Lesnar ready for Overeem and another title opportunity
SANTA MONICA, Calif. – The rumors of Brock Lesnar’s impending demise were unfounded.
The hulking former heavyweight champion had the world somewhat worried over the summer when he released a video promoting a featured role in the upcoming WWE 12 video game from THQ. He was noticeably smaller in that video and looked, for the first time in his entire career, every bit of his 34 years.
Lesnar’s appearance at a press conference promoting UFC 141 – the event he’ll headline against former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem at the tail end of December – should lay those fears to rest. Judging by the looks of things, the monstrous Lesnar – who stormed the UFC’s heavyweight division before falling victim to a serious stomach disease – is back.
He said he currently weighs 278 pounds, just short of the 285 he typically walked into the cage at before his bout with diverticulitis. That’s a far cry from the Lesnar who barely cut any weight at all when defending the world title against Cain Velasquez just over one year ago. Lesnar underwent surgery to remove 12 inches of his colon earlier this year in the hopes of preventing another outbreak of the disease.
“I avoided the surgery for as long as I could,” Lesnar said. “It was just a major decision. When you’ve got to go under the knife and have someone take out our intestines, it’s a big deal.”
Lesnar is the biggest pay per draw on the UFC roster, and his well-honed brand of fight building was back on full display after a mediocre season spent on The Ultimate Fighter. When asked about the video game interview and his current, Lesnar responded by flexing his bicep.
Overeem played his role in the entertaining press conference as well, saying he plans on “tearing this guy limb from limb.”
“I’m happy for you,” Lesnar responded.
Lesnar admitted that he made mistakes in the fight against Velasquez, saying that if he gets another chance against Velasquez, he’ll likely try to slow the fight down instead of “running and gunning.” He also said, quite simply, that he wants to be a better fighter.
“I’m just trying to build confidence in my standup and be a well-rounded fighter, to come back and win this fight and to win the UFC heavyweight championship.” Lesnar said.
Lesnar faces Overeem in the main event of UFC 141 on December 30 in Las Vegas. The winner will face the winner of the Velasquez/Dos Santos fight in 2012.
