We're now one major UFC event removed from UFC 141; but let's take a trip back to that time. After Alistair Overeem defeated former WWE star Brock Lesnar and sent him into retirement, well, the haters came out in droves. Many made it sound like Lesnar had been a poor MMA fighter from the outset, perhaps that he was never even an MMA fighter to begin with. Bologna. The fact is that Lesnar accomplished some amazing things in MMA during his short stint in the sport. He was every bit an MMA fighter.
It's easy to forget that Lesnar defeated former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir, MMA legend Randy Couture, top contender Shane Carwin, and former PRIDE fighter Heath Herring. When it comes to Mir and Herring, he did so easily. How many heavyweights can defeat either of those two guys? That's right- you're probably counting on one, maybe one and a half hands now :).
Many point to Lesnar's last three fights, all of which he looked pretty bad on his feet in. Yep, Lesnar was not a very good striker. That said, he did hurt both Herring and Couture on his feet. Besides, that doesn't really matter, does it? Is Lesnar the first fighter to ever be successful with limited striking skills? Matt Hughes, anyone?
Finally, it would seem important to note that Lesnar's least impressive appearances in the Octagon were after his diverticulitis issues started. This is a guy that went through something which would've ended most people's careers in a heartbeat. Yet he still demonstrated enough heart to try three more fights. And finally, his entire career can be summed up in only eight professional bouts. Amazing.
Brock did not prove that professional wrestlers can make the transition to MMA. All he did was reaffirm that a former national champion wrestler could. Was he one of the best of all-time? Not even close. But Lesnar was impressive during his short stint. He wasn't a circus show; he was an MMA fighter.
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