10 Things We Learned From Brock Lesnar's UFC 200 Victory
7. But His Wrestling Remains Superb
Okay, let's forget about Brock Lesnar's striking for now. Because clearly, that's not his bread and butter. Lesnar uses his striking (or tries to) to open up an opportunity to shoot in for the take down. And that was the big question leading in to UFC 200: Could Brock Lesnar manage to get Mark Hunt to the ground? And could he keep him there?
Well, we got our answer. Yes, yes he could. And despite criticism from the likes of former UFC contender Chael Sonnen that it was Brock's size that made him a great NCAA wrestler, Lesnar showed his skill level remained sharp as well. Yes, he powered Mark Hunt to the ground multiple times (no easy feat, as Mark Hunt walks around between 280 to 300lbs outside of fight night), but in keeping him there, he showed solid wrist control, excellent movement, and a great fight/wrestling IQ.
A perfect example: in the third round, Lesnar opted not to pass guard immediately, knowing that Hunt was trapped and that he was more likely to escape if Lesnar moved to mount. Mounting an opponent is seen as a more dominant position, though some fighters do like to work from half guard.
In any case, Lesnar chose the keep a position that ensured long term success over short term damage. A smart move, and it allowed him to score many more strikes over the course of the round, while maintaining control of the fight.