When WWE stars try their hand at other sports after the WWE, there is a bit of skepticism on whether they can perform. This is largely due to the scripted nature of pro wrestling. However, many have moved on to the UFC and found a new home for a while. One of the most famous such names is Brock Lesnar. 

After leaving wrestling behind for four years, Lesnar would reenter a ring, not a squared one but an octagon. However, fans were not accepting a former WWE ‘acting’ star to win at MMA. This hate was soon shut down by the man who had beaten him. 

Frank Mir claimed Lesnar was a great fighter

After leaving the WWE in 2004, Lesnar tried his hands at NFL with the Minnesota Vikings. Unfortunately, he was cut from the team during the pre-season period. On February 2, 2008, he made his UFC debut against Frank Mir. Mir has been part of the MMA scene since 2001, while Lesnar had amateur college wrestling experience. However, since Lesnar was part of the WWE, many claimed he was just an actor with no real talent.

While talking to Paddy The Baddy, Mir reviewed his initial impression of Lesnar. In his words, “This guy is a legitimate killer,” Mir said. This was in reference to all the hate Lesnar was getting as a former WWE star turned MMA fighter. Throughout the talk, Mir kept praising how Lesnar was more talented than the fans gave him credit. 

Mir also touched upon the hype of MMA versus pro wrestling. According to Mir, pro wrestling was the wrong term for Lesnar, given his experience. Mir explained that MMA’s foundation is built on wrestling, which Lesnar had experience in. Mir said, “I heard some people say oh he’s some actor, I am all what? He’s not an actor, what are you talking about? Yes, he went into pro wrestling, but this guy is the real deal.”

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While talking, Mir also brought up another WWE legend, Kurt Angle. According to Mir, if Angle chose MMA after his Olympic Gold win for freestyle wrestling, he could beat many MMA fighters. Mir’s words about Lesnar rang true, as after his debut defeat Lesnar took the world of UFC by storm.

Lesnar’s UFC career after losing his debut match 

Lesnar’s debut match was against Mir at UFC 81 in Las Vegas, Nevada. As soon as the match started, Lesnar went for a takedown. This highlights what Mir said about Lesnar’s wrestling background as a major plus for him. Throughout the match, Lesnar used his strength to his advantage.

However, Lesnar’s non-familiarity with this new MMA style showed up, with Mir taking the upper hand. Placing Lesnar in a text-book knee bar, Mir had him tap out for the win. 

Despite losing his debut match, Lesnar would come back stronger than ever. At UFC 91, he would face off against Randy Couture and win via Knockout to claim the UFC Heavyweight title. In 2009, he faced off against Mir for a rematch and successfully defended his championship. A win over another UFC big name Shane Carwin followed. But Lesnar suffered two back-to-back defeats at the hands of Cain Velasquez and Alistair Overeem, effectively ending his MMA career.

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