Brock Lesnar vs Frank Mir: Is Lesnar Getting the Respect that He Deserves?

The main event of UFC 81: Breaking Point will feature one of the most polarizing fights of all time, as Brock Lesnar will square off against Frank Mir.

There is really no middle ground when it comes to predicting this bout. You have two camps; one camp that sees Lesnar as a dominating force that will simply overmatch his opponents with his size and punching power, and the other camp that contends that Lesnar is a phony and has never really been tested.

Brock Lesnar, for those of you who don't know, made his name in the WWE as one of their biggest stars. He had a falling out with the WWE over numerous issues (mainly, his exhausting travel schedule and decision to jump to the NFL) and decided to make the leap to Mixed Martial Arts fighting. He currently has one fight under his belt, a first round knockout against Min Soo Kim at K-1 Hero's - Dynamite!! USA. Lesnar originally came from an amateur wrestling background, winning the 2000 NCAA wrestling championship after placing second in 1999. Lesnar was a two-time All-American and two-time Big Ten champion, finishing his amateur wrestling career with a record of 106-5 in four years of college.

Lesnar then made the jump to the WWE, eventually winning the championship belt. Eventually, Lesnar decided to leave the WWE to pursue a career in the NFL, which never materialized. After a stint in New Japan Pro Wrestling, Lesnar decided to focus on Mixed Martial Arts fighting.

Now Lesnar obviously isn't garnering much respect from the betting public. When the line for his fight against Frank Mir opened, Lesnar was a -190 favorite; now, just a week before the fight on February 2nd at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Lesnar is just a -135 favorite. This is a large move and shows that the betting public doesn't completely trust Lesnar as a Mixed Martial Arts fighter.

The question that I have is: can any heavyweight currently in the UFC match Lesnar when it comes to speed, size, dexterity and overall raw punching power? No way. He might not be as technically proficient as someone like Frank Mir, but Lesnar makes up for it in many different ways. Lesnar has been engaging in Mixed Martial Arts training for the past 18 months at the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy in Minneapolis, working on striking and jui-jitsu. MMA coach Pat Miletich, after training with Lesnar for one week late in 2006, said "In a year, there won't be a man alive who can beat him." Strong words from a former UFC champion.

In my opinion, this fight will go one of two ways. Either Lesnar will knock out Frank Mir standing, or he'll take him to the mat and pound him out. Lesnar's wrestling background and overall power will make it very difficult for Mir to get Lesnar into a vulnerable position, and Lesnar is likely too powerful to allow himself to tap out to any submission hold. Mir has a weak chin and Lesnar has devastating power; not exactly a match made in heaven for Mir. Lesnar is not getting the respect that he deserves, and I believe that he is the real deal when it comes to Mixed Martial Arts fighting.

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