Brock Lesnar signs with UFC |
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ohiostate1016
MMA Sensei
Career record: 126-89
Season: 43-27 (#1331)
Location: Columbus, OH
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THIS IS RIGHT FROM THE PAGES OF ufc.com:
Cincinnati, Ohio (USA) – International superstar Brock Lesnar has already achieved high grades for his transition from pro wrestling to mixed martial arts. Now the former NCAA Champion and four-time All-American is ready for the next step in his career - taking on the best heavyweights in the world in the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) organization.
UFC President Dana White announced the signing of Lesnar to a promotional contract during the pay-per-view broadcast of UFC 77 at the US Bank Arena.
“I don’t think there are any other pro wrestlers that can make the transition to MMA, except for Brock Lesnar,” said White. “And if you look at his amateur wrestling credentials, his size, and what he’s done, this guy can end up being a force in the heavyweight division of the UFC.”
“If you want to go with the NFL of the fighting game, it’s the UFC, and it was an easy choice for me,” said Lesnar. “Obviously I don’t think I’m ready for a title shot right away, but I will be there, and I’m not gonna turn down any opponent because I’m here to prove myself. I’m not here to pick and choose my fights. I’ll fight whomever they want. I don’t make the fights; that’s not my job. I’ve got one job to do and that’s to fight.”
The date and opponent for Lesnar’s UFC debut will be revealed in the near future.
A native of Webster, South Dakota who now makes his home in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, the 6 foot 3 ½ , 265 pound Lesnar first made a name for himself as a wrestler at Webster High School, compiling a 33-0 record in his senior year. This success eventually led him to Bismarck State College and the University of Minnesota, where he was a four-time All American, two-time Big Ten Champion, a second place finisher in the 1999 NCAA Championships, and the 2000 NCAA National Champion.
After finishing his college career with an astounding 106-5 record, Lesnar became a household name as a professional wrestler, and even had a short stint in the NFL® with the Minnesota Vikings.
In 2007 though, Lesnar was in need of a new challenge in his life, and he turned to mixed martial arts, where world-class wrestlers like himself have had enormous success throughout the sport’s history. On June 2, 2007, Lesnar made his long-awaited MMA debut and took only 69 seconds to destroy Min Soo Kim with strikes that led to a submission.
Lesnar’s signing to the UFC bolsters a talent-rich heavyweight division that includes former PRIDE heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo ‘Minotauro’ Nogueira, Cheick Kongo, former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia, Brandon Vera, Gabriel Gonzaga, Mirko Cro Cop, Fabricio Werdum and Heath Herring.
[i]What I think:
I think that there is no way that Brock Lesnar should be in the UFC. I know he dominated Min Soo Kim, but that was his FIRST pro fight. I think this was an example of Dana White signing someone on drawing ability, and I'm not sure that I like that. Actually, I am sure. I don't like that.[/i]
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Post #1 10/21/07 10:21:45AM
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Twenty20Dollars
MMA Sensei
Career record: 168-91
Season: 47-23 (#640)
Location: KC,MO
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Im excited to see him in the UFC.
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Post #2 10/21/07 10:26:31AM
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MaxUFC
Learning to Sprawl
Career record: 179-142
Season: 41-26 (#1754)
Location: Northeast Coast
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Brock will kick bottom half of UFC HW fighters! Good to see him to earn his desire to face real competition sport than pro wrestling. I respects him to take less paid to fight real one instead good paid to fight fake one.
Anyone don't like him in UFC that most likely not know Couture, Coleman, Hendo came from their college wrestling.
Last edited 10/21/07 11:19AM by MaxUFC
Edit note/reason: n/a
3 total post edits
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Post #3 10/21/07 11:13:27AM
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ohiostate1016
MMA Sensei
Career record: 126-89
Season: 43-27 (#1331)
Location: Columbus, OH
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I'm not saying that Lesnar won't be good, I'm just saying that maybe he should have more than one pro fight before he gets a UFC contract. Dana White wouldn't sign Kurt Angle becuase Angle refused to fight in the WEC for his first few fights. Maybe that's what they'll do w/ Lesnar, but the headlines say that Lesnar signed a UFC contract, not a WEC contract. I just don't think he's ready.
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Post #4 10/21/07 11:41:17AM
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Sir_Karl
MMA Regular
Career record: 152-82
Season: 45-25 (#760)
Location: The Empire State
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He will be fine. His first few fights in the UFC will be "warm ups", in which he will more than likely win. By the time he has to face a "real" opponent it will be a year or two down the road.
Lesnar is a physical machine. Size and strength alone is a valuable asset in the cage, Brock certainly has that, not to mention a stellar "legitimate" wrestling background which is immensely valuable in the cage.
I do also believe there is far more to his signing than "star power" alone.
Besides the Middleweight division, the Heavyweight division is the weakest division in the UFC, and is in dire need of more fighters.
Not too get off the subject, but I feel the UFC needs to restructure it's divisions.
The reason the MW and HW divisions are lacking has to do with male body sizes and the frequency in which they exist in the world.
The MW and HW divisions will never be as "deep" as the LHW and WW divisions.
Back to the subject....I believe given the proper fights, time and training, Brock Lesnar can be a contender in the UFC.
No matter what, the "right" people believe he has the credentials to fight in the UFC.
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Post #5 10/21/07 12:16:05PM
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The best kicker in the world
Career record: 170-89
Season: 37-18 (#2479)
Location: Regina SK
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Can he make weight? I realy don't see him beating strikers, and BJJ guys, but I think he would beat 99% of the wrestlers.
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"Fall down 7 times, get up 8" - Japanese proverb.
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Post #6 10/21/07 12:43:52PM
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gspgnp
MMA Regular
Career record: 110-64
Season: 0-0 (#-)
Location: Manitoba, Canada
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I don't like Lesnar by any means and I know he only has 1 fight against a sub .500 fighter, but the fact of the matter is that he belongs in the UFC simply because win or lose, he is going to draw a ton of curious fans over from the WWF and he will sell a ton of PPV's. Sounds like a smart investment on the UFC's part to me. I know I will watch his fights simply to cheer against him,(although I order every PPV anyway)
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Post #7 10/21/07 1:36:49PM
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MaxOne
MMA Regular
Career record: 121-92
Season: 24-29 (#4780)
Location: San Diego
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Posted by ohiostate1016
I'm not saying that Lesnar won't be good, I'm just saying that maybe he should have more than one pro fight before he gets a UFC contract. Dana White wouldn't sign Kurt Angle becuase Angle refused to fight in the WEC for his first few fights. Maybe that's what they'll do w/ Lesnar, but the headlines say that Lesnar signed a UFC contract, not a WEC contract. I just don't think he's ready.
somebody else would have picked him up though....that was strategic.
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Post #8 10/21/07 1:52:38PM
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Eazy_V
Learning to Sprawl
Career record: 92-73
Season: 17-13 (#5948)
Location: St. Louis, MO
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Posted by ohiostate1016
I'm not saying that Lesnar won't be good, I'm just saying that maybe he should have more than one pro fight before he gets a UFC contract. Dana White wouldn't sign Kurt Angle becuase Angle refused to fight in the WEC for his first few fights. Maybe that's what they'll do w/ Lesnar, but the headlines say that Lesnar signed a UFC contract, not a WEC contract. I just don't think he's ready.
I think the difference there is that Angle wants to fight in MMA in between staying active in professional wrestling. Meanwhile Lesnar has shown a commitment to MMA. Or as much of a commitment as you can expect from someone who went from amatuer wrestling to pro wrestling to pro football to mixed martial arts.
That said, I think Lesnar has a very good chance of being a successful HW regular. I wouldn't bet on him ever wearing the gold, but I think he'll score his fair share of victories - if he sticks with it.
Last edited 10/21/07 2:06PM by Eazy_V
Edit note/reason: n/a
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Post #9 10/21/07 1:56:59PM
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J-Love08
Learning to Sprawl
Career record: 144-109
Season: 22-16 (#5590)
Location: Perry, FL
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Although Lesnar has only one mma fight, its good to see him in the Ufc. He should be there. The guy is a beast. If he matches his potential and fights here the way he beat the brakes off of Kim, he'll be a contender after awhile.
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Post #10 10/21/07 2:20:40PM
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icrazysob
Learning to Sprawl
Career record: 102-49
Season: 0-0 (#-)
Location: The 516..ha ha
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There is a huge difference in Angle and Lesnar, one of them has had issues with drugs and is I believe over 10 years older then the other one and one of them is a guy who has trained mma for close to two years now, is healthy and in good shape and has youth on his side, and is devoted to just mma
I seriously can't understand anyone with a problem with this Lesnar signing, I don't think Ufc heads saw this any different then any other pro fighter with a ton of promise except Lesnar is a big draw and I'm sure has been offered contracts elsewhere so it was just a business move that imo had nothing to do with any other fighter coming in or leaving
Joking aside considering I know Lesnar is out of his mind and thinks he can compete with top guys right now..I think a great match up for the big super bowl card would be him vs Cro Cop..why I say this is because obviously it's a big draw..and it's win win for ufc imo ..if Cro Cop comes in and kicks Brocks head off then they can try and build off Mirko again, and if Brock comes in and holds Cro Cop down for 3 rounds or gnp's him ..then they can build him, no pun intended as the next big thing lol
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Post #11 10/21/07 2:53:08PM
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NatedawgThaM
MMA Sensei
Career record: 150-91
Season: 44-24 (#1353)
Location: New Providence, Pa
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NO! This is just a publicity stunt. I'm disappointed in the UFC. This guy has had 1 fight against a nobody. He's going to be the Sean Sherk of the UFC HW division expect he'll have the pro wrestling fan base,
He'll take you down and overhwlem you with strength but thats Sherks LNP style...
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Post #12 10/21/07 3:07:13PM
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ohiostate1016
MMA Sensei
Career record: 126-89
Season: 43-27 (#1331)
Location: Columbus, OH
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Some people are on either side of the fence of this thing, but I'm not on either extreme. I don't think that Lesnar should be in the UFC right at this moment, but the UFC made a good move in getting him signed. There is so much turmoil and so much money in MMA right now that it's very possible that another 'top' (if that's possible) org could have came after Brock. Mark Cuban has almost unlimited resources, and the new owners of orgs like M-1 and the old owners of other orgs are serious about competing w/ the UFC. It's a tough call, but I'll never doubt Dana White. He made the UFC.
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Post #13 10/21/07 4:18:19PM
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bjj1605
Learning to Sprawl
Career record: 122-83
Season: 42-28 (#969)
Location: Chicago
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i can't wait, he's big and he's got great wrestling credentials. Why wouldn't the UFC want him? I think he can be a serious threat, and if he's not, no big loss, drop the contract.
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Post #14 10/21/07 4:50:06PM
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The best kicker in the world
Career record: 170-89
Season: 37-18 (#2479)
Location: Regina SK
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I personally think he'll become the sean sherk of the HW div. Once he realizes how hard Cro Cop, Hunt, Tim, Kongo, and all of those guys hit, he'll just take em down and lay n pray.
_______________________________________
"Fall down 7 times, get up 8" - Japanese proverb.
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Post #15 10/21/07 5:03:37PM
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