Four Reasons Brock Lesnar Shouldn’t Be Fighting Mark Hunt

We are all excited to see former UFC heavyweight champion and WWE superstar Brock Lesnar return to mixed martial arts, there’s no denying that. Even if you aren’t particularly a fan of Lesnar from his first stint as a fighter or from his pro wrestling career, you have to admit that seeing the powerhouse that once ruled the division within four pro fights is going to be an epic spectacle, especially given the importance of the July 9 card he’ll return on.

UFC 200 is stacked to the gills with great fights in multiple weight classes, with title fights at light-heavyweight, interim featherweight and women’s bantamweight. The promotion is clearly attempting to repeat the success of UFC 100, which also featured Lesnar in his rematch with Frank Mir, by cramming all their available talent in to an action packed night in Sin City.

In a strange twist it’s the non-title co-main event between Brock Lesnar and Mark Hunt that really has people losing their minds, as the highly anticipated heavyweight burner is easily overshadowing the rematch between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones for the light-heavyweight strap.

But for all the thrills and spills of Lesnar’s return and his already colorful battle of words with ‘The Super Samoan,’ there stands out a number of issues regarding this fight.

Continue to find out four reasons why Brock Lesnar really shouldn’t fight Mark Hunt at UFC 200…

continue…

One Punch Knockout Power

Although Mark Hunt may not be the most technical volume striker in the UFC, he is undoubtedly the most powerful puncher the heavyweight division has to offer. To put that statement in to perspective, he was the first man in the UFC to knock out Roy Nelson, who’s chin is regarded as one of the best in MMA history. What’s one fact we know about Lesnar? He really does not like getting punched in the face.

A single strike from the powerful ‘Super Samoan’ shattered Stefan Struve’s jaw when they fought, as the king of the walk off KO posses legitimately unnatural power in both hands.

As if this point alone wasn’t enough, there’s more…

continue…

Actual Fight Experience

Mark Hunt is obviously well known among modern MMA fans for his exploits and highlight reel finishes in the UFC, but he’s been around the block in terms of combat sports. A veteran of 23 mixed martial arts bouts but also 43 kickboxing matches makes Hunt perhaps the most experienced heavyweight on the current UFC roster. Lesnar, in comparison, has eight MMA contests, three of which he lost (one submission, two by strikes).

Hunt was the 2001 K-1 world GP champion, and has fought nine times in mixed martial arts since the last time Lesnar graced the UFC octagon. Even the WWE star himself admitted that fighting shape is a world away from being in shape for pro wrestling, and let’s not even start on the comparison between USADA and the reportedly less than air tight drug testing in the WWE.

Next!

continue…

‘Easier’ Fights

There are of course no easy fights in the UFC, but for a guy like Lesnar who’s strengths lay on the opposite side of the striking game in general, there are perhaps many more ‘attractive’ fights for the WWE superstar that don’t include Mark Hunt. One glance at the current heavyweight rankings will tell you that pretty much everyone has better striking than Lesnar, but it’s the UFC, they could have brought anyone in and made it a marketable fight.

After all, it’s Brock Lesnar, the very man that paved the way to the UFC’s biggest PPV hit of that generation, the already wildly popular sports star who could effortlessly bring millions of eyeballs to the UFC’s screens. Why put him against someone who possesses that overly dangerous striking game, or maybe that’s the whole point?

And finally…

continue…

USADA

OK, so perhaps this is a little bit of a taboo subject, but we’ll tackle it regardless. The WWE has a drug testing regime, but many regard as entirely sub standard next to the United States Anti Doping policies in place under the UFC banner. The point of this debate is not that Lesnar isn’t allowed to ‘juice,’ but rather the risks it places his fight with Hunt and the UFC 200 card under.

The loss of such a huge PPV draw from the UFC 200 card could potentially be devastating, so this is less about the fact he’s fighting Mark Hunt, and more about the card he faces ‘The Super Samoan’ on. We know that USADA and the UFC gave Lesnar a waiver from the standard four-month pre fight testing rule, so take that as you will.

What we do know is that Lesnar was tested this past week, as he is now eligible to be subject to random screens, and the results will be made public this coming week. A failure could prove devastating, and let’s be frank about this, the testing nowadays is far more in depth and probing than the former UFC heavyweight champion has ever been subject to in the past.

Finally, enjoy this: