Jonathon Snowden over at The Bloody Elbow wrote a piece called Brock the Bully. Here are a couple of quotes from the piece followed by my thoughts…
They say you see the true heart of a champion only after they’ve been knocked down… Brock Lesnar has been tested in the Octagon – and found wanting…
…You’d expect a true champion and a title contender to be clamoring to get back in the cage with his conqueror.
…Simply put, Brock is a bully… Brock isn’t looking to rematch Carwin or get a return bout with Velasquez. Instead, Lesnar reportedly has set his sights on Roy Nelson…
…This isn’t the confident move of a fighter on his way back up the ladder. This is the path of the bully…
You can read Snowden’s entire piece here and if you’re an MMA fan, you should. Early in Brock’s career I called him a bully. I figured that the fighter who would beat Brock would have to be able to stand and trade punches with him while avoiding Brock’s takedowns. Carwin could do it and almost won. Velasquez did it and took the title. Once a fighter had the ability to stand and trade blows with Brock he was out of his element. My guess is that very few people have ever done that to him and consequently Brock doesn’t know how to deal with it. Brock could always rely on his size and strength to muscle those who dared face him.
I also felt that Brock was a bully because of his behavior after losing to Frank Mir, after beating Heath Herring, and again after beating Frank Mir. When Brock lost he made excuses. When Brock won he acted like an idiot. Perhaps I was confusing Brock’s lack of class with being a bully.
Think about it, up to this point Brock has fought everyone put in front of him. He didn’t duck Mir, or Carwin or Velasquez. Right now it would be extremely for Brock to step away from MMA. He was the champ. He beat some of the best heavyweights in the world. Brock could make a TON of money by going back to the WWE. Or he could simply retire.
The fact that Brock wants to stay in the UFC and fight again says something about his character. Would it be more impressive if Brock wanted a rematch against Carwin or Velasquez? Maybe… but maybe not. Carwin is rehabbing a back surgery. He probably won’t fight for six months or more. Brock seems anxious to get back into the octagon. Ok, so if Brock said he wanted Velasquez, do you really think he’s ready for THAT fight? Right. Me neither. And guess what? Brock probably doesn’t think so either. So who’s left? A lot of guys including Big Country Roy Nelson.
So, I have no problem with Brock wanting that fight. The great thing is, neither does Roy Nelson.