Lesnar TKO's Couture to become UFC Heavyweight Champ

Randy Couture is human after all.  After a competitive first round against behemoth Brock Lensar, Couture ate a big right hand to the temple from the former WWE champion that put him down hard.  Lesnar immediately followed up with what UFC announcer Joe Rogan dubbed “the hammer fists from Hell”, and referee Mario Yamasaki had no alternative but to stop the fight.  A stunned UFC 91 crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena could only produce a smattering of boos as Lesnar was named the new UFC heavyweight champion.

Ultimately, Brock Lesnar’s almost unimaginable combination of size, strength, speed and agility proved too much for the 45 year old Couture.  To his credit, “The Natural” gave Lesnar everything he wanted in a closely contested first round.  Lesnar likely won that frame based on a successful takedown, but Couture defended against several others and got the better of his younger opponent in the striking exchanges. 

The tide of the battle changed quickly in the second, however, as Lesnar took control from the outset with a hard elbow shot that visibly wobbled his opponent.  Couture managed to recover from that, and opened a cut above Lesnar’s right eye during a punching exchange.  Just as it appeared that the fight was on the verge of becoming a “war of attrition”, the end came with startling suddenness.  A big overhand right caught Couture on the temple and sent him crashing to the canvas.  Lesnar quickly pressed his advantage via an assault of hammer fists that gave Couture no opportunity to recover.  After a series of uncontested strikes from Lesnar’s “canned ham sized” hands, the fight was stopped.

Lesnar will now meet the winner of the UFC 92 matchup between “Interim Champion” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Frank Mir sometime in early 2009.  Both are potentially dangerous matchups for him due to their Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills and vastly superior submission knowledge.  Mir defeated Lesnar in his UFC debut by exploiting a “rookie mistake” than enabled him to gain a submission via kneebar in a fight he was losing badly.  Nogueira’s BJJ skills are equal, if not superior, to Mir’s—plus he’s vastly more experienced having fought the best in the world including Fedor Emelianenko, Josh Barnett and Mirko “Cro Cop”.

His relative inexperience notwithstanding, however, Lesnar proved tonight that he’s a legitimate MMA fighter.  In his previous fight against rugged vet Heath Herring he demonstrated a newfound patience and methodical commitment to his tactical fight plan that cost him his fight against Mir.  This quality was on display again tonight, as he never grew impatient or frustrated by Couture’s solid takedown defense or superior striking skills.  He still has a lot to learn as a fighter but has already demonstrated an impressive ability to do so.  His physical gifts, obviously, are unlike anything that has been seen in the sport to date.