UFC 131 will feature a main event between heavyweights Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos, to solidify a No. 1 contender for the UFC heavyweight title.
Dos Santos has steamrolled through every opponent in the Octagon thus far, earning four knockouts, one submission and a decision victory. His superior stand-up game is arguably the best in the heavyweight division and he possesses knockout power in both of his hands.
However none of his opponents carry the size and athleticism that Lesnar holds, making the 265 lb behemoth a much more difficult test for the Brazilian than anyone he has faced.
Lesnar’s sheer size and athleticism is something to behold.
But despite his athleticism, one of Lesnar’s flaws just happens to be Dos Santos’ biggest strength: striking. Obviously, Dos Santos’ intention will be to keep the fight on the feet and expose Lesnar, but ultimately it will be Lesnar dictating where the fight goes, and considering he holds a sixty percent take down success rate, it is possible to see this bout contested on the ground before anywhere else.
And if this bout takes place on the ground, will Dos Santos be the fighter who becomes exposed?
The Brazilian has claimed in past interviews that he holds good Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills under the tutelage of his mentor, Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira, and while he might have not shown his ground skills yet, he did show good scrambling technique in his bout vs. Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC Versus. Gonzaga also happens to hold some of the best ground game in mixed martial arts.
It is been said that Dos Santos displays very good technique and movement in his hips, providing him with more torque in extending his striking and to help him maneuver off of the ground. But given Lesnar’s strength and size, one cannot help but wonder if Dos Santos has enough strength to prevent the former heavyweight champion from taking him to the canvas, and if he does take Dos Santos down repeatedly, will Lesnar’s imposing figure and superior grappling skills overwhelm and tire him out?
Now standing at 6’3″ and weighing at 240 lbs, Dos Santos will not be a push over against the former NCAA Division 1 wrestler, but it’s evident in Lesnar’s bout against Frank Mir at UFC 100, that his physical stature is overwhelming and difficult to compete against. Lesnar controlled Mir and imposed his size, along with his positional dominance, frustrating his opponent en route to a second-round TKO victory.
There is no doubt Lesnar is a dominant figure and his superior strength, size and athleticism certainly provides difficulty for his opponents to deal with, but if Dos Santos is able to avoid the ground as much as possible, then he is likely to expose Lesnar on the feet.
However Dos Santos’ ground game and cardio is questionable, and against a formidable opponent like Lesnar, this bout could expose some holes in the Brazilian’s arsenal as well.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com