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[The Iceman]

Despite Related News his status as professional wrestling’s reigning superstar - a man who was on national television weekly, and on the covers of magazines and video games - Brock Lesnar always kept an eye on the world of mixed martial arts.

“I can beat that guy,” thought Lesnar more than once as he watched the UFC. And at 6-3 ½ and over 260 pounds, the physical tools were obviously there. But what most didn’t know was that Lesnar had also walked the same road as MMA superstars Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, Josh Koscheck, and Mark Kerr, as an NCAA Division I Wrestling Champion.

But in 2000, when Lesnar finished his collegiate wrestling career for the University of Minnesota with a list of combined junior college and college accomplishments that included 106 wins against only five losses, status as a four-time All American, two-time Big Ten Champion, a second place finish in the 1999 NCAA Championships, and the 2000 NCAA National Championship, mixed martial arts was far from the juggernaut it is now.

“I was out in 2000, and nothing was really available yet in mixed martial arts,” Lesnar told UFC.com. “I literally had four cents in my pocket, I was bumming beers off my buddies and bumming steaks off my girlfriends, so for me, it was try out for the NFL, stick around for another year, or here’s a legitimate contract.”

The legitimate contract came from Vince McMahon and the WWE (then known as the WWF) to become a professional wrestler for the biggest name in that business. The decision was a no brainer for Lesnar.

“I was a kid out of Webster, South Dakota who grew up on a dairy farm and drove a Mazda RX-7 that was a hundred dollar car missing fourth gear and reverse,” he laughed.

Over the next four years, Lesnar took the world of pro wrestling by storm before abruptly walking away in 2004 to try out for the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, a decision that whipped up a media frenzy that put usual the usual media frenzies to shame.

“I went from Wrestlemania right to the NFL and the Vikings training camp and was like ‘what the hell am I doing here?’” he recalled. “I should have taken a break, but one thing, if anybody really knows me, they know I dive in headfirst and whatever happens happens. I’ll deal with the consequences later. You only live one time, and what I hate are those people that can’t make a decision. I just go for it. Of course, as I get older and a little more experienced, some of these headfirst things I think about a little bit, but I’m still kinda the same way.”

Lesnar, who hadn’t played football since high school, was eventually cut in training camp, but during his time there, he was impressive enough to lead the Associated Press to write, “Lesnar developed faster than expected and impressed his teammates with hard work. But his lack of football experience -- combined with minimal playing time and a groin injury from an April motorcycle accident -- were too much to overcome in just one month of training camp.”

Eventually, Lesnar returned to pro wrestling for a few matches in Japan, but with MMA finally starting to make major headway in the United States in 2006, the time was finally right for the heavy hitter from Minnesota to enter a world he had considered in the past, but was only truly ready to enter now.

“I originally wanted to fight when I was in junior college,” said Lesnar, who wrestled for Bismarck State College. “I took some summer school out in Lassen, California, where I met up with some guys who trained out of the Lions Den. They booked me in a show in Reno, Nevada, and then I had to pull out because once you got paid to participate in something, the NCAA wouldn’t accept me, and I wanted to wrestle. But I had actually started rolling and learning jiu-jitsu back in junior college when I was 19-20 years old.”

The fight game had changed significantly since then though, and returning to the wrestling room after being away for almost six years was going to be a huge transition.

And that was just on the physical end.

There was still the business of being Brock Lesnar. Here was someone who had packed arenas around the world and had a superstar-level name. Could he actually go from making millions in pro wrestling fighting in front of tens of thousands to starting out on the small MMA club show circuit making relative peanuts in a hall that may seat a few hundred people?

“I didn’t think anybody would really even be interested in me,” he admits. “But here I am, caught between a rock and a hard place. Everybody on Earth knows who I am because of pro wrestling and because I went through the NFL, so where do I even start? Who’s gonna take me seriously? Do I start in the bingo halls and start all over? I can’t do that because I’ve already got a name. I’m more well known than the first guy that ever showed up on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’. So where do you start? Well, let’s just find a promotion that’s willing to promote you, let’s go from there, and let’s just see what comes out of it.”

Plenty of suitors would soon come running, but only once Lesnar got down to the business of becoming a professional fighter, first with a couple of weeks with the MFS Elite team in Iowa, and then with Greg Nelson, Sean Sherk, and the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy. It wasn’t easy.

“There were some transitions to be made,” said Lesnar. “I was out of the wrestling room for almost six years and some of these old aches and pains started coming out, and it took a while, about a couple of months, and at first I wasn’t sure if this was going to work. I hadn’t been in the wrestling room for almost six years – yeah, I pounded the weights and pounded the road and hotels and was in the wrestling ring every night, but its two different things.”

Yet soon, things started getting better for Lesnar and the word started leaking out about this rookie fighter with the big name and the even greater potential.

http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=8367

[BigBanda]

Lesner reminds me of a bigger, stronger and faster Matt Hughes. He has the potential to be just as successfull too.

[Dork8503]

Originally Posted by BigBanda

Lesner reminds me of a bigger, stronger and faster Matt Hughes. He has the potential to be just as successfull too.

He is also meaner. Idk maybe its just me but his first fight he looked so angry with his ground an pound.

[Jarico]

I just hope his joining the UFC doesnt bring the dipshit fans that go to WWE events with stupid ass signs to UFC events, I know its all about money but this is a sport not a spectacle

[BigBanda]

Originally Posted by Jarico

I just hope his joining the UFC doesnt bring the dipshit fans that go to WWE events with stupid ass signs to UFC events, I know its all about money but this is a sport not a spectacle

Yeah that does kinda suck. The last time Lesnar was in a WWE ring he was being booed out of the building though. HIm along with Goldberg. It leaked that they were leaving and not resigning a contract after there last match so the fans let themhave it and then they had Steve Austin give them both the stunner. How's that for your last memory in the WWE? lol

So not sure how many wrestling fans really care for Lesnar anymore but I know there are still plenty out there and a lot of people that want to see what he is capable of.

[jlruthven84]

Wrestlezone.com (this place's sister site) is now reporting that Brad Imes is being considered for Lesnar's first opponent.

Link: http://www.wrestlezone.com/article.p...leid=195083382

[thebwit]

Originally Posted by jlruthven84

Wrestlezone.com (this place's sister site) is now reporting that Brad Imes is being considered for Lesnar's first opponent.

Link: http://www.wrestlezone.com/article.p...leid=195083382

Poor Brad Imes... I like the guy but he is just going to get demolished

[Dr. MMA]

that was my first prediction for lesnar's opponent... brad imes. Let's not underestimate brad imes.... he did slap on the gogoplata in his last fight.

Imagine if lesnar got submitted in his first match... that would not be good. I say Herring should be his first opponent... herring is not that great on the ground

oh yea by the way no one has mentioned this but no one really knows brock's cardio either... and please don't bring up his iron man match with kurt angle as evidence to his cardio. This isn't professional wrestling

[Malice]

Originally Posted by Dr. MMA

that was my first prediction for lesnar's opponent... brad imes. Let's not underestimate brad imes.... he did slap on the gogoplata in his last fight.

Imagine if lesnar got submitted in his first match... that would not be good. I say Herring should be his first opponent... herring is not that great on the ground

You mean his first match in the UFC right? Lesnar has already fought in MMA (K-1) before.

I think Imes would be a great opponent for him, what about Eddie Sanchez?

[Dr. MMA]

Originally Posted by Rockx

You mean his first match in the UFC right? Lesnar has already fought in MMA (K-1) before.

I think Imes would be a great opponent for him, what about Eddie Sanchez?

yea i already knew he demolished min soo kim... speaking of which it was so funny that min so kim was trying to show him respect at the start of the match by extending his hand to him and brock just basically swatted it away