UFC
UFC 141: Brock Lesnar feels he was born to fight, says there's no one like him in the sport
Dec 29, 2011 - 6:15:26 PM UFC 141: Brock Lesnar feels he was born to fight, says there's no one like him in the sport

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Brock Lesnar's return to the Octagon is only a day away, and he's returning with one goal: regaining the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Lesnar lost the belt to Cain Velasquez last year, but despite the loss, Lesnar steps back in believing he's the baddest man on the planet.

That belief drives him to take on the toughest schedule of perhaps any fighter through their first seven UFC fights, and that continues with Alistair Overeem at UFC 141.

"I was born this way," said Lesnar in a pre-fight interview at UFC.com. "I was born a bad mother**ker and that's who I am. It ain't an act, and it's not a line. There's nobody out there like me. I was born to do this, and I'll fight whoever they put in front of me. I've proven myself over and over again that this is my way of life. Where does it come from? I don't know, it's just who I am."

Despite a vocal fanbase that has shown him a lot of negativity during his time in the organization, Lesnar doesn't much care what his detractors think.

"I'm not here to impress anybody or to make any friends," he said. "I'm just here to fight and make a living and I want my UFC title back, and that's it. I've got one speed, and that's wide open. Everything I do is wide open. I'll deal with the consequences after the fact."

Ultimately, Lesnar wants to be the best in the world, and that competitive drive continues to bring him back to the Octagon despite illness and setbacks. If he can defeat Overeem on Friday night, he'll be one step closer to that goal.

"This is a sport where anything can happen at any time," he said. "It's a tough division and it's one of the toughest divisions out there now. It's fully loaded with lots of talent, so for me to sit and analyze who the next champion is gonna be…hopefully soon enough it's gonna be me, and that's all I can really focus on."

"I just believe I'm the champ. Even without the belt I still think that I'm the guy. Not to have the title is disappointing, but I'm a professional and I understand that I gotta win fights and then I'll become champion again."

Penick's Analysis: What I don't understand in the criticisms directed at Brock Lesnar is the underlying belief that he's always just one bad loss away from packing his bags and leaving the sport. He's said from the beginning that he's found his competitive drive with this sport, and that he has found a home in MMA, but because of how he left the WWE and the NFL, they think the same thing will happen here. He's fully capable of defeating anyone in the heavyweight division, and that includes Cain Velasquez. That doesn't mean he will absolutely get back to the top of the heap, but even if he doesn't get there, he's got time left in the sport. He enjoys getting in the cage, and he'll be back whether he defeats Overeem or not on Friday night.