In his first encounter within the realm of MMA, Brock Lesnar demonstrated his prowess swiftly. His debut into MMA, preceding his signing with the UFC in 2008, happened at the Hero’s Dynamite!! USA event. The event, organized by a Japanese MMA promotion, took place in Los Angeles in June 2007. The headline was the Lesnar’s combat against the practiced judoka, Kim Min-soo, hailing from South Korea.
Undeterred by the fact that it was his first entry into the MMA scene, Lesnar displayed an impressive start. Contrarily, Min-soo was an Olympic silver medallist who brought with him record of 7 pro MMA fights (with 2 wins and 5 losses) under his provision. However, his accrued experience seemed meaningless in the contest with Lesnar, as he found himself on his back within the first ten seconds of the match.
Securing an early takedown, Lesnar advanced fearlessly, passing guard without difficulty. He initiated a relentless assault of punches on his opponent who was forced into a defensive state on the ground. Responding to the aggressive onslaught, Min-soo behaved like a caught fish, desperately grasping for survival. In a surprising turn of events, he tapped out, succumbing to the strikes just past the minute-mark of the first round.
It is worth noting that surrendering to ground and pound is an unusual sight in MMA. This outcome tends to be perceived as a testament to a fighter’s power, and in this case, attested to the brute strength that Lesnar brought to the ring. In such a short span, the overwhelmed Min-soo discerned the direction in which the fight was heading and opted for a safe exit to evade severe injury.
Lesnar’s compelling performance could not go unnoticed, and sure enough, it caught Dana White’s attention. In a matter of six months, the towering WWE superstar turned MMA fighter was signed into the UFC by White. The transition marked Lesnar’s career, as he stepped into the premier promotion of MMA, making his debut at UFC 81 in February 2008 with his opponent being heavyweight Frank Mir.
The debut saw Lesnar off to a remarkable start that witnessed him tackle Mir to the ground early into the fight. However, the bliss was short-lived as Mir counterattacked with a kneebar that forced Lesnar to tap out in a mere 90 seconds. This did not deter Lesnar, and he remained steadfast on his path.
Persevering against the early failure, Lesnar proceeded to secure a victory against Randy Couture, snaring the UFC heavyweight title in the process. His fortune continued to favor him in his rematch with Frank Mir, where he succeeded in defending his title courtesy of a second-round TKO.
Under Lesnar’s helm, yet another triumphant stoppage victory was achieved over Shane Carwin in his second title defense. Subsequently, he was set to face one of the all-time greats, Cain Velasquez. As a Mexican-American MMA wrestler, Velasquez brought formidable competence to the ring.
Velasquez managed to weather an early onslaught from Lesnar and retaliated with an overwhelming ground-and-pound, bringing an end to Lesnar’s reign once and for all. Brock Lesnar’s MMA career record stands at an overall 5-3-1 NC.
In the first records of the fights, Lesnar triumphed against Min-Soo Kim with a first-round TKO during the Dynamite!! USA event in June 2007. He, however, succumbed to Frank Mir with a first-round submission at UFC 81 in 2008. He later emerged victorious against Heath Herring by a unanimous decision at UFC 87 later that same year.
At UFC 91 in November 2008, Lesnar defeated Randy Couture with a second-round TKO for the UFC heavyweight title. He was able to successfully retain his heavyweight title against Frank Mir at UFC 100 in 2009 with a second-round TKO. His victory against Shane Carwin at UFC 116 in 2010 retained his UFC heavyweight title with a second-round submission.
In October 2010, Lesnar suffered a loss to Cain Velasquez at UFC 121 with a first-round TKO, losing his UFC heavyweight title. An encounter with Alistair Overeem at UFC 141 in December 2011 led to another loss for Lesnar via another first-round TKO.
Lesnar made a return to the ring a year later, but was dishearteningly struck out in quick succession by Alistair Overeem, sending him into a five-year break from the sport. His eagerly-awaited return took place in July 2016 during the UFC 200 event, pitted against Mark Hunt.
Though he had been declared the winner initially, Lesnar’s triumph soon turned sour when the decision was reneged. It was discovered that he had failed a pre-fight drug test, testing positive for the banned substance clomiphene. As a result, his victory was overturned.
The South Dakota-born wrestler has not returned to the cage since this incident. Lesnar’s career in MMA, despite its highs and lows, remains notable in history given his early successes, his resilience, and the sheer physical impact he brought to the sport.
The post From WWE to UFC: The Resilient Journey of Brock Lesnar appeared first on Real News Now.
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