You have to admire the passion Brock Lesnar has for mixed martial arts.
He’s battled back from a brutal defeat to Cain Velasquez in October 2010, surgery shortly thereafter and two setbacks due to diverticulitis.
But Lesnar‘s headline bout against kickboxing powerhouse Alistair Overeem on Friday night at UFC 141 won’t end well for him. In fact, it won’t last past the first round.
Lesnar is not only rusty; his fights in 2010 showed that he does not handle heavy strikers well at this point in his career, being unable to cover up sufficiently or counter effectively. On top of that, Overeem hasn’t been nicknamed “Demolition Man” for nothing. Three of his last four victories have come via knockout.
It’s not like Lesnar doesn’t have a chance in this bout. His sheer size and strength, as well as his exceptional wrestling skills, always make him a threat.
But if Lesnar can’t avoid Overeem’s power shots, he’s not going to have a chance to take Overeem to the mat; he’ll be on the mat himself.
Against a striker like Overeem, you really have to be careful, and his kickboxing can be absolutely devastating for opponents. Lesnar is simply not the type of fighter at this stage in his career to be able to steer clear of Overeem’s barrages.
In reality, I am hoping that Lesnar wins this fight. I admire him for his dedication to the sport and insistence that he won’t go back to the WWE. There is no question where Lesnar’s heart lies, and you have to respect that.
But, sadly, Overeem would have to come into the fight severely unprepared and unfocused for Lesnar to win this fight.
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