Fedor, Lesnar, nobody is unbeatable
Memento is one of my favorite movies. Directed by Christopher Nolan, the genius who has since saved the Batman franchise…
Memento is one of my favorite movies.
Directed by Christopher Nolan, the genius who has since saved the Batman franchise from the depths of George Clooney as Bruce Wayne hell, the film revolves around Leonard Shelby and his quest to put together the pieces of his wife’s murder. What takes the film from a simple whodunit into ohmygodyouvegottaseethismovie territory is that Leonard can’t form new memories; tattoos and Polaroids help him remember what just happened, but other than that, he’s got nothing.
What does this have to do with mixed martial arts?
It seems to me that some MMA fans and media members are in need of their own tattoos and Polaroids in the wake of UFC 116.
After his victory over Shane Carwin secured Brock Lesnar the UFC heavyweight title and top spot in the divisional rankings, Lesnar also earned the unbeatable tag from some, a thought that is ridiculous to me given what has happened in the very recent past.
For starters, while the first round of Lesnar’s clash with Carwin shows that the former WWE superstar and collegiate wrestling champion has the heart of a lion and a damn good chin, it also shows that Lesnar is far from invincible. He’s also clearly not a fan of being punched in the face, but who can argue with that?
Yes, he came out of the between rounds break with a smile on his face and a waiting hand for Carwin, but between the opening call to fight and the bell to end the first, Lesnar was perilously close to being put away, and looked more human than we’ve seen him before.
While some are praising Josh Rosenthal’s efforts in the main event, there are those who feel like the fight should have been stopped, and maybe would have been stopped if it were not an epic encounter for championship gold. Both of those thoughts would drastically change the course of this emerging narrative.
Personally, I applaud Rosenthal for not stepping in, though I wouldn’t have questioned him if he did. More to the point of this piece, if someone – anyone – is in a position where observers are questioning whether the ref made the right call in letting the fight continue, can they really be deemed unbeatable?
Situation and circumstance plays a part in every fight; timing a takedown and executing a counter are as much a part of the result as conditioning, an ill-fated slip or in the case of Shane Carwin, a massive cardio dump that admittedly contributed to his demise. Had Carwin not experienced the body cramps he felt between rounds, who’s to say Lesnar would not have endured more of the same in the subsequent rounds?
I know – coulda, woulda, shoulda, but didn’t.