantastic fight based solely on the strengths of both men, seeing the disparity in body builds between the man that’s seemingly carved out of granite and the man who carves a path through Burger King would only be a bonus.

Another interesting thing about this match is that both men have all the tools necessary to win and win big. If Lesnar can avoid Nelson’s stand-up, he could probably take Nelson down through sheer force alone. Nelson doesn’t come from a wrestling background, and he certainly doesn’t have the wrestling pedigree that Cain Velasquez has. Lesnar’s takedowns only looked so bad against Velasquez because Velasquez himself is such an amazing wrestler, against Roy Nelson Lesnar’s dreaded Ground and Pound could end up working beautifully and scoring him a major and dominant win.

However, Roy Nelson has good stand-up and a vastly under-appreciated ground game. He also has an extremely solid chin, as seen in his recent bout with Junior dos Santos. I think Nelson has proved that he does have KO power, and I also think that Lesnar has proven unable to cope with the pressure of being rocked. If Nelson can clip Lesnar, I think “Big Country” may actually have it in him to take out the Vanilla Gorilla. Also, Lesnar would be wise to not sleep on Big Country’s ground game. Lesnar’s ground game is so effective because he can put so much weight on you, but the same holds true for Nelson. And if Lesnar tries to power out from underneath Nelson’s girth through sheer force alone, he may leave himself open to a submission.

Ultimately, I think this fight would be too close to call and that’s why I’d love to see it. It’s not a matter of me giving Lesnar more credit or Nelson more credit, I think it’s more about me giving both men the credit they deserve. Both men are highly gifted and very competitive athletes. Styles make fights while personalities sell tickets, and this match-up has the potential to be one of the best and biggest of 2011.

But what do you think, fans and friends? How interested would you be in a Brock Lesnar vs. Roy Nelson fight? And what do you think would win?

5. Blind, Deaf, Dumb, Zombie Cecil Peoples

The man has blown so many calls in his lifetime that he seems to have no brain. So why not embellish that fact and put together a brain-devouring Cecil Peoples? Bonus points for staring randomly at absolutely nothing and then proudly telling other people to go to hell if they don’t get why you picked your costume. Plus, if any scuffles break out during your long night of partying, you can proudly declare yourself the winner after every one, no matter how bad you get beaten. Everybody (only you) is a winner when you’re Cecil Peoples!

4. The Korean Zombie with “Shin on Chin” Attachment

You’ve seen the “arrow through head” hat that always gets trotted out at or near Halloween, why not one-up the competition with a Chan Sung Jung outfit that comes with a shin-on-chin attachment? That way you can crush two birds with one stone: go to a party as the fierce and unstoppable Korean Zombie, while earlier in the night you lay down in front of your porch KTFO’d and scare any children that pass by. Not because you jump out at them, just because they’re so scared of how heinously you got your head kicked in.

3. Skeleton Tito Ortiz with Highlighted Injury Areas

For the man who hasn’t won a battle in over four years through no fault of his own. Didn’t get that sexy girl’s number? It’s not your fault, you’ve got a cracked skull. Have to take a break from dancing every five minutes because you’re dead tired? It’s just your back injury flaring up again. With the Tito Ortiz outfit, nothing you do is ever your fault. Just don’t hurt any women, even though you could probably get away with it. Domestic violence isn’t cool, kids.

2. Bandolier-wearing, Corona-drinking, Burrito-eating, Sombrero Brock Lesnar (Complete with Mariachi Band)

Nothing says, “I’m an insensitive bastard, deal with it” quite like a Brock Lesnar costume outfitted with traditional Mexican garb. Like the Korean Zombie costume, this costume is awesome thanks to its versatility. At the start of the night, you can proudly prance up and down the street like an idiot, sipping your beer, wolfing down your burrito, and dancing around your sombrero while your faithful friends play the Mexican Hat Dance. Once it annoys everyone to the point of violence, you can then get somber, paint a huge gash on your cheek, and talk about being a humble champion. Bonus points for sporting a Viking beard that looks cool at first but makes you look like an idiot after you get your ass kicked, and even more bonus points for busting out the Lesnar Twirl when you hit the dance floor.

But above all else, the #1 MMA Costume for Halloween just has to go to…

1. Rashad Evans “KO Face”

Nothing I could ever write could accurately convey the awesomeness of the following picture:

The face that spawned a thousand Photoshop spoofs, each one more hilarious than the last, Rashad Evans would be the ultimate Halloween outfit. Start the night out by talking about how much you respect everybody while wearing a suit everywhere for no real reason, and then begin cursing at everyone while grabbing your junk, blowing them kisses, and twisting your nipples. Then, just when everyone is tired of the act, you bust out the big guns: “KO Face”. You’ll be the life of the party as everyone tries to imitate your epic flop to the floor. “KO Face” is the gift that just keeps on giving.

And that’s my list, fans and friends. Feel free to let me know some other awesome ideas for MMA costumes if you’ve got them. And Happy Halloween!

As if you couldn’t guess, UFC mega-star Brock Lesnar earned the most money at UFC 121. In fact, he earned double that of his opponent, despite losing to Velasquez in very humbling fashion. Lesnar’s situation is mirrored by Tito Ortiz, who pocketed a cool quarter million despite Matt Hamill making easy work of him. Here’s how everyone’s pay scale broke down, courtesy of MMA Weekly.

Cain Velasquez: $200,000 (includes $100,000 win bonus) defeated Brock Lesnar: $400,000. Jake Shields: $150,000 (includes $75,000 win bonus) defeated Martin Kampmann: $27,000. Diego Sanchez: $100,000 (includes $50,000 win bonus) defeated Paulo Thiago: $18,000. Matt Hamill: $58,000 (includes $29,000 win bonus) defeated Tito Ortiz: $250,000. Brendan Schaub: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win. Court McGee: $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus) defeated Ryan Jensen: $10,000. Tom Lawlor: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus) defeated Patrick Cote: $21,000. Daniel Roberts: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus) defeated Mike Guymon: $8,000. Sam Stout: $32,000 (includes $16,000 win bonus) defeated Paul Taylor: $16,000. Chris Camozzi: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus) defeated Dongi Yang: $8,000. Jon Madsen: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus) defeated Gilbert Yvel: $30,000.

Ironically, Lesnar finds himself the most well-paid fighter of UFC 121 but also the fighter that may be out the longest due to injuries sustained during the fight. Unless Lesnar is medically cleared, he’s looking at a six-month layoff thanks to Cain Velasquez’s barrage of fists. Jake Shields could also be sitting on the sidelines for 180 days unless he too is cleared by a doctor. Courtesy of MMA Mania, here are the full list of medical suspensions for UFC 121.

Brock Lesnar, Jake Shields, Diego Sanchez, and Court McGee are all suspended for 180 days unless cleared by a doctor for various injuries incurred during the course of their fights. Brendan Schaub, Tito Ortiz, Ryan Jensen, Dongi Yang, Gilbert Yvel, and Gabriel Gonzaga were all suspended for 45 days with no contact for 30 days, for precautionary reasons. Paulo Thiago and Chris Camozzi were suspended 60 days, with no contact for 60 days, due to the cuts they sustained during their fights. Both men are looking at reduced suspensions if they are cleared by a doctor.

Love him or hate him, I think Brock Lesnar earned every penny of his almost half-million salary. Everyone is still talking about UFC 121, and that’s a good thing even if you hate Lesnar. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if this Lesnar-headlined card drew another million buys, which seems to be the norm for him nowadays. And people wonder why UFC President Dana White looked so crestfallen when he had to put that big lump of gold around Cain’s waist. In regards to the fighter suspensions, they all seem par for the course.

So what do you think, fans and friends? Who earned their dollars and who got an easy paycheck at UFC 121? And anything noticeable about the suspensions from where you’re sitting?

The guy rarely ever smiles, keeps to himself, humble as all hell, but is still so… Fedor-esque I guess would be the best analogy to describe the proud Mexican-American, who recently claimed a life long goal in capturing the UFC’s heavyweight championship. The American Kickboxing Academy’s first UFC champion captured the title from the seemingly unbeatable Brock Lesnar, in a swift TKO victory last Saturday at UFC 121.

Even after the win, Cain had stated in the post-fight press conference that while happy to cinch the victory, he wasn’t completely pleased with his performance.

Whoever knew it would take another Mexican to bring the smile back on Cain’s face, and he did just that when Velasquez appeared as a guest on the “Lopez Tonight” show last night, where he was candid and all smiles.

“Lopez Tonight”, hosted by the infamous George Lopez, had invited the current UFC heavyweight champion on stage in front of a adoring crowd, which may or may not have been of the Mexican persuasion (Southern California…hello).

“Brock said if he won, that he was going to have a traditional burrito and a Corona”, said George with a grinning Velasquez listening closely for the punch line.

“But since you beat Brock Lesnar, I think we should have a traditional American meal. To celebrate the victory, Cain and I are going to have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the nice dressed, talkative Velsaquez? It’s a good change of pace.
Sound off in the comment section below.

Here’s what “The Engineer” had to say over at his official website: “Those of you writing Brock off should consider this. The man walked into the UFC at the top level (who does that?) and won and defended the UFC HWT Belt… He nearly lost his life and he came back and found a way to win… He is a real champion, a real warrior and as long as he keeps training and learning MMA he will continue to be a force… Win or lose he should be respected for being the warrior he is.”

Hindsight being 20-20, it’s easy to kick a guy when he’s down. Many fans are all-too-willing to get their shots in after the fact. I myself received a harsh lesson in humility when I sat back and let the insults fly free following the conclusion of UFC 118, which saw James Toney get demolished by Randy Couture after I had spent quite some time predicting and defending that Toney would win. I know that’s not even close to Brock’s situation, but I can certainly empathize with the man.

One bad performance does not make or break your career! I can’t say it enough, it applies to every Mixed Martial Artist and especially to Lesnar. Lesnar rebounded from his loss to Frank Mir by beating Heath Herring, Randy Couture, avenging his loss to Mir, and submitting Shane Carwin after coming back from a potentially career-ending and life-threatening fight with diverticulitis. And he showed remarkable improvements in each and every single one of those fights before Cain Velasquez ran right through him.

I honestly think Lesnar is being held to an unfair standard, especially when you consider how this has happened to virtually every major UFC star in recent history. No division is immune, no star has not faltered. BJ Penn just got dominated by Frank Edgar. Lyoto Machida was KO’d by Mauricio Rua. Rashad Evans was KO’d by Lyoto Machida. Georges St. Pierre famously lost to Matt Serra. Anderson Silva was dominated by Chael Sonnen. All of those men are still widely considered to be at or near the top of the division, but Brock Lesnar is suddenly done as a Mixed Martial Artist and was never all that good to begin with? Spare me.

I’m not even that huge of a fan of the man, I’m just able to recognize that Lesnar is being held to an unfair standard simply because he’s controversial and a lot of people don’t like him. Lesnar was humble in victory over Shane Carwin, he was humble in defeat against Cain Velasquez. At this point I don’t think anything would convince the anti-Brock cynics to change their opinion on the man. But I can say this: they’ll hate Brock even more (if that’s even possible) once he makes his triumphant return and gets right back into title contention by the time 2011 is over and done with.

And what do you think, fans and friends? What do you make of Shane Carwin’s comments, and Lesnar’s future in the UFC in general?

New UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez was rightfully awarded “Knockout of the Night” for making quick work of former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar. The fight was blissfully brief: both men traded takedowns, then Lesnar got clipped and Cain pounced on him like the monster that he is. Daniel Roberts earned himself $70,000 as well for a great Anaconda Choke on Michael Guymon that Guymon fought bravely against but ultimately tapped to. And finally, Paulo Thiago and Diego Sanchez each got their additional $70,000 as well, as the two men received the “Fight of the Night” award for their fast-paced and very exciting encounter.

I think Cain Velasquez definitely deserved “Knockout of the Night” for his amazing performance against Brock Lesnar. If you recall, I thought Cain would win it by TKO, but I had Lesnar lasting four rounds and succumbing to punches out of fatigue more than anything. Instead, Cain picked his shots, delivered huge power right onto Lesnar’s chin, opened up a massive gash on his cheek, and pounded out the man who famously survived the striking game of Shane Carwin. In an era where “bigger is better”, Velasquez proves that you don’t need to tip the scales at 265 to be a UFC Heavyweight Champion. I wish him all the best and am really looking forward to seeing him defend his championship.

As for Paulo Thiago and Diego Sanchez, I was very impressed by their fight as well. Paulo Thiago always seems to have a problem when it comes to justifying his hype, he’s never truly gotten out of the shadow of his KO win over Josh Koscheck but he’s made some admirable attempts. Diego Sanchez seemed to discover that old fire inside himself in this fight, and I think he earned himself another worthy entry into his highlight reel when he ran screaming across the cage with Paulo Thiago on his shoulders before sending the man crashing down to the mat with a massive slam.

Overall, UFC 121 was a big event and saw some big finishes that were awarded with big bonuses. I’m glad that the UFC’s “Of the Night” bonuses continue to increase, the athletes receiving them usually fully deserve them, and a huge bonus is a great incentive to keep producing entertaining and engaging fights. I think UFC 121 set up quite a lot of fights that will play out in 2011, so I look forward to seeing what the future holds.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think of the UFC 121 fight bonuses, and UFC 121 as a whole?

1. Brock Lesnar is the archetypal “giant with skill”.

Lesnar is a giant among giants; he’s a monster heavyweight in an era where monster heavyweights are becoming increasingly more common. Yet unlike hulking behemoths like Bob Sapp, Lesnar has a huge amount of skill to back up his huge amount of muscles. Despite his loss to Velasquez, Lesnar’s credentials haven’t magically disappeared: he’s still an incredible collegiate wrestler, and he’s still beaten some of the best in the game.

2. Brock Lesnar is a massive Pay-Per-View draw.

Every single one of Lesnar’s last few fights have all been on Pay-Per-View cards that pulled in over a million buys. People are practically falling over themselves in their rush to order a fight card headlined by Lesnar. The UFC knows full well that he’s an incredible cash-cow, and they’re not going to squander the boon they’ve been given. Whether the cynics like it or not, Lesnar is going to be competing in co-main and main events until the fans get tired of him, and with how controversial he always seems to be, I just don’t see that happening anytime soon.

3. Brock Lesnar has seven fights as a professional Mixed Martial Artist.

The man has lost twice and people are already thinking that he should call it a career. Lesnar is thirty-three years old, he’s been competing in MMA for a little over three years. Most people don’t even get into the UFC in the first three years of their career, but Lesnar has climbed the mountain and even defended his UFC championship twice before losing it. I think Lesnar could fight until he’s forty if he wanted to. If Brock Lesnar really wants to stay in the MMA game, there’s virtually nothing preventing him from having a long career as a Mixed Martial Artist.

4. Brock Lesnar usually shows a huge amount of improvement on a fight-by-fight basis.

Losing to Frank Mir motivated Brock Lesnar so much that he came back and immediately ran over everyone in his path. Just imagine what this loss to Velasquez will do for him. I think Lesnar hates losing, and I also think that he’s going to train even harder now that he’s lost twice. Compare his loss to Mir with his first fight after that loss, a huge win over Heath Herring, and it’s like a night-and-day transformation. If Lesnar is able to do that again now that he’s lost again, he’ll be challenging for the title before the year is through.

5. Brock Lesnar can take a punch whether you want to admit it or not.

Brock Lesnar nearly got KO’d by Shane Carwin and got (T)KO’d by Cain Velasquez. Newsflash people: Cain Velasquez has (T)KO’d everyone he’s ever faced except for Cheick Kongo, Shane Carwin had eight wins in twelve fights due to strikes before he met Lesnar. Lesnar’s jaw is not made of glass. He can take a punch, he just has problems taking a bunch of punches from two of the deadliest strikers currently competing in Mixed Martial Arts. This was the first (T)KO loss of Lesnar’s career, let’s wait to see if it happens again before we say that he has no chin.

So that’s my list, fans and friends. Love him or hate him, Brock Lesnar has accomplished a lot in an amazingly short period of time, and he’s done it in the biggest, best, and most competitive MMA organization in the world. But what about you, fans and friends? What do you think the future holds for Lesnar?

Next for Brendan Schaub: In all likelihood it’ll be a rematch with Roy Nelson once Roy Nelson loses to Shane Carwin. I love me some “Big Country”, but I just don’t see him being able to withstand Carwin’s raw punching power, which I think is the pound-for-pound best in the UFC right now. If Nelson does beat Carwin somehow, then Schaub might get another gatekeeper like Cheick Kongo.

Next for Gabriel Gonzaga: Gatekeeper status, as harsh as that sounds. Gonzaga has been hit-or-miss for a long while now, and his performance against Schaub proved that that’s not going to change anytime soon. He’ll always have the Mirko Filipovic KO to look back on, but he’s never again going to be anywhere close to a UFC championship. Even with all that said, though, he’ll probably be a pretty good gatekeeper. I still like Gonzaga, I’m just being a realist when I say that he’s going to be welcoming rookies into the upper echelon or sending them back down the pecking order for quite some time.

Next for Tito Ortiz: Retirement. No more excuses, Tito. Ortiz looked downright bad against Matt Hamill, and with absolutely no disrespect meant to the man, Matt Hamill has never been a top-division fighter. No matter how many corrective surgeries he’s had or how healthy he keeps saying he is, Tito Ortiz hasn’t gotten a good win over a relevant opponent in a long, long, long time. It’s time to pack it in and call it a career before you become your most hated adversary, Ken Shamrock.

Next for Diego Sanchez: It’ll be a trip back down to 155 as earlier reported, but now I can safely say that I think Sanchez will work his way back up to title contention when he cuts to Lightweight once again. Sanchez put on a vintage performance and rejuvenated a career that had honestly begun to stagnate. If we see the Diego Sanchez of UFC 121 show up in the UFC’s Lightweight division as it stands right now, we’re looking at a possible champion.

Next for Jake Shields: It’s already been confirmed that Dana White has made Jake Shields the top contender to the UFC Welterweight Championship. How do I think he’ll do? It depends who he’s facing. I think Jake Shields is a phenomenal fighter that simply made a few mistakes and perhaps let the pressure get to him, which is why he gassed out and barely edged out Martin Kampmann at this event. Whether it’s Georges St. Pierre or Josh Koscheck, I think Shields will once again do a lot better than virtually anyone gives him credit for and perhaps even win the title.

Next for Brock Lesnar: He’ll be back and better than ever, that’s all I can really say right now. Lesnar isn’t done, and he’s still growing by leaps and bounds as a Mixed Martial Artist. In his next fight, we’ll either see a Lesnar with an incredibly improved stand-up game or a Lesnar that does nothing but shoot for a takedown. Either way, I think Lesnar will jump right back into the title picture and may even get another shot at it by the end of 2011.

Next for Cain Velasquez: Junior Dos Santos if we’re talking specifics, getting marketed for everything he’s worth by the UFC if we’re talking in generalities. With how stacked the Heavyweight division has been lately, the UFC is going to milk Cain’s status as the first Mexican UFC Champion for all it’s worth, both because it makes sense and also because he may lose to Dos Santos.

And that’s what I see when I stare into my little crystal ball, fans and friends. What about you? What do you think is next for the winners and losers of UFC 121 “Lesnar vs. Velasquez”?

Brendan Schaub vs. Gabriel Gonzaga: I honestly believe that Schaub is overlooking Gonzaga and is beginning to believe his own hype. There’s no doubt that Schaub is talented, but the fact that he’s already talking about a title shot convinces me that he’s not nearly focused enough on “Napao”, who can still be a major threat to the right opponent. Gonzaga may be a glorified gatekeeper, but he’s got a lot of fight left in him. Expect him to catch Schaub off-guard and get the (T)KO in the second round.

Diego Sanchez vs. Paulo Thiago: I think this is a make-or-break fight for both fighters, although much more for Sanchez. Even if it’s been revealed that Sanchez is dropping back down to Lightweight win or lose, I think that another loss would put his job in serious jeopardy. For Thiago, it’s all about getting the hype train rolling again after Martin Kampmann derailed it. I simply think Sanchez has more experience and wants the win more, but it’s going to be close, so I’m picking Sanchez by Unanimous Decision with 29-28 scores across the board.

Tito Ortiz vs. Matt Hamill: Part of me hates myself for doing this again, but I truly believe Ortiz when he says that he’s back and healthy and better than ever. I think Matt is a good fighter, but he’s consistently proven that he’s just not up to top-level standards. And if Ortiz really is as healthy as he says he is, he’s still a top-level athlete. This is another do-or-die situation, with Ortiz squarely in the cross-hairs. Because he needs it badly and says that he hasn’t felt this good since he went on his historic run as UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, I’m picking Ortiz to win via Unanimous Decision. But if he loses again, and worse yet, if he makes more excuses, Tito Ortiz may as well call it a career.

Jake Shields vs. Martin Kampmann: His performance against Dan Henderson fully converted me; I now consider myself a Jake Shields fan. As such, I’m pulling for him as well as picking him to defeat Kampmann. I think Kampmann will always be a real-life example of “so close and yet so far away”, I see him hovering around the top of the division for the foreseeable future but rarely getting into true title contention. Shields is already a proven champion, so I think he’ll really impress in his UFC debut. I don’t expect him to outright dominate Kampmann, but I do think he’ll finish this fight. I’m picking Jake Shields to submit Martin Kampmann early in the third round.

Cain Velasquez vs. Brock Lesnar: I’ve been favoring Velasquez from the start, and that hasn’t changed. Cain has incredible cardio, serious power, unbreakable will, incredible heart, and trains with one of the most prestigious training camps in Mixed Martial Arts. Lesnar won’t be able to withstand the pace Cain will set and the leather he will throw for what could turn into a five-round fight. I’m still thinking Lesnar gasses out, despite the negative reaction that opinion has been getting. Trust me: Lesnar’s cardio has looked great because he’s controlled the pace for every single one of his fights, other than the Shane Carwin fight where he just absorbed punishment and survived to the end of the round. Cain will push Brock like he’s never been pushed before and tire him out. Look for Cain to nail one last barrage on a weakened and slow Lesnar and get the TKO in the fourth round.

And those are my picks, fans and friends. It’s not final call: who’ve you got for UFC 121 and why?

Stay tuned to Fighters.com for Part 2 of our video interview where we talk about Matt Hughes, Ricardo Almeida, and the upcoming Frankie Edgar v. Gray Maynard lightweight title fight.  Coming soon.

Click through to watch the video.

The following is taken from a press release that has found its way onto several major news and business websites: “Boost Mobile, a leader in the no-contract wireless space with $50 Monthly Unlimited with Shrinkage, is joining forces with UFC®, the world’s fastest growing sports organization, as the official wireless sponsor. To celebrate its entry into the sport, Boost Mobile will present the heavyweight showdown UFC 121, featuring reigning champion Brock Lesnar against undefeated Cain Velasquez on Saturday, Oct. 23, in Anaheim, Calif.”

Bob Stohrer, one of the higher-ups at Boost Mobile, had this to say: “The popularity of UFC has exploded during the past few years, solidifying its position as a mainstream competitive sport. This is an ideal partner for Boost as the sport aligns well with our competitive nature and will give our brand heightened visibility with UFC’s avid and growing fan base.”

For fans who aren’t familiar with the cell phone scene, Boost Mobile is an “urban-themed” cell phone company with a focus on prepaid no-contract phones, and is owned by Sprint. Up until this partnership, Boost Mobile had been a proud sponsor of several MMA fighters, most notably former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson and former MMA fighter, backstreet brawler, and ratings juggernaut Kimbo Slice.

I think this is a smart move for all involved. In particular, I think the UFC made a very wise choice by going with Boost rather than some of the heavy-hitters like Verizon. Despite their rampant popularity and mainstream acceptance, the UFC has maintained a bit of a counter-culture aspect to themselves for their entire history. While the UFC has taken great pains to increase awareness and legitimize Mixed Martial Arts as a sport, they’ve always had this distinct “underground” appeal.

I think signing with Boost Mobile is a further continuation of that trend. The UFC is hip, new, exciting, and growing whether you like it or not. They need a partner that is sleek and slick, maybe not as well known as the other heavy hitters in the game, but one with a definitive brand and appeal. With its focus on looking cool and attracting young well-to-do men and women, Boost Mobile is a perfect partner for the UFC.

I think it’s great to see that the UFC hasn’t stopped their drive for mainstream acceptance even as they amp up their focus on international expansion. While the UFC is on very stable footing in the US right now, their position could always be better. New and interesting partnerships like these will continue to build the UFC brand and allow more men and women access to it. And the best thing about this deal is that it’s strategically sound and makes sense.

So what do you think, fans and friends? Do the benefits of the right demographic and the right image make Boost Mobile a worthy partner to the UFC, or should the UFC had signed to a major, more well-known cell phone company?

The point being, is you can teach a player to shoot, dribble, pass, set picks, play defense, run a fast break, and all the basics of the sport, however you can’t teach a player to get taller.  A seven-foot player has certain abilities and opportunities that are unique to him, such as, easy lay-ups, easy rebounds, passing above the zone D, blocking shots … due to height.

Per MMA, I will now originate a like-minded term…

You can’t teach Brock!

His massive size matched with fast twitch quickness is something you can’t teach or truly train for in the gym.  There is not a coach out there that can properly prep his fighter for Brock Lesnar‘s physical attributes.  Lesnar’s force is able to control the ground game to a disproportionate level.  If another heavyweight, say a Couture or Nogueira, were on top of Cain Velasquez this weekend at UFC 121, he could employ a variety of escape or neutralizing options.  I think v. Brock, Velasquez will quickly experience some panic, on his back, he did not expect which burns energy and may lead to bad decisions altering his game-plan.

Lesnar’s size also plays a role in defending submission holds.  His limbs and torso are so large they make securing an arm or neck that much more difficult.  Lesnar can invalidate some degree of loose Jiu Jitsu with pure power.  Now, Frank Mir did catch him in a leg lock, so, it is not impossible, yet will be harder and harder as Lesnar improves skill wise matched with his bulk.

Every fighter acknowledges Lesnar’s size, but I am not sure they really appreciate it until it may too late.  Velasquez told the media last week he was not able to replicate training for Brock in his camp.  This is a major issue.

“We have good wrestlers in the gym, but nobody his size, the way that he moves. Guys that are big, but not his size, guys with credentials also but not his size.  That is a big factor, but I am confident in the guys we have brought in.”  Again…

You can’t teach Brock!

Velasquez has superior cardio, and possibly stand-up, however, if Lesnar gets him to the ground, there will be little Velasquez has done in camp to prepare him for the size and strength of Lesnar. Opponents don’t find this out till they are in the cage and realize their training partners were not as big, strong or as fast as Brock Lesnar.   Will Velasquez proves me wrong?  He certainly has the right attitude.

“I haven’t faced anybody that size and athletic ability and power.  I am in a position I want to be, the original reason I wanted to fight was to be in this position, to have that belt, fight for the title.  All I have to do is train as hard as I can in the gym, get as much sparring partners as I can that are good wrestlers and make the best of it.  I definitely feel confident in my abilities.”

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What say you… How can Cain Velasquez overcome Brock.  Do you believe in the saying “You Can’t Teach Brock” ???