Issue 078
August 2011
After being struck down by diverticulitis again, Brock Lesnar’s fighting future is back under threat. Should he eventually return to the Octagon we ask where he would fit into the heavyweight title mix…
YES
Brendan Schaub
UFC heavyweight contender
If Brock comes back I think he should retain his status as the number-one title contender due to the fact his ability to not fight wasn’t something that he could really control. It’s a condition he deals with and he shouldn’t be punished or have to prove his contender status because of it. Brock is always one or two fights away from a title shot. That being said, if he’s out for a really long time it would be in his best interest not to be in a title-contender spot. He might want to shake off some ring rust and take a fight with less on the line.
NO
Frank Mir
Former UFC heavyweight champion
With Brock’s sickness I don’t know whether he’ll be making it back. I know he says he is but it’s something that has been dragging on now for about two years. He’s a champion so if anybody could overcome it it’s possibly him, but realistically all I think is that it’s one less fight before my title fight. Right now you have the two number-one contenders in Carwin and Dos Santos fighting one another. If either of those guys comes through victorious in June but they incur an injury, well, I don’t know how much longer Cain Velasquez wants to hold out. After all, he’s coming in after a long injury lay-off so I don’t think he’s going to want to wait around for six months waiting for one of those two to get healthy again. I’ll just make sure to stay in shape
What you had to say on the matter ...
NO: “No way! A fighter’s title status shouldn’t be determined by how many pay-per-view buys they can generate.”
@amclegend33
YES: “Brock should. Simply put, he puts bums on seats. He’s aggressive and exciting and goes in to fight, not to collect his pay.”
@RealAndrewRock
NO: “I love your positive, blue-sky thinking. However, I fear its more of an if he returns, as opposed to when. If he does, he’s got to work to get number-one contender.”
@dezzatyson
NO: “I don’t think Brock should. He fights twice a year. I feel for him but he should have to run through somebody to get back to number one.”
@tallguy21
