There is plenty to unpack from the short but eventful MMA career of Brock Lesnar, one of the most popular yet controversial fighters to grace the UFC.
Along with the likes of Conor McGregor and Chuck Liddell, Brock Lesnar became one of just a few mixed martial artists to reach astronomical levels of stardom, before the UFC became the flagship promotion it is today.
In doing so, he not only had a seismic impact on the sport itself but also amassed five victories – and a brief reign as the UFC heavyweight champion – in nine bouts.
And yet, despite his more high-profile showdowns against Frank Mir and Alistair Overeem, there is one, particularly punishing, performance that sticks in the memories of most MMA fans.
After making the transition from WWE in 2007, Lesnar earned himself a one-way ticket into the UFC following his 69-second demolition over Min-Soo Kim.
But the American, of course, no longer had the comfort of familiarity that he got from wrestling, a world in which he played the role of a ‘Beast Incarnate’, often joined by his manager – or rather, his sidekick – Paul Hayman.
Instead, Lesnar was compelled to learn the many disciplines that come with MMA, and so, when he made his UFC debut against Mir, the powerhouse was swiftly humbled by his more seasoned opponent, who secured a submission win despite getting caught by an illegal strike.
But then, knowing that he needed a statement performance to catapult himself into a title fight, the WWE legend produced one of his most destructive displays against grizzled veteran Heath Herring.
Photo by: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Brock Lesnar showed devastating power in victory over Heath Herring
Lesnar has always been known more for his explosive takedowns but, in this fight, he was able to demonstrate an extra string to his bow that had previously gone unnoticed.
Firstly, he came out of the blocks with an uncharacteristic flying knee, only to fall embarrassingly short of his target.
Regardless, Lesnar was still determined to put on a show, and so he followed his attack up with a sharp and accurate right hand, landing it flush on Herring’s chin.
The punch landed with so much power, in fact, that it sent Herring crashing down into a backward roll on the canvas.
Still, Lesnar refused to let his opponent off the hook, pouncing on the bloodied combatant before resuming his relentless attack on the ground.
Herring then somehow made it into the second round, only for Lesnar to continue his ruthless ground and pound – keeping his opponent against the cage – before securing his first win in the UFC with a dominant 30-26 victory on points.
Photo by: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Brock Lesnar’s reign as UFC heavyweight champion
Shortly after his third MMA outing, Lesnar claimed the UFC heavyweight title with an emphatic stoppage over legendary fighter Randy Couture.
And this, ultimately, is how the wrestling star began to forge a legacy in his newly adopted sport.
Sure enough, he was able to retain his trinket in his next two outings, stopping Mir in a far more brutal finish to their second encounter before submitting Shane Carwin with an arm triangle.
But then, Lesnar’s fearsome surge came to an end when he was stopped by Cain Velasquez, which preceded an even more devastating defeat to Overeem.
And while the formidable but limited heavyweight was able to get back to winning ways in his final UFC contest – outpointing Mark Hunt – the result was swiftly overturned to a no-contest once it emerged that Lesnar had tested positive for Clomiphene.
Since then, with his reputation in combat sports somewhat tarnished, the 47-year-old has ditched the octagon and, instead, returned to the WWE ring.
But now, while he is involved in an ongoing legal battle with the sport’s former CEO, Vince McMahon, it seems that Lesnar has chosen to take some time away from both MMA and wrestling.
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