UFC
UFC 116 PREVIEW: Randy Couture brings up the intensity of Brock Lesnar's training camp
Jul 3, 2010 - 9:50:02 AM UFC 116 PREVIEW: Randy Couture brings up the intensity of Brock Lesnar's training camp

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar makes his long awaited return at UFC 116 against Shane Carwin after a battle with diverticulitis, but just because he's been out for a year doesn't mean he hasn't been getting himself prepared.

"As soon as I got the green light [on] January 5 from the Mayo Clinic that said go ahead, I've pretty much been training since [then]," Lesnar said this week.

Lesnar has changed things up a little bit, bringing in a couple of new coaches, as well as having former opponent and former Champion Randy Couture in for a five day stretch of camp.

"Things were getting a little stagnant, I wanted to take a new approach to how I could get better," he said. "I really just went back to the drawing board."

As for his training partners, Lesnar feels he's surrounding himself with the right guys to keep his main weapon, his wrestling, up to par, and feels he's got guys in his camp that all rival the size of his UFC 116 opponent.

"My camp is full of big guys. I’ve got Cole Konrad who’s a two-time MCA champion, Chris Tuchscherer who’s a runner-up Division II champion, Jon Madsen who’s a national champion in Division II, Marty Morgan. I recently had Randy Couture in my camp," Lesnar said.

"I've been surrounded by greatness, I believe. And I believe that's what you have to do, you have to surround yourself with people that are going to push you."

Lesnar had nothing but praise for Couture, and touched on how much Couture's presence brought to the overall experience at his Death Clutch gym.

"Randy is the godfather of this sport," he said. "Randy's a once in a lifetime kind of guy. I mean he's 45 years old and he's still fighting. I brought him here and I was very impressed with Randy, how he trains still."

"Here's the most important thing. When Randy Couture comes into your gym, you have to raise your intensity level. It's one of those things were he just brings his ambiance into the gym and everybody that's in there raises their game. And that's the most important thing."

In addition to the intangibles that Couture brought to the training experience, Lesnar also pointed to the advice Couture was able to pass on as to the things he could improve upon.

"We got some good workouts in, some great ones," he said. "And then at the end of the day, we sit down and we compliment one another and we degrade one another. The biggest compliment is honesty, that we can get as a fighter. What you're doing wrong and how you can become better. And that's what I want to hear. I know what I'm good at. Tell me what I'm not good at and then we can go from there."

Lesnar's experience with Couture left him impressed with his former opponent, but also with the realization that he's not planning on competing in the sport when he's Couture's age.

"I don't want to be him when I'm 45 years old, but I've got to really take my hat off to the guy because he came into my training camp and I'm very impressed with him," he said. "Very, very impressed with him."

Penick's Analysis: Couture's time in Lesnar's camp was definitely a positive thing for the Champ. He's got a lot of big guys that he's training with, certainly, but the one knock you can definitely have on his camp is the fact that he didn't have anyone with a real striking game of note. It may not end up being that big of an issue, but if it becomes a striking war I'm not sure Lesnar will have prepared himself adequately for that aspect of Carwin's game. We'll find out on the 3rd.

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