The Doggy Bag: Analyzing Carano-Cyborg

Undertaking Lesnar

The thing I'm wondering about is that everywhere Brock is talked about as this total freakish physical specimen. I don’t get it; he's big and pretty fast, but he’s not as big as Mark "Undertaker" Callaway, [Bill] Goldberg or many other wrestling superstars, and many of them are just as fast and physical as Brock.

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I could also count endless amounts of strongmen, bodybuilders, and NFL guys that are much bigger than Brock and run the [40-yard-dash] insanely fast.

Brock is huge in the UFC, because of the weight limit, which leads me to my next question ... what is the reasoning behind the UFC weight limit? I'd like to see Brock fight some other physical freak in Bob Sapp-like proportions that isn't clueless in the ring.
-- Birgir in Iceland

Mike Fridley, managing editor: Thanks for writing in and congrats for saving yourself with some strong points. I was a bit worried at first that you might get chewed up in response to your pro wrestling inquiries.

In regards to your question about the 265-pound heavyweight limit imposed by the UFC and most commissions in the U.S., I feel that MMA currently lacks a fighter worth watching over 265 lbs.

Unless you’re anxiously waiting to see Lesnar clash with the likes of Eric “Butterbean” Esch and “Zuluzinho,” this isn’t even a discussion at this point.

While I personally know nothing about the Undertaker or any other “workers,” I totally agree that Lesnar’s athleticism is not worth comparing to the beasts of the NFL and other pro sports.

Lesnar is no Orlando Pace. He’s strong, but he’s no Albert Haynesworth, Demarcus Ware, Ray Lewis or Antonio Gates.

Yes, Lesnar is a freak. He’s big, he’s explosive and he uses his assets well for such an inexperienced fighter. His title as UFC heavyweight champion says as much.

But let’s throw caution to the wind and look at the big picture. He overwhelmed a washed up Heath Herring and a 45-year-old man in Randy Couture. I don’t exactly remember him throwing “The Natural” around, either. As a matter of fact, didn’t Lesnar grip the fence to avoid being taken down by the old man?

When comparing the Minnesotan athletically to other heavyweights on the UFC roster, he undoubtedly stands near the top of the heap with Cain Velasquez, no doubt. But let’s not forget that the sport of mixed martial arts is in its teething stages.

As the sport progresses, we’ll see more Lesnars, Carlton Haselrigs and Velasquezes introduced to the fold. One of these days, as purses continue to rise, I imagine we’ll even see an athlete on the level of Gale Sayers or Lawrence Taylor -- a fighter who changes the game forever and shapes the next generation of sportsmen who play it.

Lesnar isn’t an athlete that comes around once in a lifetime. He’s the flavor of the month with an expiration date pegged for a meeting with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

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