UFC 91 Free Pick: Couture Over Lesnar
UFC 91, which happens in Las Vegas on November 15, may indeed prove to be a moment of truth for Brock Lesnar (-125), the former WWE heavyweight champion who is ready to challenge one of the great heavyweight champs of mixed martial arts when he takes on Randy Couture (-105).
But is he in fact ready? That would appear to be the burning question, and the reason this fight arouses such curiosity. Lesnar, who debuted in the UFC betting scene with a submission loss to Frank Mir, could have folded the tent, but he made a nice comeback against Heath Herring, a much more experienced fighter, dominating the action completely. There is no questioning Lesnar’s brute strength, his athletic ability, or the fact that he has made a commitment to improving as an MMA fighter. He comes with power, and he is still a young man (31 years old) who has not taken a lot of punishment, at least in the Octagon.
Couture is 45 years old, and has not fought in over a year. There has to be a point where Father Time has to start having its effect. Furthermore, he is going in as the much smaller man, as it is possible that Lesnar will have as much as a 40-pound weight advantage on him. This two-division UFC champion has an extensive wrestling background, but it’s not any more extensive, or any more decorated, than that of Lesnar.
I wonder, however, whether Couture’s long period of inactivity doesn’t work to his advantage. We’ll assume he’s in fighting shape, so the time off has helped him recharge the battery and heal the kind of hurts that can take a toll on a 45-year-old body. The big factor here might be that Lesnar, after three MMA fights, is still in the early stages of development as a fighter, while Couture is someone who has seen it all and is not likely to be surprised by anything. Lesnar has the capacity to win a decision, one supposes, but Couture will catch him in a trick bag, submitting him sometime in the second round.
