If Brock Lesnar started training in MMA at a young age, do you think he would be one of the GOATs?

[Takes_Two_To_Tango]

Inspired by this thread.

https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/20-year-old-brock-lesnar-all-men-are-not-created-equal.4220242/

It seems like he hit the lottery with his genes. The guy is a freak physical specimen. A lot of power, a lot of explosiveness.

What's your thoughts on him being on one of the greatest MMA fighters if he only started a lot younger than he did.

Do you think he would have beaten Velasquez and Overeem if he trained in MMA a lot younger and was more well rounded/complete fighter?

Discuss.

 

[mmacanada]

Cain Velasquez would smash him again as well as ubereem

 

[BFoe]

Lesnar did pretty damn well despite his inexperience. I don’t doubt that he would have done significantly better if he’s started training MMA (or at least the other aspects of MMA) sooner. I don’t think he’d be HW GOAT though as I still don’t see him accumulating the accomplishments necessary. One has to wonder if training those other martial arts earlier would have an effect on his wrestling (that is, would he still have been as dominant a wrestler as he was if he divided his attention among other disciplines).

 

[mattfin]

Kevin Randleman had all the same gifts, except even more so, and yet he never came close to the GOAT discussion. Brock would have definitely been a better fighter if he started training for MMA earlier, but it's ridiculous to think he'd be a GOAT contender based on physical gifts alone.

 

[kekiss]

There are some things that cannot be taught, and Brock clearly didn’t liked to get punched and reacted badly to strikes. He definitely would have been better fighter, but him being goat is just wishful thinking

 

[FKAri]

Kevin Randleman had all the same gifts, except even more so, and yet he never came close to the GOAT discussion. Brock would have definitely been a better fighter if he started training for MMA earlier, but it's ridiculous to think he'd be a GOAT contender based on physical gifts alone.

Brock was MUCH bigger than Randleman so this comparison makes no sense.

As for the OP, a lot of things have to go right to be in GOAT territory. He would have been better but hard to say what his ceiling was. We can't just assume he'd be a good striker or be able to take hits. Or maybe he really had the talent for it but couldn't hone it. We can't know.

There are some things that cannot be taught, and Brock clearly didn’t liked to get punched and reacted badly to strikes. He definitely would have been better fighter, but him being goat is just wishful thinking

Nobody likes getting punched. Nobody takes punishment well. It's all learned. To what extent it can be developed and improved varies person to person. But no one's born with any of this shit.

 

[mmacanada]

What if he wasn't allowed to fight on juice because every time Brock fought he was roided to the gills Coleman esque they even let him fight roided up when usada came along

 

[Bouboumaster]

Maybe. He was a huge MoFo who could move like a WW, with an outstanding wrestling pedigree.
With more striking abilities and more time, who knows what he could have achieved?
He did a lot already

 

[Haj01]

He'd be considered greater than he is now. But never the all time GOAT. There are a few fighters that generally would always have his number.

But as we know the HW division is so unpredictable that in consequent rematches and whatever he could beat guys he lost to and vice versa. He'd always be around the top 5 though capable of beating most in his division.

I don't see how he would have beat prime Fedor though. I can imagine Fedor catching an armbar from the bottom after being taken down. Or KO'ing Lesnar in the later rounds when he is more tired.

But Brock's striking certainly improved when he fought Hunto he held his own and landed some nice jabs and leg kicks. People say he didn't react well to getting hit. But imagine taking a clean shot from a guy like Carwin who does react well?

He was the first not to be KO'd by him so he got a decent chin which counts for alot. In my opinion he did react well because he survived the onslaught and went on to win the match. He might lack movement defensively but covering up is all you need along as your not taking any clean blows.

 

[Fioretti]

The real question, in my opinion, is if he would've become more acclimated to getting hit. You can't really teach that.

 

[dogsdonutsdragons]

pretty sure hes been on peds since he was young. something about live stock and veterinary steroids. maybe wrong.

if he was just a genetic freak i still think his mma record would have been similar. he doesnt respond well to getting hit. that you cant change

 

[kekiss]

Brock was MUCH bigger than Randleman so this comparison makes no sense.

As for the OP, a lot of things have to go right to be in GOAT territory. He would have been better but hard to say what his ceiling was. We can't just assume he'd be a good striker or be able to take hits. Or maybe he really had the talent for it but couldn't hone it. We can't know.


Nobody likes getting punched. Nobody takes punishment well. It's all learned. To what extent it can be developed and improved varies person to person. But no one's born with any of this shit.

Rough neighbourhoods and living conditions actually apply a lot toughness for guys starting out combat sports, I’ve seen a lot athletic guys simply loosing due to not being mentally tough. But than again Brock was competitive wrestler , and hardship wasn’t something he haven’t experienced before

 

[Dirge]

He had the size and the athleticism but it seemed like he never got used to being hit in the face.

Also he'd fail so many drug tests, he'd make Barnett and Belfort look like clean fighters.

 

[Satan's Daddy.]

He would beat overeem and cain if his training camp was focused purely on takedowns and timing it right, and holding control.

Let's face it, he could spend 5thousand hours on the boxing part but he'll always have certain flaws in his standup.

 

[Philly253]

You mean add some boxing?
A very obvious yes..

Would this version be on the sauce too?

 

[HI SCOTT NEWMAN]

Yes, he'd be considered one of the GOATs of MMA. You have to remember the division he is in, if he was that talented and skilled he would have been the best

 

[Kryptt]

I don't buy into GoaT concepts but yea he would be "One of"....

 

[pamirec]

 

[Shay Brennan]

In his w class yes, he'd be one of the very best ever.

 

[rob mafia]

if he trained mma earlier, he probably would have done even worse. he can't take being hit, he would have just quit earlier.