Roundtables
ROUNDTABLE (pt. 2 of 2): What are your early thoughts on the Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez fight at UFC 121? Williams, Hyden, Hansen, Lee, Matthew and Penick
Aug 29, 2010 - 9:38:16 PM ROUNDTABLE (pt. 2 of 2): What are your early thoughts on the Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez fight at UFC 121? Williams, Hyden, Hansen, Lee, Matthew and Penick

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What do you think about the UFC 119 and 120 cards with Mir-Nogueira II and Bisping Akiyama as their respective headliners?

ALEX WILLIAMS, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez is a fantastic bout. Unlike Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin, where most figured whoever won would end matters quickly, I think Lesnar-Velasquez will be a grueling affair. Velasquez likely doesn't have the firepower to stop Lesnar, but he does have the wrestling ability and cardio to grind him down. Lesnar, when he's on top, will score with more concussive, albeit less frenetic ground and pound. My very early pick is Lesnar by decision in a five round war.

FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Well, my early thoughts are that this fight is right in Brock's wheelhouse. He's going to be fighting a wrestler who's not as strong as he is, nor as good a wrestler. There's no question that Cain Velasquez is a really good fighter, but I don't think he has the tools to beat Brock. I don't think he's going to be able to outwrestle him. That means that Brock can control where the fight goes. That's bad news for Cain. This is Brock's fight to lose, and I would be stunned if he did lose. I don't see much of a chance for Cain in this fight.

RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

I have yet to develop any thoughts on this fight, it's too far off.

ERIC LEE, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

I don't entirely agree with Cain Velasquez getting the first title shot. But be that as it may I think he's gonna get destroyed. He's primarily a wrestler which has been a great skill in his previous fights. But is he really gonna try and wrestle with Brock? A man who has at least 35 pounds on him come fight time. In his last fight against Nogueira we saw some great boxing, but I don't think his boxing is gonna keep him off his back. If he wants to have any chance in this fight he better come up with a fresh new game plan that Brock won't be expecting. All I can say... is good luck.

SAM MATTHEW, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

As with all of his fights, Lesnar’s advantage lies in his size as he’s nowhere near the technical skill level that Cain Velasquez brings to the table. Unfortunately the size is such a big factor and it’s the one thing that you can’t learn, you either have it or you don’t, that it will prove very difficult for Velasquez to best. Both are outstanding wrestlers but Lesnar’s got the weight to make a difference so I’d expect him to look for takedowns and ground and pound while Velasquez attempts to keep it standing with fast combinations and hopefully becomes the first man to chop away the giant’s base with leg kicks. Just looking at the frame on Lesnar’s torso begs for leg kicks because that’s an awful lot of weight for his legs to support.

JAMIE PENICK, MMATORCH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

For as good as Cain Velasquez has been in compiling his undefeated record, I don't see him keeping that streak intact this October. Both fighters are extremely resilient, and have shown an ability to take a punch, so I don't think this one will end quickly. Velasquez can certainly out-strike Lesnar after seeing the very real holes in Lesnar's striking game in the Shane Carwin fight, but he doesn't hit as hard as Carwin, he's a little shorter and he weighs significantly less. He's going to make this a fight, there's no doubt, but he won't be able to outwrestle Lesnar, and if he gets cracked by a couple of shots from Lesnar like he did against Cheick Kongo he won't be able to recover with his wrestling against someone as adept in that skill as Lesnar. In the end, Lesnar is going to have the weight advantage, and I think he'll have the wrestling and ground game advantage, and I don't know how Velasquez will work off his back. Lesnar retains and gets ready to take on Junior Dos Santos in 2011.