The last time that Georges St. Pierre defended his UFC welterweight title, it quickly turned into the low point of his career. Already facing a number of personal issues away from the cage, he looked sloppy and distracted as Matt Serra defeated him by brutal TKO. This time, things were different”before an enthusiastic and knowledgeable crowd at Minneapolis Target Center arena GSP brutalized Jon Fitch over five rounds to win an easy unanimous decision. The judges scores of 50-43, 50-44, 50-44 underscored the one sided victory, though Jon Fitch showed a lot of heart and toughness to go the distance.

After a dominant takedown to open the fight, followed by a barrage of GSP punches it looked as if Fitch wouldnt make it out of the first round. He managed to survive, though generated little offense the rest of the way as the champion had his way with him both on the ground and in standup striking exchanges. Fitch landed enough counterpunches to open a cut near the champions eye, but never even came close to winning a round. Fitch had to gut his way through another tough moment in the 4th, where a big knee followed by a flurry of kicks and punches had him on the verge of a TKO loss yet again.

As the final horn sounded, GSP bowed down in front of Fitch in a nice, Muay Thai inspired show of respect. The sportsmanship and mutual respect continued after the decision was announced, when Fitch embraced GSP and hoisted him into the air in celebration.

And theres very likely not another athlete like Brock Lesnar even within the ranks of fightsport competitors. In his 3rd professional MMA bout the amateur wrestling legend turned WWE champion displayed a brutally effective new fighting style along with stellar patience and cage control as he obliterated tough and highly experienced Heath Herring. Lesnar received a thunderous ovation from his adopted home state as he entered the cage to the sounds of Motley Crues Shout at the Devil.

From that point forward, Herring was completely out of the fight though he repeatedly demonstrated his toughness by staying in the fight and not tapping out to strikes as had Min Soo Kim in Lesnars MMA debut. Unlike Lesnars gameplan against Frank Mir in his UFC debut”when he clearly wanted to overwhelm his opponent for a quick win”perhaps the most impressive element of his improvement as a fighter was his patience. There were a number of occasions where Lesnar could have tried and finished the fight by placing himself at greater risk, but took the conservative approach.

Overall, Lesnars performance bordered on amazing”a serious case could be made that he won all three rounds by 10-8 margins, though all three judges scored the fight 30-26. He repeatedly took down and threw around the 64 250 Herring like he was a welterweight.

Lesnars win gives a much needed boost to the UFCs barren heavyweight division. Should Lesnar continue to develop and do such a good job of fighting within his abilities his potential in the sport is limitless.

Though his scoring records have been obliterated by Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux, former Boston Bruins/New York Rangers center Phil Esposito is still regarded by hockey cognoscenti as one of the greatest offensive players in the history of the game. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, as is his brother Tony Esposito who was a standout goaltender for the Chicago Blackhawks.

Esposito was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and his prodigious hockey talent quickly became apparent. He was signed by the Chicago Blackhawks as a teenager, and made his NHL debut in 1964. In 1967, Esposito was traded to the Boston Bruins along with Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield. Within a few years Hodge and Stanfield blossomed into All Stars, while Esposito quickly took his place alongside his former teammate Hull as the best scorer in the league.

It was as a Bruin that ‘Espo’ began his onslaught against the NHL record book.. In 1969, he became the first NHL player to top the 100 point mark (combined goals and assists) for the season”he obliterated the record with 126 points, which would be the first of six times that hed top the century mark. He topped 100 points in five straight seasons between 1971 and 1975, missing a sixth straight season by a single point with 99 in 1970.

Esposito’s greatest single season was in 1970-71, when he destroyed the NHL’s single season goal scoring mark with 76. That record stood until Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers broke it in 1981-82. Even now, only four other players including Gretzky have scored more than 150 points in a season and only five others have scored more than 76 goals in a season. Perhaps the most amazing element of Espositos game was the frequency with which he put the puck on net”Espo had 550 shots on goal in 1970-71. No one has since come close.

In 1975, Esposito was traded with Brad Park to the New York Rangers for Brad Park, Joe Zanussi and Jean Ratelle. He had slowed somewhat, but was still enough of a valuable player and team leader that he was named the Rangers’ captain. He remained a very dangerous scoring threat until the end of his career.

After his retirement in 1975, he remained active in hockey. He served as the GM of the Rangers before helping secure an expansion team for Tampa, Florida in 1992. Esposito served as the President and GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning until 1998. Esposito now hosts a daily hockey radio show on XM Radio, and has even done some acting appearing in a recurring role as a fire chief on the TV series Rescue Me.

Decades before mixed martial arts became popular in the United States, events matching fighters of different fighting disciplines were very common in Japan. They weren’t called “mixed martial arts” at the time, but that’s essentially what they were.There’s an entire history of pro wrestlers fighting specialists from other martial arts (particularly judo) that were leaving out, but during the 1970’s Antonio Inoki began to put the concept of “mixed martial arts” on the map with his matches against fighters from other disciplines.

Before and after his matchup against Muhammad Ali, Inoki would frequently compete against other martial artists in what are widely accepted to be “worked” (ie: having a predetermined outcome) matches. Inoki fought boxer Chuck Wepner, judo Gold Medalist Wilhelm Ruska and world karate champion Willie Williams among others. His most famous match internationally, however, was against Ali.

There’s still much speculation about how Muhammad Ali came to fight Japanese wrestling legend Antonio Inoki, and even more uncertainty about what happened immediately before and during the fight. Ali took the booking because he thought it was to be a big paycheck for little work. Most accounts suggest that his handlers agreed to the ‘worked’ finish without his knowledge, and once he found out that he was to ‘take a dive’ he refused.

By the time the fight began, Ali’s handlers had obtained a ridiculously one sided set of rules that prohibited Inkoi from using a closed fist, striking Ali in the head at all, using any chokes or submissions or even trying to take the fight to the ground. Were it not for the huge amount of money he’d be leaving on the table, Inoki would have been justified in not fighting at all under these highly restrictive and one-sided conditions.

The result was an absolutely horrible fight. Neither man showed much interest in engaging the other, with Inoki spending most of the time on the ground doing what he could under the one sided rules. Inoki threw kicks at Ali’s legs, Ali threw an occasional jab and tried to protect himself from his opponent’s leg strikes. The fight ended a 74-74 draw, with the real losers being the fans.

Some interesting trivia about the fight–the referee was former pro wrestler “Judo” Gene Labell, who is considered by many ‘the baddest man on the planet’ even in his 80’s. He could have very likely beaten up both men at the same time–a spectacle that might have been welcomed by the live crowd and closed circuit audience worldwide.

The fiasco didn’t hurt Inoki’s popularity in Japan whatsoever. Oddly, he became something of a hero for trying to take the fight to Ali despite the one sided rules. He would remain one of Japan’s most popular pro wrestlers and later serve in the country’s parliament. Inoki’s fights against other martial artists remained wildly popular, and are often credited as being the forerunner of PRIDE, RINGS and the major MMA organizations in Japan today.

Animals at Summer Camp? Say Yes to Letting your kids play with animals this summer as a part of the fun they can have at summer camp. Find a science camp, or a more broadly defined summer camp that includes animals as a part of their program offerings.

Connecting with animals in a natural setting can put a child at the beginning of a lifelong sense of relationship with nature. A deep respect for nature as an adult often starts with experience as a camper.

At Swift Nature Camp, also known as a Science Camp, there is a unique pond aquarium gives kids a chance to see pond life from a frog’s point of view, while our Nature’s Neighbors live animal collection provides opportunities for up-close study and care of several common Northwoods residents as well as a few exotic immigrants. Campers with their own small animals are encouraged to bring them to camp to share with others. The animals live in the Nature Center, where all campers can enjoy and learn about them.

Working in conjunction with the Wisconsin DNR and the U.S. Park Service, Swift Nature Camp has also developed a hands-on environmental learning program which includes field trips, such as visits to a fish hatchery and state parks; hands-on field projects, like goose banding and butterfly counts; and exciting camp presentations, including visits with live owls.

Swift Nature Camp has a voluntary four-level program that rewards campers with a special patch of merit, and the categories include recognition of special skills with animals in categories like insects, pet care, bird watching, and horseback riding. Campers can choose just the right mix of play and learning to suit individual preference and need.

The summer camp you choose should facilitate a blend of play and challenge that is free of the stress of the school environment. The presence of animals in a natural environment can open the door to discovery, adding depth to the fun of going to a traditional summer camp.

To accomodate that range with a voluntary merit program that includes experience with animals. A camper’s interaction with animals can be refined into skills involving horseback riding, insects, pet care and bird watching. These opportunities never come at the expense of fun!

Discovering nature and the world we live in. Living in a natural environment Like camp is a perfect way for kids to play and grow. When children play with animals rather than just receiving information, they learn. Camp is more about fun and has far less stressful than school.

You can learn more about selecting a wonderful summer camp by visiting Summer Camp Advice Find a Summer Camp

Seattle Slew–the last living Triple Crown winner–died on May 7, 2002 at the age of 28. As one of only 11 Triple Crown winners in history, he is by default one of the greatest horses in the history of thoroughbred racing. Of those 11 legendary animals, Seattle Slew was the only one to complete the Triple Crown with an undefeated record, as well as the only one to have been purchased at a public auction. After retiring in 1978, Slew became one of the most important and successful stud horses in the history of the sport. He sired 1,066 foals including 102 stakes race winners. Among this impressive group of offspring was the 1984 Kentucky Derby winner, Swale. All told, Slew’s offspring have won an amazing $76 million dollars at the race track. Slew’s stud fee of $300,000 made him a very profitable horse even after his racing career was over. Slew wasn’t a particularly attractive horse, but he had the toughness of a championship boxer and the sort of intestinal fortitude and desire that can only be given by The Creator.

The Seattle Slew story began very modestly at a public auction in Lexington, Kentucky. The Keeneland Summer Yearling sale wasn’t supposed to be the marketplace of champions, and the idea that this particular horse would ever amount to anything other than a farmhand was downright laughable. He was somewhat clumsy looking due to a front right forefoot splay and had a shuffling gait at trot. Slew wasn’t a beautifully majestic creature like his Triple Crown winning predecessor, Secretariat. Slew was borderline ugly. So ungainly a creature was he that he was given the less than inspiring nickname “Baby Huey” by the Keeneland staff. He was purchased by two couples (Karen and Mickey Taylor and Jim and Sally Hill) for $17,500. What wasn’t apparent at the yearling sale was the intangibles that make up a championship thoroughbred–poise under pressure, love of competition, toughness, heart and desire. His owners had unwittingly stumbled onto an equine Muhammad Ali, and his competitive fire quickly became apparent to his trainers and jockeys. His first race came at Belmont Park in 1976, and he entered–and won–three races as a two year old giving a glimpse as to what like ahead.

Slew became the Kentucky Derby favorite by winning his three prep races as a three year old, including prestigious Wood Memorial. In the Derby, Slew got off to a terrible start as he stumbled from the gate much like War Emblem did in the 2002 Belmont. Unlike 2002’s Triple Crown contender, however, Slew was able to recover from that miscue and basically force his way through a pack of other horses to position himself at the front of the field at the quarter mile pole. Slew would win the Derby by a length and 3 quarters. He took another tough victory at the Preakness before clinching the Triple Crown with a 4 length victory in the Belmont Stakes.

Slew continued to campaign as a four year old, but in the days before the Breeder’s Cup there weren’t many opportunities for an older horse. He retired to stud in 1978, where he sired champions such as the aforementioned Swale and 1992 Belmont Champ AP Indy. Slew stood at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Kentucky from 1985 until early 2002 when he was moved to Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm in Lexington, KY following a spinal operation.

In some ways, Slew had much in common with the heavyweight championship reign of Larry Holmes. He came so quickly on the heels of such incredible excellence–Slew was forever in the shadow of 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat, Holmes on the heels of Muhammad Ali–that he never gained the appreciation he deserved during his prime. In hindsight, however, it has finally been noted what an exceptional horse he really was. Jockey Angel Cordero, who rode Slew during the twilight of his career noted “If I had a chance to take any horse in the world, if someone said your life is depending on riding one horse to win, I would take (Slew). I rode 44,000 horses, but he was special, he was different. He was muscled, like a wrestler. He ran different than any other horse. It was like he came from another planet.”

Following his death in 2002, Slew was laid to rest at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm in Kentucky under a statue memorializing his legacy.

Ingemar Johannson died in a Swedish nursing home in January 2009 at the age of 76. He’d lived in the nursing home in the Swedish coastal city of Kungsbacka since the mid 1990’s when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and dementia, and had suffered from a tough case of pneumonia immediately prior to his death.

Johannson earned worldwide fame and superstar status in his native Sweden when he knocked out Floyd Patterson in 1959. At the time, he was only the 5th heavyweight champion in history to be born outside of the United States. Johannson was a decided underdog heading into the fight, and made his victory even more improbable due to his lax approach to training. He was a fixture at Catskills nightclubs and bars during his training camp, frequently in the company of his comely blond ’secretary’ or other attractive women. Patterson, meanwhile, was disciplined and regimented in his preparation for the fight.

While his training methods may not have been particularly disciplined, his performance in the Yankee Stadium fight made up for it. After a tentative first two rounds, Johannson floored Patterson with a quick right hand early in the third. As there was no ‘three knockdown’ rule in effect, Johannson would eventually knock Patterson down a total of seven times before referee Ruby Goldstein stopped the fight and awarded him the victory.

Johannson would hold the title for just under a year before he lost it back to Patterson in a rematch at the Polo Grounds in New York City. Patterson was the aggressor from the opening bell, and would eventually regain his title as he knocked Johannson out cold in the fifth round with a looping left hook. Displaying the class for which he became famous, Patterson was less concerned about celebrating his victory as he was for the well being of his opponent.

Johannson would again face Patterson less than a year later, with the champ retaining his title via 6th round knockout after an exciting slugfest that saw both competitors taste the canvas. Eventually, however, Patterson’s superior conditioning prevailed and he earned the victory. Johannson would fight only four more times after that, all in his home country of Sweden, before retiring for good in 1963.

Not surprising given the mutual respect shown during their heavyweight championship trilogy, Patterson and Johannson remained close lifelong friends and would travel to visit each other every year until the American champion died in 2006. While it is commonplace today for former in-ring adversaries to become close personal friends, it was something of an anomaly in the 1960s. Johannson made a number of film appearances in Sweden, and spent time in South Florida every year. He remained in good health well into his sixties, running in marathons yearly until his physical ailments took their toll.

Johannson was married and divorced twice, and is survived by five children. Ingemar Johannson enjoyed rock star like status in Sweden during his title reign and remained a widely respected and admired sportsman throughout his life. He’ll be remembered by the international boxing community for the vital role he played in popularizing the sport in Europe and Scandinavia.

One of Englands most beloved sporting figures, Sir Bobby Robson, yielded to his courageous fight with cancer recently at the age of 75. Even the often critical British press had nothing bad to say about the universally respected Robson, headlining their obituaries with adjectives like The Bravest Knight or simply The Legend.

Robson enjoyed a productive career as a player that spanned 20 years and was spent primarily in the English Premier League with Fulham and West Bromwich Albion. He also earned twenty ‘caps’ in International play for England, scoring four goals.

After his retirement in 1968 as an active player, he found more fame as a team manager. His guiding hand transformed Ipswich Town from a laughing stock to an EPL powerhouse and he would lead the club for well over a decade. He would also serve as the England National Team manager for 8 years, before ending his career in British football with a stint as manager of Newcastle United that ended in 2004.

Robson earned even more respect and admiration due to his public battle with cancer. Although a brain tumor left him partially paralyzed in 2006, he never wavered in his commitment to English football or to raising money and awareness for cancer treatment. After being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in 2007, he dedicated the rest of his life to helping others with the same diagnosis.

Such was the respect for Robson that two other soccer icons not known for seeing eye to eye were quick to pay their respects. Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho gave this tribute:

I wanted to and I will keep with me always the Bobby Robson of every day, a person who had extraordinary passion for life and for football, with an extraordinary enthusiasm. Bobby Robson is one of those people who never die, not so much for what he did in his career, for one victory more or less, but for what he knew to give to those who had, like me, the good fortune to know him and walk by his side. My thoughts and embraces go to all his loved ones.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson shared his own touching comments:

In my 23 years working in England there is not a person I would put an inch above him. I was never too big or proud to ask him for advice, which he gave freely and unconditionally. And I’m sure I am speaking for a lot of people when I say that. I mourn the passing of a great friend, a wonderful individual, a tremendous football man and somebody with passion and knowledge of the game that was unsurpassed.

His character was hewn out of the coalface; developed by the County Durham mining background that he came from. His parents instilled in him the discipline and standards which forged the character of a colossal human being. He added his own qualities to that which he passed on to his sons. The strength and courage he showed over the past couple of years when battling against his fifth bout of cancer was indescribable. Always a smile, always a friendly word with never a mention of his own problems.

The world, not just the football world, will miss him. Let’s hope it won’t be long before another like him turns up because we could never get enough of them.

Many EPL clubs will honor Robson in some form or another during the upcoming season with a number of more lasting tributes planned. Several statues and other permanent forms of remembrance are reportedly under consideration.

Andy Roddick is at an inflection point as far as his career is concerned. The 2009 US Open could dictate where his career goes from here.

On one hand, he has seen the rebirth of his talents, leading him to arguably his best season in a while thanks to being as fit as he was when he won his only major in 2003.

On the other hand, the US Open marks the end of another season, as the prime of his career slowly slips away as he still looks to snap the longest US men’s Grand Slam drought in the open era.

At year’s end, he’ll be 27 years old. While he currently stands 5th in the world, three of the four ahead of him are four years younger or more. The other? Roger Federer, who has had a rebirth of his own to coincide with Roddick. In fact, Federer has been the thorn in his side for years.

Roddick came oh so close to winning Wimbledon 2009, taking Roger Federer the distance and nearly defeating him in the 5th set to strip the crown away from the kind of the grass.

At this point in his career, Roddick’s window is beginning to close. He probably has three or four effective years left, but many tennis players age into their late 20s as they slide in the rankings.

Wimbledon was a perfect showcase of Roddick’s talents. With one of the best serves in the game and some impressive ground strokes, a fit Andy Roddick could stick around as one of the world’s elite players for quite some time if he keeps up this level of fitness.

Roddick wants a title in New York just as badly as anyone else out there. He’ll play his heart out, and we wish him luck.

In one of the highlight matches of the DREAM/K-1 Fields Dynamite! New Years Eve megacard, Japanese submission machine Shinya Aoki used a heel hook to submit a top notch opponent in Eddie Alverez at 1:32 of the first round. With the victory, Aoki sets up a rematch against reigning DREAM lightweight champion Joachim Hellboy Hansen.

When the Aoki/Alverez fight was first announced, there was some speculation that Aoki had chosen one of the worst possible stylistic matchups for him. A product of tough Kensington neighborhood in Philadelphia, he grew up not far from where much of the exterior scenes were shot for the first Rocky movie. With this sort of toughness and heart bred into him, and a solid background in boxing and amateur wrestling hes become one of the best all round fighters in MMA and among the best in the world at the weight.

Alverez received an enthusiastic reaction from the fans in Tokyos Saitama Super Arena as he made his way to the ring on New Years Eve”his run to the DREAM lightweight finals and particularly the epic battle with Hansen has made him a highly respected and popular fighter in Japan. The reaction he received was nothing like Aokis, however, who was cheered like a rock star as he bounced to the ring to his trademark theme song Baka Survivor.

As the two fighters stood for referee instructions, it was striking how much taller and rangier Aoki was than his opponent. Aoki is listed at 511, Alverez at 58 but the visual difference suggests that theres much more than a three inch height advantage in favor of Aoki. The two men respectfully touched gloves and bowed slightly before heading back to their corner for the opening bell of what most anticipated would be a lengthy chess match between two of the best fighters at the weight.

For the first minute of the match, it appeared that a slow feeling out process was underway. Alverez was the aggressor for most of the first minute, coming forward while using his jab as a range finder. Aoki flashed a couple of leg kicks, but never connected with any. Alverez landed the first blows of the contest, connecting with a nice three punch combination that displayed his lightning fast hands. Aoki danced away, however, and wasnt hurt by the attack.

What happened next can only be described as unbelievable”the sequence started when Aoki grabbed Alverezs ankle after a kick and appeared to go for what looked like a standing anklelock submission. Alverez managed to extricate his ankle and seeing that Aoki was off balance took the opportunity to go for his own takedown with a move that looked more like a judo throw than a traditional wrestling move. Against 99.9% of the other fighters in the world, Alverez would have ended up on top and started working in full or half guard. In other words, it was a perfect strategic move for Alverez and in theory would lead to an opportunity to use his superior power and striking ability.

When Alverez landed, however, Aoki wasnt there. In one single, almost gravity defying motion hed used the momentum from the takedown to shoot under Alverez and grab his leg. Alverez struggled briefly, but Aoki quickly cinched in a painful heel hook. Having prepared well for his opponent, Alverez went to counter by changing his body position and relieving the pressure but Aoki followed him move for move. Eventually, Alverez maneuvered himself into an even worse position and with an audible shout of pain was forced to tap. He got up slowly after the fight, but as of now theres thankfully been no indication of a serious leg or joint injury.

Ever the gentleman, Aoki dropped to the canvas after the tapout to check on his opponents condition than started his postfight celebration. He quickly addressed the crowd in Japanese to an enthusiastic response before heading to the back.

One superlative that is no longer in dispute is Shinya Aokis status as the best submission artist in mixed martial arts. Theres simply no one else like him in the sport”theres plenty of good, solid submission based fighters but Aoki elevates it into an art form. Hes got the technical background to be sure, but what elevates him above the rest is his amazing ability at improvisation. This makes it downright impossible to adequately prepare to fight him, as Alverez discovered.

In the aftermath of Brock Lesnars 2nd round TKO victory over Frank Mir the prevailing attitude toward him from mainstream fans has experienced a sudden and seismic shift. Before his past two fights many were questioning whether his credentials justified giving him a shot at the title, with some even unfairly comparing him to EliteXC YouTube sideshow attraction Kimbo Slice. In the aftermath of Lesnars UFC 100 victory the new question surrounding the former WWE champion has become who can beat this guy? Lesnar definitely is a freaky physical specimen combining size and strength with speed and agility. Hes also progressing by leaps and bounds as a fighter with every bout. Still, hes got a big deficit in experience to make up on the job as UFC heavyweight champion.

Lesnar is no doubt a handful for any opponent, but in many ways has been the beneficiary of favorable matchups throughout his MMA career. More recently, Frank Mir made a serious tactical error, thinking that he could absorb a beating on the ground and wait for a submission opportunity. Lesnar had gameplanned Mir perfectly, and implemented a fight plan that allowed him to pound his opponent mercilessly while avoiding the risk of submission. Neither observation is meant to diminish the significance of Lesnars victories, but to underscore the fact that hes not unbeatable. Heres five fighters who could do it:

1) FEDOR EMELIANENKO: While the acrimonious relationship between the Russian fighting god and the UFC brass makes this matchup unlikely, Brock Lesnar made news with his dismissal of Fedor at the press conference welcoming Couture back to the fold. The best news for Lesnar in this matchup is that it probably wont happen. The Last Emperor is as close to unbeatable as anyone in mixed martial arts. Fedor has defeated not only bigger opponents, but freakishly large opponents like K-1 kickboxer Hong-Man Choi and Kamala the Ugandan Giant doppelganger Zuluzhinho (whom he beat in a matter of seconds, essentially with one punch). The WAMMA World Heavyweight champion has striking power, submission mastery, and may be the toughest fighter mentally in the sport. Fedor might get taken down by the new UFC heavyweight champ, but hed reverse it from the bottom and win via armbar.

2) ANTONIO RODRIGO NOGUEIRA: Nogueira would present Lesnar with another formidable challenge. His five career losses are all via decision and came to the absolute highest level of competition (Fedor Emelianenko twice, Frank Mir, Josh Barnett and Dan Henderson). The Mir fight was a lopsided loss, but it was later revealed that he had been recovering from a staph infection that limited his training and clearly impacting his conditioning. His ability to withstand punishment and take a punch allows him to be patient against powerful opponents and wait for an opening for a submission, as evidenced in his fight against Tim Sylvia. A healthy ‘Nog’ would be able to test Lesnar’s ability to ‘finish’ matches and would be an even more dangerous submission threat than Mir.

3) JOSH BARNETT: Barnett is another unlikely opponent for Lesnar, also due to his strained relationship with Dana White and current issues with his positive drug test. Barnett also has a solid wrestling background, with the added dimension of his sizable submission repertoire. As his career has progressed, Barnett has become a more patient and tactically sound fighter and his standup game has improved significantly. Unfortunately for MMA fans, a matchup between Lesnar and Barnett is more likely to happen in an IGF pro wrestling event than in the UFC.

4) ALISTAIR OVEREEM: Overeem is bigger than Lesnar”260 pounds and 65 tall. He went through a rough patch in his career during his tenure in PRIDE, but has compiled a 5-1-1 record in his last seven fights. Mirko Cro Cop suggests that hes the *only* fighter in the world who could beat Fedor Emelianenko at this point. Hes got great standup including a kickboxing background that could cause Lesnar problems, as well as solid ground fighting ability. Hes yet another heavyweight that is unlikely to bend to Dana Whites contractual demands, and currently has a relationship with DREAM in Japan and Strikeforce in the US. Still, hes a dangerous matchup for any fighter on the planet.

5) RANDY COUTURE: Lesnars win over Couture was far from decisive, and it didnt have anything to do with the age disparity. Couture got caught with a big shot and it cost him the fight. Until that point, he was more than holding his own. He was making his opponent work hard, had the edge in the striking exchanges and had opened up a cut over Lesnars right eye. Granted, itll never be a favorable matchup on paper for Couture but at the same time Lesnar in no way proved his categorical superiority over The Natural. Couture’s toughness and cerebral approach to fighting could make the rematch a different story entirely.

Lesnars next challenge is likely to be the winner of the Cain Velesquez/Shane Carwin match. Both are big, rugged competitors but are also beatable opponents for Lesnar. An intriguing matchup down the road could be against Croatian striking machine Mirko Cro Cop. Cro Cop has battled injuries over the past year or so but if he could come close to the form he demonstrated in winning the PRIDE Open Weight GP he could be another formidable challenge. At his best, Cro Cop is simply the most devastating striker in the sport. While the UFC is likely to set up ‘favorable’ matchups for Lesnar in the near term to allow them to take advantage of his PPV popularity, he’ll have his hands full defending his UFC heavyweight title.