UFC 87 Countdown: Brock Lesnar’s Second Chance
Posted by Dave Walsh on August 6th, 2008
We’ve been here before with Brock Lesnar, and really, we aren’t in any different of a place now than we were when Brock Lesnar met Frank Mir in February. At the time, there was a lot of hype and conjecture surrounding the debut of Lesnar in the UFC. Would Lesnar simply steamroll Frank Mir? Did Lesnar train in every aspect of the game? Is he a natural? Is he a fluke? In the end, what we saw was Lesnar go hard and fast against Mir and make a silly mistake that most fighters with even an ounce of seasoning wouldn’t make: give up your leg to a kneebar and not know how to escape it.
In Lesnar’s debut against professional can Min Soo Kim, he employed a lot of the same, technique-wise; rush in, get him on the ground and try to pound him out. There was an 8-month gap in between the two fights, with Lesnar having a chance to train more in MMA, but even then, he is still very, very new to the sport. It was no surprise to many when Mir caught Lesnar, but a lot of the talk around the time was that Lesnar looked impressive anyway, regardless of not having the basic instincts and submission defense down pat.
So what we have now is Lesnar heading into a fight with the very experienced Heath Herring. While Mir catching Lesnar with a kneebar struck people more as a fluke than Mir being crafty and skilled, what would Heath Herring choking out or knocking Brock Lesnar out do for his career? I think it is safe to assume that if he cannot overcome Herring, we might not see Lesnar in UFC again for quite a while. Also, knowing Lesnar, if this doesn’t work out for him and work out for him fast, there is a chance he might abandon it altogether for something new.
While Herring isn’t the greatest heavyweight in the world, Lesnar has a lot more to fear than simply planting a kiss on him before the fight and getting knocked out before the bell. Herring, while not on the same level as Brock, is still a competant wrestler, and early on found a way to work in a decent submission game to go with the wrestling. On top of that, Herring has proven that he has knockout power in his hands and the ability to throw a kick. Everybody was counting Herring out in the fight with Nogueira until early on he planted Nog with a high kick, only his failure to follow-up and finish Nog off kept the fight going. Nogueira then held out and did enough to pull off the decision against Herring, but it is hard to not be impressed with Herring almost ruining Nogueira’s soon-to-be title reign.
While a lot is uncertain, there are a few certainties: Heath Herring will continue on if he loses to Lesnar, and Lesnar will get paid a lot of money win or lose.
August 6th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
One kibble: I don’t think Herring has much power in his hands. I don’t think he’s ever knocked out a decent fighter standing with punches and I don’t really remember him wobbling anyone either. Plus, his technique is awful, though obviously still probably better than Lesnar.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Well, he has enough power to knock out an unprepared dude before the bell rings. I think a barrage of shots from Herring could be dangerous for Lesnar, unless Lesnar has developed some good stand up all of a sudden (it is possible). If it were anybody else I’d probably talk about Herring like a hack, but Lesnar is so untested.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
When did Herring become a competent wrestler?
August 6th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Man, you gotta hype a crummy fight somehow. You should know that, Mr. Thesis.
August 6th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Herring is a solid pro with plenty of experience. There’s nothing wrong with him as a fighter. He’s also beaten wrestlers with similar credentials as Lesnar.
August 7th, 2008 at 12:19 am
This is what I’m saying. When I sat down and actually looked at this fight, it was hard to just say, “Well, Herring is screwed.” Honestly, he isn’t. Everybody likes to dog him because he wasn’t beating the PRIDE elite. Well, who really has beaten the PRIDE elite? Other than the JOB fight he has been solid in UFC.
August 7th, 2008 at 1:43 am
And that dude just kept taking him down! What a puss.