5 Moments That Defined Brock Lesnar’s MMA Legacy

3. Avenging The Frank Mir Loss

Brock Lesnar UFC 200 - Weigh-in
Jeff Chiu/AP/Press Association Images

Brock Lesnar's 2008 UFC debut was a bout against former champ and future Hall of Famer Frank Mir. In their first encounter, an overly aggressive Lesnar was caught in a kneebar and forced to tap out — just ninety seconds into the very first round. This led to the narrative that the then 1-1 pro wrestler wasn't cut out for the UFC.

Of course, Lesnar would go on to win his next two fights and capture the UFC Heavyweight Championship, which then led to a second showdown with Mir at UFC 100.

This time, the former WWE champ dominated his opponent and easily won the rematch via second-round TKO. Besides defeating a legendary fighter and avenging a humiliating loss, Lesnar vs. Mir 2 also proved that 'The Beast' was one of the biggest draws the sport has ever seen.

The event Lesnar headlined, UFC 100, sold 1.6 million on PPV, which was a record at the time.

Contributor
Contributor

From 1999-2003 Jacques performed on the Florida independent pro wrestling circuit. He also has an amateur wrestling background and currently holds a certification in Krav Maga. Jacques graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2003, with a bachelor's degree in Political Science. He currently resides in Chicago, Illinois. Follow him on twitter @goodeals79.