UFC heavyweight champion, professional wrestling star, wrestler and American football player, great power and great speed, all this is the American Brock Lesnar. It is difficult to say what is more striking in this athlete: versatile talents or a fighting spirit that allows you to overcome any obstacle.
Youth
Brock Edward Lesnar was born July 12, 1977 in the wilderness of the American prairies. His parents are farmers from South Dakota. There were four children in the family.
The child grew up on a dairy farm and has been physically active since childhood. Already at the age of five, young Lesnar took up wrestling. At school, he played American football, in his free time he did push-ups and pull-ups. Brock was not a large child and often lost to his peers. Wounded pride forced him to exercise more and more.
When Lesnar grew up, he joined the American army, but he did not get into combat units due to color blindness, and computer work was not strong point young athlete. After failing the test, he was discharged from the military.
Until the age of twenty-three, Lesnar studied in college and at this time began to participate in student competitions. He wrestled and eventually won the NCAA heavyweight belt. Brock had a solid combat record - 106 wins and only six losses.
In one summer, Lesnar managed to gain 15 kilograms muscle mass. He trained on own program: after strength exercises there were stretching classes: in addition to strength, Brock also wanted to develop flexibility.
Lesnar worked as a dismantler at a construction site: he used a sledgehammer to destroy old buildings. The day began with such a warm-up, and ended in gym. The money earned by the sledgehammer went to rent the hall (the athlete's own housing was much less important, and he lived in the attic).
Brock Lesnar: wrestling and American football
When Brock Lesnar became a wrestling champion and graduated from college, was there a choice in life - American football or wrestling? He was invited by two famous sports organizations - NFL and WWE. American football was more prestigious, wrestling was more profitable. Therefore, Brock Lesnar accepted the last offer, although he later admitted that at that time he had not seen even five minutes of professional wrestling.
Since 2000 he has been working in this unusual form sports and show business. Professional wrestling is staged fights, the winners of which are determined in advance in a secret scenario. But only a very strong fighter with acting talents can be appointed the winner here. Brock had it all in abundance. Lesnar fought spectacularly: lifting opponents heavier than himself, jumping on wrestlers from a three-meter height ...
Already in 2002, Brock Lesnar won at the age of 25 and became the youngest WWE champion.
Lesnar's early years in wrestling made millions of dollars, but could come at a health cost. The wrestler performed at a frantic pace - at least three shows in different cities within one week. To relieve tension, Lesnar became addicted to drugs. Fortunately, he was able to quickly get rid of the addiction and soon decided to leave professional wrestling. Leaving WWE, he rashly signed a contract on unfavorable terms and experienced a great disappointment. The wrestler felt "a sword at his throat." It was during this time that Lesnar got his famous chest tattoo.
Now the athlete decided to try his luck in American football. This was facilitated by the combination of the athlete's mass with speed. In 2004, he ran 36 meters in 4 seconds (while Brock Lesnar is 189 centimeters tall and weighs 130 kilograms).
Lesnar had already begun his football career with the Minnesota Vikings... but his plans were thwarted by chance. An American athlete was riding a motorcycle and had an accident. The motorcycle broke into three parts, and Brock himself did not even lose consciousness (his physique saved him). After several months of rehabilitation, he could not qualify for the Viking team, and refused offers to go to Europe (Lesnar did not want to be separated from his family).
This athlete knows how to refuse. While contemplating a return to WWE, he had a business meeting with McMahon, the director of the organization. At this meeting, the boss suggested that the wrestler take off his shirt and show his sword tattoo. Lesnar was outraged and refused to cooperate with WWE. He also turned down an offer to play "muscular bastards" in the movie. Lesnar said that he wants to appear before the public only in such a role that he would not be ashamed in front of himself and in front of his parents.
For some time he competed as a wrestler in Japan, but suddenly moved to MMA. The public was skeptical. The American has never practiced martial arts since percussion technique, did not learn how to perform pain and suffocation techniques - it would seem that all the skills that could ensure the success of a mixfighter were absent.
Brock Lesnar: career development in mixed martial arts
Brock Lesnar began preparing for a career in MMA back in 2006. He signed his first contract with the sports organization K-1. The debut took place in the summer of 2007. Already in the first round, Lesnar knocked out the opponent. This spectacular victory attracted attention - his organization, the UFC, was already gaining priority in the world of mixed martial arts.
Brock Lesnar's first opponent in the octagon was Frank Mir, who was already a UFC champion. The match took place on February 2, 2008 as part of the UFC 81 show. Brock Lesnar started the fight aggressively and was very close to victory, but the more experienced Mir was still able to hold a painful hold and win.
The second match under the auspices of the UFC, against Heath Herring, Lesnar won confidently on points. Herring had a broken orbital bone and had serious vision problems, due to which the fighter was never able to return to MMA.
Already next fight became the title: in November 2008, Lesnar managed to knock out the reigning heavyweight champion, the famous Randy Couture, and take the UFC heavyweight championship belt. Lesnar became the second UFC champion (after the same Randy Couture), who won the title, having only four fights in mixed martial arts.
In July 2009, Brock Lesnar met again with an old acquaintance, Frank Mir. This time, Brock was stronger and ended the fight ahead of schedule. This was main fight anniversary show UFC:100, which received record popularity - 1 million 600 thousand paid broadcasts were sold.
A year later, Lesnar made his second title defense and defeated Shane Carvin, a fighter who had never known defeat before.
However UFC champions rarely keep their belts for long. After all, here, unlike boxing, she herself sports organization, not the fighters and their promoters decide who fights who. Fights almost always turn out to be competitive, with unpredictable results.
Brock Lesnar's winning streak ended in the fall of 2010 when he faced the famed Cain Velasquez. At that moment, Velasquez was not considered a favorite. However, Lesnar was knocked down, beaten and defeated by technical knockout. The championship belt went to Velasquez. This fight was billed as "Knockout of the Night".
At the end of 2011, Lesnar once again entered the octagon, but was defeated by famous fighter Alistair Overeem, after which he announced his retirement as a mixfighter. The American decided to focus on wrestling again.
Brock Lesnar today
This athlete has come to success more than once. He knows how to reach heights again and again. The return to wrestling after a long pause was triumphant. Brock Lesnar became the WWE Heavyweight Champion in 2014. Since 2017, he has been the WWE Universal Champion.
Not so long ago, Brock announced his return to mixed martial arts. In July 2016, he fought as part of the UFC: 200 anniversary evening and defeated New Zealand fighter Mark Hunt on points. However, the result of the match was later canceled: a banned substance was found in the blood of Brock Lesnar. The American was disqualified for a year and sentenced to a huge monetary fine. These are not the first problems with doping (back in 2001, Brock was arrested due to possession of prohibited substances). Lesnar has now announced his final retirement from MMA.
Brock is a public person, but he never exposes his private life for show. This side of the life of a fighter and wrestler is not well known. Together with his family, Brock Lesnar lives in a cozy house in the woods, in Minnesota. Brock Lesnar's wife is actress, model and female wrestler Rena Mero (now Rena Lesnar). The couple have two sons: Turk and Dick. Interestingly, the wife is ten years older than Brock.
Lesnar's hobby is hunting.
We present you the fastest victories of a fighter in his entire career in MMA! On our site you will find a huge amount of information and statistics from the world of martial arts and mixfight. We present you the fastest wins of Brock Lesnar for his entire career in MMA! On our site you will find a huge amount of information and statistics from the world of martial arts and mixfight.
TOP 5 fastest wins: Alexander Gustafson
We present you the fastest wins UFC fighter throughout his MMA career! On our site you will find a huge amount of information and statistics from the world of martial arts and mixfight. We present you the fastest wins of Alexander Gustafsson for his entire career in MMA! On our site you will find a huge amount of information and statistics from the world of martial arts and mixfight.
Former UFC champion Stipe Miocic: "I'm not going to participate in a circus performance"
“It was a completely disrespectful shit show, I think it was no longer the UFC. I thought I was going to be interviewed and I was going to ask for a rematch, but when Brock Lesnar came out, I said I was leaving here - I'm not going to participate in a circus performance! How can you give a title shot to a fighter who hasn't fought in two years, is still disqualified, his last Stand was declared invalid due to the fact that he was convicted of doping? I want a title shot and I deserve it. How long has Lesnar not fought? And in doing so, he gets a title shot and I'm left out? It seems that they are ready to do anything to sell pay-per-view. I cleared out the division. I've made more defenses than anyone, and you're telling me that I don't deserve a chance to get mine back? Kiss my ass if you think I don't deserve it"
UFC President Dana White Says Brock Lesnar Will Be The Heavyweight Champion's Next Opponent UFC weights Daniel Cormier in his first 265-pound title defense. There is only one obstacle in the way - USADA. Recall that after seven years of inactivity, in 2016, Lesnar returned to the octagon to fight Mark Hunt, but failed several doping tests for him, as a result of which the fight was canceled and Lesnar received a suspension for a year. Lesnar exited the USADA testing program before serving his full suspension, which he will have to do to return to the octagon, USADA reports:
“After receiving a statement of intent to compete in the UFC, Brock Lesnar returned to the drug testing program on July 3rd. With six months and three days remaining until the end of the suspension, Lesnar will be able to compete from January 8, 2019 if he adheres to the Anti-Doping Policy."
Recall that Cormier said that he would fight with Lesnar only if he was "clean". Whether Cormier will want to fight before meeting Lesnar, jeopardizing the potential success of the fight, remains in question.