Breaking Down UFC 121: Brock Lesnar Vs Cain Velasquez

Added on Oct 23, 2010 by John Petit in

UFC & MMA

The 8-0 Cain Velasquez has only been to the judges score card once in his career, and that was the only time his opponent survived to make it until the 3rd round. Velasquez knows how to put fist to face with devastating success, and to over look his hand speed and his ability to find ‘the button’ would be a grave error for any opponent. Velasquez not only posses the ability to KO any human on the planet, but he also enjoys a decent wrestling pedigree. The 2005 Pac-10 Conference Wrestler of the Year knows how to control people on the floor, and is a purple belt in Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu, Dave Camarillo’s style of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. We never get to see his skills on the ground though, because his opponents have the difficulty of staying conscious before it goes there. You won’t hear anyone say about Cain that “We just need to take him down, and submit him.”

Brock Lesnar had to overcome plenty of obstacles to win his last fight with Shane Carwin. He had to go through a year lay off, a few surgeries, and a solid punch that dropped him like a hammer in a lake. The only word I could use describe Lesnar is Specimen. He looks like a feat of years of lab work to create a superhuman with muscles. His only loss is to BJJ expert Frank Mir, who was losing, until he threw up the Hail Marry ankle lock that finished Brock. The 5-1 Lesnar is an imposing fighter, and his an ability to keep his composure in the cage, which seems ironic because some fighters and trainers call him green. Then there is his wrestling. Brock is probably the best wrestler the heavyweight division has ever seen, and if his hands catch up to his wrestling ability, then we will see heavyweight fighters sawing off limbs to fight at 205 until he retires. Lesnar finished his amateur wrestling as a two-time NJCAA All-American, 1998 NJCAA Heavyweight Champion, two-time NCAA All-American, two-time Big Ten Conference Champion, and the 2000 NCAA heavyweight champion with a record of 106–5 overall in four years of college. If Brock gets you to the floor of the Octagon, there is a good chance you will be there until he lets you up, or the round ends.

This would be the classic case of striker vs grappler if both guys didn’t have such solid wrestling, and the ability to put people away with the hands. Cain has the advantage standing up, and Brock has it on the ground. Cain’s strength in this fight, besides his hands, is his speed. Cain has the ability to move like 205 pounder, and if he can ‘strike and bike’ Brock, and not get taken down-he could be the man to put away Brock Lesnar. Brock needs to do what Brock does well. Brock needs to smother Cain and not give him the distance to throw hard strikes. Ideally, Brock needs to put his weight on Cain, and make him carry around that 265lbs early in the fight, and take some wind out of Cain’s sails.

I see this fight going to the third round, and I see Cain landing that shot sends Lesnar to the floor. Cain will close in and finish Lesnar via TKO.