The question of whether or not Brock Lesnar can actually fight was firmly put to rest Saturday night when the hulking superstar laid a devastating beating on former heavyweight champ Frank Mir, avenging his only career loss thus far. Love him or hate him, Dana White wasn’t kidding when he said Lesnar could be the greatest heavyweight champion of all time. So what’s next for the former pro wrestling star? Does anyone stand a chance of taking his belt? There are currently three options out there, all interesting matches and by no means easy fights.
Cain Velasquez (6-0-0) Velasquez is a rising star in the heavyweight division, going undefeated so far in six professional bouts. His dominating performance over top contender Cheick Kongo was a clear sign that he is truly among the elite of his division, although it did expose some holes in his game. Velasquez was rocked twice by Kongo and looked to be at a distinct disadvantage on his feet. He was able to control Kongo with his wrestling for most of the fight; however, he will not be able to do this against Lesnar. Like Mir, Velasquez will also give up a significant size advantage to the champion, as he only weighs in at about 240 lbs. Velasquez certainly has a plethora of potential, but whether or not he’s ready to challenge for the title is unknown. Velasquez is set to fight Shane Carwin at UFC 104 to determine who the number one contender is.
Shane Carwin (11-0-0), Carwin may have the best chance of any fighter currently on the UFC roster of dethroning the heavyweight champion. Carwin also possesses an extensive wrestling background and unlike his counterparts he would not give up a significant size advantage to Lesnar, weighing in at 265 lbs. He also has devastating stand up as displayed in his last bout with top contender Gabriel Gonzaga. None of Carwin’s bouts have made it out of the first round and he should be considered the favorite in his upcoming fight with Cain Velasquez. Should he win his next fight a title shot for Carwin will definitely be i n the near future.
Fedor Emelianenko (30-1-1). It’s the fight that everyone wants. Despite never competing in the UFC, the Russian Sambo fighter is widely regarded as the best heavyweight fighter in the world. He has beaten a who’s who of heavyweight contenders including Heath Herring, Tim Sylvia, Andrei Arlovski, Mirko Cro Cop, Mark Coleman (twice) and Minotauro Nogueira (twice) and hasn’t lost a fight since 2001. Hard core fight fans have been salivating for years at the prospect of the former Pride champ coming over to the UFC, but unfortunately it has never materialized. Despite Dana White’s previous indifference about Fedor fighting in the UFC, White has made it clear that he will be pulling out all the stops to try and arrange a super fight between the two stars when his contract runs out after his August 1st bout with Josh Barnett. The fight would be arguably the biggest in both fighters’ careers and would certainly determine who the best heavyweight fighter in the world is.
Lesnar has certainly emerged as one of the UFC’s most marketable stars and biggest draws, but his legacy will be determined in his next few fights. Will he just be another heavyweight champion , holding a brief moment of glory before being knocked off his pedestal by another up and comer, or will he prove to be one of the greatest heavyweights to ever compete and go on to dominate his division for several years?
Only time will tell.
