Brock and a Hard Place: Evaluating Lesnar After UFC 121

At the end of the monumental UFC 116, following Brock Lesnar’s shocking second round comeback victory, a shot of Cain Velasquez sitting in the audience was shown. True to form, his stoic face revealed little emotion or reaction to the fight that had just occurred. He looked more to be taking it all in. After watching his performance this past Saturday night, I tend to think he was formulating his game plan.

A game plan that played off of the gaping holes in Brock Lesnar’s game.

Despite his near-mythic status courtesy of the UFC hype machine (as is Dana White’s job, so we can’t hold it against him), Lesnar’s last two title defenses have exposed some massive weaknesses. Cain Velasquez just happened to be the first guy to formulate a plan of attack that exploited them.

Let’s get Brock’s strengths out of the way.

1. He’s a monster. This guy is a physical specimen to be sure. His presence in the cage is doubtlessly imposing as there’s not a single heavyweight besides Shane Carwin whose mass matches his. Additionally, he has the power to match that physique, and having a wrestler’s work ethic works tremendously in his favor as far as his ability to maintain that strength. Between his fights at UFC 100 and UFC 116, he looked as if he lost no muscle mass despite his fight with diverticulitis and subsequent surgery.

2. He’s got a great shot. Lesnar has some of the most effective takedowns this side of GSP. And once he has you on the ground, it’s not exactly easy to move your hips beneath nearly 300 lbs. of Viking meat. Once he has you there, he can do whatever he wants. This normally consists of blunt force trauma to the skull in the form of straight shots and hammer fists.

We’ve all been aware of this since his first UFC bout against Frank Mir, however.

Much has been made of Lesnar’s progress in the sport. However, odds are much more will be made in the coming weeks and months of the areas he needs desperately to grow in if he wants to sit atop the heavyweight rankings once again.

1. He needs to work on his striking. Ever since his highlight reel punch that sent Heath Herring tumbling across the mat, Brock Lesnar has not had a single punch that has registered in the public consciousness. Sure, when he gets into the game of ground and pound, he’s a beast. But his stand-up is suspect at best. We’ve never seen him cleanly win a striking exchange.

2. His defense is lacking. Going hand in hand with good boxing is efficient head movement. Brock has been rocked hard in two consecutive fights now, and we’ve seen him crumble. Despite his mock punches to his own chin following his last successful defense, being able to take a punch doesn’t make him impervious. Nor does it mean he should allow himself to absorb punishment. Those tactics are only recommended if you have the scientifically proven concrete chin of a Diaz brother.

3. If he’s on his back, he’s lost. Brock recently boasted he should have his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by now. If that were the case, Cain Velasquez would not have been able to so swiftly pass his guard. With a simple push of the knees, Cain was able to pass and transition into a knee-on-belly position that accentuated the damage already inflicted. Granted, being against the cage didn’t help his cause. But being able to do nothing more than cover your face won’t always get you out of a jam.

4. Does he really know submissions? OK. He got an arm triangle on Carwin. But if you look closely, it was really more of an “arm rhombus.” The hold was not applied correctly (with the hand of the arm around the neck clasped to the biceps of the opposing arm, as is typical in BJJ or Sambo). Brock was able to get the submission by virtue of his huge arms and efficient use of position. But this submission is tailor-made for wrestlers who work well from top. Randy Couture illustrated that just one month later against James Toney. I sincerely doubt Brock would be able to get an armbar from that same mount.

What am I getting at?

I'm getting at the fact that has become crystal clear: Lesnar is not infallible in the Octagon. He is a fierce competitor and no question, tough to beat. But Cain Velasquez perfectly executed a game plan founded on technique over size and strength, even managing to beat Lesnar at his five-star wrestling game within that plan.

Lesnar is still new to the MMA game. There is no taking away from his ability, and how much he has grown. You don't beat guys like Randy Couture, Frank Mir or Shane Carwin on sheer luck. However, that being said, if Lesnar truly wants to sit atop the mountain with his Viking beard and golden axe to accompany the gold beld he so recently held, he will need to evaluate those four points listed above and work damn hard to make sure he corrects them.

One thing Cain Velasquez proved is a point that Brock himself has been driving home consistently: the heavyweight landscape is changing. Gone are the days where it was Fedor Emelianenko reigning supreme with everybody else falling short. Heavyweights are evolving at a rapid fire pace, becoming more than just brutish bruisers, but truly incorporating technique and finesse into their games. Velasquez may indeed be the archetype of the modern heavyweight, as his combination of precision striking and wrestling acumen make him dangerous. In all hoensty, I am looking forward to his bout with Junior dos Santos more than a Lesnar-dos Santos fight, just because of the potential for more varied combat.

Fedor has already been toppled by the modern heavyweight. Brock can somewhat be excused for his relative inexperience to both the Last Emperor and the newly crowned champion. If he wants to proclaim himself as the "toughest S.O.B. around," his best bet is to vary his training and expand upon his wrestling base. Otherwise, this won't be the last time we see him flailing beneath a torrent of fists.

But it might be the last time we see him in the reverse position as alpha male aggressor.