Cole Konrad key to Lesnar success vs. Velasquez
Brock Lesnar and top contender Cain Velasquez’s experience with undefeated heavyweight Cole Konrad could tip the scales in Lesnar’s favor…
Brock Lesnar and top contender Cain Velasquez’s experience with undefeated heavyweight Cole Konrad could tip the scales in Lesnar’s favor
The newly crowned Bellator Fighting Championships heavyweight titleholder trains with Lesnar on a daily basis at Death Clutch Gym in Alexandria, Minn., and has faced Velasquez five as a collegian (Konrad won four of the times). When it comes to wrestling, no fighter knows the strengths and weaknesses of the two men set to square off in Saturday’s main event better than Konrad.
“There are a few areas in Cain’s game where you can exploit some openings, and he’s pretty vulnerable for some heavy shots,” Konrad told ESPN.com. “Some of [the vulnerabilities] stem off his wrestling style in some different positions. I know Brock has worked on those positions extensively.”
“Brock has a great reach, and he is exceptionally fast. If he can find his range, where he can keep some distance and throw a few of those jabs and keep Cain on the defensive, it will open up his whole game.”
Konrad is convinced Velasquez will remain true to his fighting style that he developed as a collegian and won’t offer anything new on fight night.
“That was college wrestling,” Velasquez’s lead trainer Javier Mendez told ESPN.com. “This is MMA.”
“They have a game plan,” Mendez said. “I feel I know what their game plan is. The way I look at it is, it doesn’t matter what they do. If we execute our game plan and they execute their game plan, we’re going to win.”