Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez: A Breakdown of Their Future Rematch on Astini News
Brock Lesnar's UFC heavyweight title reign came to a screeching halt in Anaheim, California on October 23, 2010.
The challenger, Cain Velasquez, assaulted Lesnar with a myriad of indefensible strikes chopping the fortress of a man down to his foundation, ultimately leaving Lesnar in a pool of his own blood.
Bloodied, beaten, battered; Lesnar peered into the eyes of the man who had stripped him of his belt.
This memory of looking up to an elated Velasquez should be permanently imprinted into the psyche of Lesnar. A vision of championship dominance hovered proudly over Lesnar as the former champion attempted to gain his bearings and pick up his once dominant career.
Fast forward to UFC 141 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 30, and Lesnar will have his opportunity to reestablish himself as one of the top heavyweights in the UFC. The only one standing in his way is the former Strikeforce and K-1 champion, Alistair Overeem.
If Lesnar can defeat "The Reem," he will position himself within clear title contention and should deserve a chance to fight for the belt.
Now, let us flip the script.
On November 12, current UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez will defend his title against the hard-hitting Brazilian, Junior dos Santos.
If Velasquez is victorious in his first title defense and Lesnar earns a victory over Overeem, UFC president Dana White will surely align a rematch between these two men.
It is no secret that Lesnar epitomizes the term genetic freak. Tapping into his God-given strength, power and explosiveness, this 280-pound behemoth saunters around the Octagon displaying herculean feats of athleticism that only Lesnar can perform.
With that said, Lesnar has transitioned his talents into a successful wrestling pedigree, yet lacks the balance of a well-versed stand-up striking game.
Lesnar's skill set is very one-dimensional. Without the ability to execute solid striking combinations on his feet, his stand-up game is a liability.
This liability was exposed in their first matchup in Anaheim, and unless Lesnar has elevated his deficiencies in his striking, this liability will once again be exposed in a rematch with Velasquez.
Velasquez is an excellent striker who utilizes a non-traditional mixture of punches and kicks to pick apart his opposition.
Fluid and graceful on his feet, Velasquez displays the footwork of a middleweight, yet he is more than 240 pounds.
Additionally, with six (T)KO victories within the UFC, the current champion possesses a reservoir of tremendous power and the ability to finish his fights.
The innate talent to stick and move while minimizing any residual damage is a skill that cannot be overlooked. And Cain Velasquez possesses this Muhammed Ali-esque talent.
He creates his own striking angles, yet gracefully avoids counter-strikes all while delivering vicious damage to his opposition.
Velasquez's skill set is still superior to that of Lesnar's. A rematch for the championship will result in the same fate for Lesnar. His liability on his feet will once again prove to be Lesnar's Achilles heel.
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