Lesnar's Learning Curve
Brian Knapp Aug 9, 2008
A real-life incredible hulk walked into the Minnesota Martial Arts
Academy two years ago and introduced himself to head trainer Greg
Nelson. So began the mixed martial arts education of one Brock
Lesnar (Pictures) -- part man, part tank.
In the days, weeks and months since, Lesnar wrecked Olympic silver medalist Min Soo Kim (Pictures) at his professional MMA debut, agreed to a lucrative contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship and dominated Frank Mir (Pictures) for more than a half minute before submitting to the former heavyweight champion’s kneebar at UFC 81.
Coping with adversity came naturally to Lesnar (1-1), as he had
traveled the road many times as an amateur wrestler. He took a few
weeks off following his loss to Mir, went hunting and headed right
back to the gym. Six months removed from his defeat, Lesnar seems
to have put the setback behind him.
“He has a 2,000-square-foot gym at his house, with heavy bags, wrestling mats and weights,” Nelson says. “When he takes time off, he’s only taking time off from specific MMA training.”
“His raw athleticism is what’s most impressive,” Nelson says. “When I first saw him workout, I was like, ‘Wow, this guy’s really athletic.’”
Where the monstrous Lesnar stands in the heavyweight pecking order remains uncertain as he heads into his co-main event bout with the seasoned Heath Herring (Pictures) at UFC 87 “Seek and Destroy” this Saturday at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Nelson feels comfortable that all the necessary preparations were made for his second appearance inside the Octagon.
Striking was the main staple of Lesnar’s pre-fight diet.
“We know Heath’s a very good striker,” Nelson says. “We did a lot more stand-up training this time -- defending kicks, defending punches, learning how to get inside -- and we added some Thai boxing to it with elbows and knees.”
Priming for Herring (28-13) ran in direct contrast to the preparation for Mir, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who once snapped Sylvia’s forearm like a dried twig. His handlers worried far less about Mir’s hands and feet. Though not known for his grappling, Herring presents his own challenges when the action hits the ground. More than half (16) of the Texan’s 28 wins have come by submission.
“We focused more on specific grappling drills,” Nelson says. “Heath’s a very unorthodox grappler. He may not always make the right move, but he catches a lot of people off guard because he’s so explosive.”
As has become custom, Lesnar started training for Herring eight weeks ago. His typical practice sessions were broken into three parts -- striking, ground work and isolation drills. For his daily stand-up routine, Lesnar was put through 10 to 15 rounds of intense timing sparring and then transitioned to hardcore sparring with takedowns. His ground skills were tested regularly, as he pummeled on and off the wall, drilled takedowns and worked on situational sparring that included strikes.
Structure anchored Lesnar’s training at the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy from day one, and he surprised Nelson with his obsessive punctuality and attention to detail.
“He’s absolutely on time,” says Nelson, who also trains former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk (Pictures) and one-time Bodog Fight welterweight titleholder Nick Thompson (Pictures). “He’s been here day in and day out on the training schedule. He’s very dedicated, very disciplined.”
Having already made millions as a World Wrestling Entertainment superstar, Lesnar fit in well with his blue-collar teammates. His dedication and desire to excel has had a positive impact on the Brooklyn Center, Minn., gym.
“They see this guy who’s got all this going for him, who doesn’t need to do this, and he’s never late,” Nelson says. “He’s brought an air of discipline to the group.”
The 31-year-old Lesnar trains regularly with the other heavyweights at Nelson’s academy, including UFC and Pride Fighting Championships veteran Travis Wiuff (Pictures) and Cole Konrad -- a two-time national wrestling champion who finished his career at the University of Minnesota with a school-record 76 consecutive wins.
Shedding weight has never been a problem for the muscular Lesnar, who tipped the scales at 279 pounds a week ago and met the 265-pound weight limit at the UFC 87 weigh-in on Friday.
“It’s so easy for him to lose weight,” Nelson says. “He sweats like a faucet. When you have a lot of muscle, it’s easier to lose weight because it holds more water. He’ll typically lose 10 to 11 pounds in practice.”
Nelson thinks competing at home in Minneapolis, just eight miles from the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, has its perks.
“You get to sleep in your own bed, and you’re with people you know,” Nelson says. “You get to stay in your groove a little bit longer. There’s always an advantage to fighting in front of your hometown crowd. He has a huge fan base here, and he’s going to be a lot more jacked up for this fight.”
In the days, weeks and months since, Lesnar wrecked Olympic silver medalist Min Soo Kim (Pictures) at his professional MMA debut, agreed to a lucrative contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship and dominated Frank Mir (Pictures) for more than a half minute before submitting to the former heavyweight champion’s kneebar at UFC 81.
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“He has a 2,000-square-foot gym at his house, with heavy bags, wrestling mats and weights,” Nelson says. “When he takes time off, he’s only taking time off from specific MMA training.”
Lesnar’s freakish physical attributes -- he weighs 280 pounds and
moves like a lightweight -- are undeniable. A national wrestling
champion at the University of Minnesota, he stands 6-foot-3, has
hands the size of small watermelons and wields a wingspan that
extends half an inch further than that of Tim Sylvia
(Pictures).
“His raw athleticism is what’s most impressive,” Nelson says. “When I first saw him workout, I was like, ‘Wow, this guy’s really athletic.’”
Where the monstrous Lesnar stands in the heavyweight pecking order remains uncertain as he heads into his co-main event bout with the seasoned Heath Herring (Pictures) at UFC 87 “Seek and Destroy” this Saturday at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Nelson feels comfortable that all the necessary preparations were made for his second appearance inside the Octagon.
Striking was the main staple of Lesnar’s pre-fight diet.
“We know Heath’s a very good striker,” Nelson says. “We did a lot more stand-up training this time -- defending kicks, defending punches, learning how to get inside -- and we added some Thai boxing to it with elbows and knees.”
Priming for Herring (28-13) ran in direct contrast to the preparation for Mir, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who once snapped Sylvia’s forearm like a dried twig. His handlers worried far less about Mir’s hands and feet. Though not known for his grappling, Herring presents his own challenges when the action hits the ground. More than half (16) of the Texan’s 28 wins have come by submission.
“We focused more on specific grappling drills,” Nelson says. “Heath’s a very unorthodox grappler. He may not always make the right move, but he catches a lot of people off guard because he’s so explosive.”
As has become custom, Lesnar started training for Herring eight weeks ago. His typical practice sessions were broken into three parts -- striking, ground work and isolation drills. For his daily stand-up routine, Lesnar was put through 10 to 15 rounds of intense timing sparring and then transitioned to hardcore sparring with takedowns. His ground skills were tested regularly, as he pummeled on and off the wall, drilled takedowns and worked on situational sparring that included strikes.
Structure anchored Lesnar’s training at the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy from day one, and he surprised Nelson with his obsessive punctuality and attention to detail.
“He’s absolutely on time,” says Nelson, who also trains former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk (Pictures) and one-time Bodog Fight welterweight titleholder Nick Thompson (Pictures). “He’s been here day in and day out on the training schedule. He’s very dedicated, very disciplined.”
Having already made millions as a World Wrestling Entertainment superstar, Lesnar fit in well with his blue-collar teammates. His dedication and desire to excel has had a positive impact on the Brooklyn Center, Minn., gym.
“They see this guy who’s got all this going for him, who doesn’t need to do this, and he’s never late,” Nelson says. “He’s brought an air of discipline to the group.”
The 31-year-old Lesnar trains regularly with the other heavyweights at Nelson’s academy, including UFC and Pride Fighting Championships veteran Travis Wiuff (Pictures) and Cole Konrad -- a two-time national wrestling champion who finished his career at the University of Minnesota with a school-record 76 consecutive wins.
Shedding weight has never been a problem for the muscular Lesnar, who tipped the scales at 279 pounds a week ago and met the 265-pound weight limit at the UFC 87 weigh-in on Friday.
“It’s so easy for him to lose weight,” Nelson says. “He sweats like a faucet. When you have a lot of muscle, it’s easier to lose weight because it holds more water. He’ll typically lose 10 to 11 pounds in practice.”
Nelson thinks competing at home in Minneapolis, just eight miles from the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, has its perks.
“You get to sleep in your own bed, and you’re with people you know,” Nelson says. “You get to stay in your groove a little bit longer. There’s always an advantage to fighting in front of your hometown crowd. He has a huge fan base here, and he’s going to be a lot more jacked up for this fight.”
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