Charles Walker makes the case for Brock Lesnar:
How can Brock beat Randy? First off, Brock has very little room for error in this fight. The same kind of pressure that was put on him against Frank Mir will be in play against Randy Couture. However, Brock Lesnar’s wrestling, quickness, and strength are the kryptonite of Captain America. Yeah, wrong comic book character but same result. If fights against Ricco Rodriguez and Josh Barnett have taught us one thing about Couture, it’s that big strong guys can overwhelm him. Lesnar has something that those two didn’t though and that’s speed. Brock absolutely can not come out and go for flying knees and crazy kicks as we’ve seen him try in past bouts, but what he can do is what he’s done best and that’s totally smother his opponents and keep them on the defense instead of the offense. Seeing the devastating power that Brock brings, I highly doubt Randy's first course of action will be to stand and trade with the behemoth. Instead, he’ll come in, close the gap and try to clinch and work his dirty boxing. Therein lies the problem. Brock is way too big and strong for Couture to use this usually effective game plan. Well, it worked against the bigger and stronger Gabriel Gonzaga. True, but Gonzaga was very much mentally taken out of that fight in the early moments. Brock is cocky, arrogant, and headstrong; I think those attributes will keep him from drowning under the pressure that Randy will try to impose. Brock may not take him down the first time he shoots, or the second, or even the third; but he will and he’ll do it by his relentless attacks and brute strength. While Randy might be competent off his back, having bowling ball sized fists implanted to your skull hurts and will do enough damage to keep Randy constantly defending and never really able to implement his usual on point game plan. I think Randy Couture will be able to bob and weave and take very little damage in the stand up department early but Brock’s constant pressure will wear down the 40+ fighter and come round three he’ll land a bomb of a shot that sends Randy staring up at the MGM lights and a new Heavyweight champion emerges. Brock Lesnar will win this fight early in the third round by TKO.
Kelvin Hunt makes the case for Randy Couture:
You absolutely nailed Randy Couture's gameplan against Brock Lesnar, and it will work against Lesnar as it has time and time again. Couture has had problems with bigger fighters in the past, but one must not forget that Tim Sylvia is close to 300 pounds by fight time himself. I think we all remember how Couture man handled him. I don't expect Couture to manhandle Lesnar, but his technique will be superior to Lesnar's brute strength. Also, Couture is a much different fighter now than he was when fighting against Barnett and Rodriguez. Nowadays Couture uses leverage, momentum, inside leg trips, and the cage to take his opponents down. Couture knows that he can not afford to end up on his back during this fight so he'll keep the pressure constant and keep Lesnar on the defensive. Lesnar was up against the cage a lot during the Herring fight, against Couture Lesnar will end up on his back. That will be the key to this fight in that Couture will be able to put Lesnar in positions that he isn't familiar with. How will Lesnar react when he's pinned up against the cage eating elbows? How will Lesnar react if his back gets taken? What will Lesnar's cardio be like in the 4th and 5th rounds of the fight? You are in right in that Lesnar is arrogant and cocky, but so was Tito Ortiz and Couture ran though him when he was in his prime. I suspect that Lesnar's confidence will begin to wane the longer the fight goes, and all of those muscles begin to be deprived of oxygen. We know that Couture can go all 5 rounds against a larger opponent so that will not be an issue. Here's how the fight will end. Couture will press Couture against the cage and use an inside trip to get Lesnar down. Couture will move to half guard and ground and pound an exhausted Lesnar until the referee stops the fight in the 4th round.
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