Heath Herring recovering from injury, disappointment after loss to Brock Lesnar After suffering a brutal pounding in a unanimous-decision loss to the massive Brock Lesnar (2-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) at UFC 87, veteran Heath Herring (28-14 MMA, 2-3 UFC) was left nursing more than just his injuries.
“That overhand right—that shocked the hell out of me,” Herring admitted. “I didn’t see it coming and I got caught with it. That definitely had an effect on the outcome of the fight.”
Lesnar’s heavy right hand dropped Herring and impaired the Texan’s vision throughout the remainder of the contest.
“It hurt me pretty good,” Herring said of the punch. “I wasn’t able to see. Right at the beginning of the fight you’re blind. How much does that affect you? I don’t know. It’s not good.”
The extent of Herring’s eye injury is still not clear. The 30-year-old said he is waiting on more information from his doctors before a course of action for recovery is determined.
“There’s definitely some damage to the eye,” Herring said. “But I think we’re going to be OK. We’re still seeing with the doctors what the final result’s going to be on that.”
The loss was especially disappointing for Herring due to the successful training camp he completed heading into the bout. The “Texas Crazy Horse” was in noticeably better condition than he has arrived in for previous fights.
“That’s the worst part about the fight; I felt in great shape,” Herring said. “I felt my training camp went well.
“You get caught early on and there’s nothing you can do about it. You make do with the cards you’re dealt sometimes. We got dealt some pretty bad ones early on. We tried to stay in the fight and do what we could do.”
Lesnar’s near-taunting celebration has been discussed frequently since Saturday night. Herring said he wasn’t offended by the laughs and gestures.
“[Lesnar] is a pro wrestler,” Herring said. “What do you expect? That’s kind of his shtick. It’s what he does. I figure that’s what everybody expected from him.”
Additionally—despite rumors to the contrary—Herring said there was no pre-fight clash between the two fighters.
“I don’t know if [Lesnar] said something,” Herring said. “I didn’t really have any words with him before the bout. I’ve never even really met the guy.
“I’ve been around this sport for years. I’ve never really done any trash-talking or anything like that before a match. I don’t know where that came from.”
Herring also denied reports that he requested he not be forced to walk to the cage ahead of the hometown-hero Lesnar.
“I never even had a discussion with [the UFC] about anything,” Herring insisted. “I’ll be honest. You bringing that up is the first I’ve heard of it.”
Herring said after the disappointment of the loss that he plans on taking a bit of time off to prepare himself mentally and physically for his next chance in the octagon.
“I’ve got to step back a little bit,” Herring said. “I’ve got some other stuff kind of working on the backburner right now. We’re going to go do some of that stuff and just see how everything pans out.
“I’ve got some acting possibilities. I’m going to try to do some acting a little bit.
“I’m trying to get back to training and do some other things with training.
“It’s just disappointing when you kind of feel like you’ve done everything right and you get some bad luck early on. I’ve got to clean that out a little bit and get refocused. We’ll be back to business before too long I imagine.”
And once Herring does return, Lesnar will be on a list of targets for future opponents.
“We took the best [Lesnar] could give us for 15 minutes, and he couldn’t finish it,” Herring said. “I don’t know what else he’s going to bring to the table to finish me off.
“We took his best shot and went on from there. I’d love for him to take one of mine, and we’ll see how it goes.”
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Result: Lesnar vs. Herring Video
Round 1
Lesnar drops Herring with a straight right. Herring gets to his feet and pushes the massive Lesnar against the fencing. Lesnar has control of Herring’s head in a headlock. Herring, bleeding from above his left eye, gets out of the headlock and is easily taken down with a single-leg. Herring gives up his back and is blasted with a right hand.
Lesnar controls him from the back with a leg in and wrist control. Herring rolls but Lesnar stuffs it and takes the same position. Lesnar crushes Herring with a knee to the body. Lesnar is taking his time and controlling his more experienced opponent. Herring keeps working but he can’t shake Lesnar off his back. The former pro wrestler punches the body with both hands. More knees to the body land as time expires.
Round 2
Lesnar kicks at Herring’s front leg and muscles him to the canvas. Lesnar goes to the same back position as round one, until Herring flops over and ends up in the bottom in side-control. Lesnar is mopping the floor with Herring with total control. Lesnar punches the head twice with his right hand and briefly takes the mount. Herring gives up his back and Lesnar ties up wrist control with one leg in from behind. Knees to the body from Lesnar find their target. Herring gets to his feet and Lesnar follows. Herring pushes Lesanr against the fencing and lands a right to the body. Lesnar answers with a knee to the body that shakes Herring’s frame. Herring returns knees to the mid section and is taken back down before the horn sounds.
Round 3
Lesnar snaps a kick to Herring’s body. Lesnar pushes Herring to the fence and works on the midsection with knees. An easy takedown from Lesnar follows. Through 11 minutes of action, this fight is hardly a contest. Lesnar mounts and patiently strikes. Herring gives up his back. More knees hit the body. Herring, now with his left eye swollen shut, stands and is effortlessly ripped back to the canvas with a textbook single-leg. Herring rolls for a kneebar that is defended perfectly. Lesnar hits the head with both hands and takes the mount with 10 seconds remaining. Complete domination.
All three judges see the bout 30-26 for Brock Lesnar.
Lesnar drops Herring with a straight right. Herring gets to his feet and pushes the massive Lesnar against the fencing. Lesnar has control of Herring’s head in a headlock. Herring, bleeding from above his left eye, gets out of the headlock and is easily taken down with a single-leg. Herring gives up his back and is blasted with a right hand.
Lesnar controls him from the back with a leg in and wrist control. Herring rolls but Lesnar stuffs it and takes the same position. Lesnar crushes Herring with a knee to the body. Lesnar is taking his time and controlling his more experienced opponent. Herring keeps working but he can’t shake Lesnar off his back. The former pro wrestler punches the body with both hands. More knees to the body land as time expires.
Round 2
Lesnar kicks at Herring’s front leg and muscles him to the canvas. Lesnar goes to the same back position as round one, until Herring flops over and ends up in the bottom in side-control. Lesnar is mopping the floor with Herring with total control. Lesnar punches the head twice with his right hand and briefly takes the mount. Herring gives up his back and Lesnar ties up wrist control with one leg in from behind. Knees to the body from Lesnar find their target. Herring gets to his feet and Lesnar follows. Herring pushes Lesanr against the fencing and lands a right to the body. Lesnar answers with a knee to the body that shakes Herring’s frame. Herring returns knees to the mid section and is taken back down before the horn sounds.
Round 3
Lesnar snaps a kick to Herring’s body. Lesnar pushes Herring to the fence and works on the midsection with knees. An easy takedown from Lesnar follows. Through 11 minutes of action, this fight is hardly a contest. Lesnar mounts and patiently strikes. Herring gives up his back. More knees hit the body. Herring, now with his left eye swollen shut, stands and is effortlessly ripped back to the canvas with a textbook single-leg. Herring rolls for a kneebar that is defended perfectly. Lesnar hits the head with both hands and takes the mount with 10 seconds remaining. Complete domination.
All three judges see the bout 30-26 for Brock Lesnar.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Predictions: Lesnar vs Herring
Lesnar, who trains in Minnesota and should have a large hometown contingent of fans in attendance, is actually favored by the oddsmakers in this one despite only having two MMA bouts under his belt and one of them being a loss in the UFC against Frank Mir.
Herring on the other hand is coming off of one of his best wins against Cheick Kongo, who knocked out Mirko Cro Cop previously. Herring came into the Kongo fight in the best shape of his life after a close loss to current heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira and looked like a completely different fighter and a true title contender.
This is an interesting fight from many perspectives. First of all, Lesnar vs. Herring might be decided by whether or not Lesnar can survive on the ground. He made a huge mistake and left his leg out against Mir leading to a submission in stunningly easy fashion. Herring can submit Lesnar at UFC 87 with ease if he makes a mistake because he's good on the ground.
Another factor will be Herring's takedown defense. Herring is a big guy who can come close to match Lesnar's immense physical power but his takedown defense is little bit flawed as evidenced by the Kongo fight. Lesnar has come out like a madman and used his championship wrestling skills learned at the University of Minnesota to take his first two opponents down.
Herring is a great striker, however, who can throw heavy kicks with ease. Lesnar vs. Herring could be decided by a devastating kick to the face of Lesnar if Lesnar gets careless trying to take Herring down.
Overall, this will easily be one of the most exciting fights of the night and perhaps the year. Lesnar is raw but very strong and talented and Herring is an unpredictable, let-it-all-hang-out type of fighter who can make any fight exciting. The crowd will be buzzing at UFC 87 for this fight perhaps more so than the title fight and that should make for a great atmosphere.
source: associatedcontent.com
Herring on the other hand is coming off of one of his best wins against Cheick Kongo, who knocked out Mirko Cro Cop previously. Herring came into the Kongo fight in the best shape of his life after a close loss to current heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira and looked like a completely different fighter and a true title contender.
This is an interesting fight from many perspectives. First of all, Lesnar vs. Herring might be decided by whether or not Lesnar can survive on the ground. He made a huge mistake and left his leg out against Mir leading to a submission in stunningly easy fashion. Herring can submit Lesnar at UFC 87 with ease if he makes a mistake because he's good on the ground.
Another factor will be Herring's takedown defense. Herring is a big guy who can come close to match Lesnar's immense physical power but his takedown defense is little bit flawed as evidenced by the Kongo fight. Lesnar has come out like a madman and used his championship wrestling skills learned at the University of Minnesota to take his first two opponents down.
Herring is a great striker, however, who can throw heavy kicks with ease. Lesnar vs. Herring could be decided by a devastating kick to the face of Lesnar if Lesnar gets careless trying to take Herring down.
Overall, this will easily be one of the most exciting fights of the night and perhaps the year. Lesnar is raw but very strong and talented and Herring is an unpredictable, let-it-all-hang-out type of fighter who can make any fight exciting. The crowd will be buzzing at UFC 87 for this fight perhaps more so than the title fight and that should make for a great atmosphere.
source: associatedcontent.com
Preview: Lesnar vs. Herring
On Saturday night, Brock Lesnar goes into the cage with Heath Herring to answer a question: Is previous fame heading into a mixed martial arts career a blessing or a curse?
Lesnar, a former NCAA wrestling champion and World Wrestling Entertainment star, is one of the greatest athletic prospects to ever come into the sport. He has size, strength and, most of all, incredible quickness and reflexes for a man who had to cut weight to make the 265-pound heavyweight limit.
But as he heads into Saturday’s UFC 87 showdown against rugged veteran Heath Herring, he runs the risk that his headlining fame will be over just as quickly as it started.
“There’s always pressure to win in every circumstance,” said Lesnar. “Me, being very new, nobody wants to follow a loser. I don’t want to say my back is against the wall, but I put pressure on myself. There’s no added pressure in my mind, but I want to win the fight.”
Lesnar can’t afford a second straight loss on a major pay-per-view event and still be considered a long-term main eventer.
And with a hefty contract, Lesnar (1-1 overall; 0-1 UFC) is unlikely to be kept around unless he can be a major pay-per-view seller. It’s not a lock that if he loses he’ll be gone, but if he looks bad or is knocked out, it’s a distinct possibility. UFC last year cut Mirko Cro Cop, a similarly highly paid heavyweight, after two losses.
“I plan on being around for a while,” said Lesnar.
After signing a lucrative UFC deal, Lesnar’s first match, on Feb. 2, was against Frank Mir, a former UFC heavyweight champion, who is noted for being one of the best submission heavyweights in the sport. Lesnar looked like an unstoppable, but also undisciplined, force – for about 85 seconds. Lesnar exploded for takedowns that were more like violent linebacker hits. His quickness in moving on the ground was freakish for a man of his size, leaving Mir in immediate disbelief. Lesnar was battering the former champ on the ground, who kept thinking to himself to just keep moving so the match wouldn’t be stopped. Lesnar even knocked Mir down with a punch.
Five seconds later, it was over, and Mir’s arm raised in victory.
“I had a dominant position and I stood up and made an amateur mistake,” said Lesnar.
Lesnar got to his feet after escaping an armbar on the ground, leaving his leg behind, and Mir caught Lesnar in a kneebar, causing him to tap out. It was a spot Lesnar drilled regularly in practice before the fight, and even more after.
In response to the loss, Lesnar added Rodrigo “Comprido” Medeiros, a seven-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, to his team of coaches.
“I worked a lot of stand-up this camp,” he said. “We worked on all aspects of wrestling, a lot of jiu-jitsu defense, a lot of leg kick defense. Heath has a strong right hand and is well-rounded with his kicks. We haven’t left any rock unturned for this fight."
“First and foremost, I didn’t like to lose,” Lesnar said. “Nobody likes to lose. I have to be a little more relaxed. I’m a little more relaxed and a little more polished. I’ve had a few more months to train. The Brock Lesnar now against the Brock Lesnar then, I’d beat him.”
The estimated 600,000 buys Lesnar’s match with Mir did on pay-per-view is bigger than any boxing or MMA match has done so far this year, and among the biggest in MMA history. Even more impressive, UFC sources indicated nearly half had never purchased a UFC event before.
Because UFC president Dana White saw the potential of bringing new fans to the sport, Lesnar walked into the company as one of its highest paid fighters, at a $250,000 base guarantee plus undisclosed bonuses.
But because of that same drawing power, and the cost, his early path is opposite to how UFC has treated similar heavyweight prospects Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez, or how Elite XC has booked Kimbo Slice.
The others have been given lower or mid-level opponents to start out with to build their reputation. UFC decided that with what they were paying Lesnar, there was going to be no such slow grooming process.
“I said from the beginning I didn’t want any easy fights, and Heath is not an easy opponent,” said Lesnar.
Things are a lot different in match No. 2. The company did an intense marketing campaign around his debut, pushing him as a former WWE champion, showing clips of his pro wrestling matches and using him as an outsider from pro wrestling coming into UFC to see what happens if a pro wrestler were to fight for real.
But for this fight, things are different. Lesnar is no longer a novelty act to either the media or the audience. He’s a name fighter, but one who has to prove himself. He hasn’t been marketed as hard as he was for the first show. He’s clearly the draw for the live show and expected to be the most popular fighter on the show, which heading into the week has sold 11,000 tickets for $2.2 million. That’s a 180-degree turn from the Las Vegas crowd, which booed him out of the arena, seeing him as a fake pro wrestler invading their sport. But on a national basis, the main event is clearly Georges St. Pierre’s welterweight title defense against Jon Fitch.
“I think experience is something that is much needed,” admitted Lesnar, now 31, facing a man who is actually a year younger than he is even though he’s almost a pioneer heavyweight in the sport.
Texan Herring has 41 pro fights over the past 11 years, in nearly every major organization. He became a star in Japan at the age of 22, and has been in the ring with a Who’s Who list of the greatest heavyweights of all-time.
“For me, I’ve been able to get a lot of experience in the training room,” said Lesnar.
Herring, a big star during PRIDE’s heyday in Japan when he was known as “The Texas Crazy Horse” for his unique multi-colored hair, noted he’s beaten men bigger than the 6-2 ½, 277-pound Lesnar, as well as higher credentialed wrestlers. He’s best known for a 2000 win over Tom Erikson, a 300-pounder with better amateur credentials than Lesnar, who had never lost up to that point. But Erikson was 36 and had never focused 100 percent on the sport the way Lesnar has. Herring also beat Mark Kerr, a former NCAA champion, in 2001 when beating Kerr, an early MMA star, still meant something. Against the top wrestlers, both opponents come out strong with takedowns. But in both cases, they started getting tired. In each case, Herring caught them with knees as they shot in, and quickly finished them.
But in Herring’s UFC debut on January 25, 2007, that never happened and Jake O’Brien outwrestled him for three rounds to earn a decision win. O’Brien, while a good college wrestler, isn’t nearly as big, as strong, or the level of wrestler as Lesnar.
Herring (28-13), is known for being difficult to finish; he went the distance twice with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in their three meetings, after being submitted the first time. But he was beaten by his most famous opponents in Japan, by Cro Cop from strikes on the ground, and by Fedor Emelianenko due to blood.
source: sports.yahoo.com
Lesnar, a former NCAA wrestling champion and World Wrestling Entertainment star, is one of the greatest athletic prospects to ever come into the sport. He has size, strength and, most of all, incredible quickness and reflexes for a man who had to cut weight to make the 265-pound heavyweight limit.
But as he heads into Saturday’s UFC 87 showdown against rugged veteran Heath Herring, he runs the risk that his headlining fame will be over just as quickly as it started.
“There’s always pressure to win in every circumstance,” said Lesnar. “Me, being very new, nobody wants to follow a loser. I don’t want to say my back is against the wall, but I put pressure on myself. There’s no added pressure in my mind, but I want to win the fight.”
Lesnar can’t afford a second straight loss on a major pay-per-view event and still be considered a long-term main eventer.
And with a hefty contract, Lesnar (1-1 overall; 0-1 UFC) is unlikely to be kept around unless he can be a major pay-per-view seller. It’s not a lock that if he loses he’ll be gone, but if he looks bad or is knocked out, it’s a distinct possibility. UFC last year cut Mirko Cro Cop, a similarly highly paid heavyweight, after two losses.
“I plan on being around for a while,” said Lesnar.
After signing a lucrative UFC deal, Lesnar’s first match, on Feb. 2, was against Frank Mir, a former UFC heavyweight champion, who is noted for being one of the best submission heavyweights in the sport. Lesnar looked like an unstoppable, but also undisciplined, force – for about 85 seconds. Lesnar exploded for takedowns that were more like violent linebacker hits. His quickness in moving on the ground was freakish for a man of his size, leaving Mir in immediate disbelief. Lesnar was battering the former champ on the ground, who kept thinking to himself to just keep moving so the match wouldn’t be stopped. Lesnar even knocked Mir down with a punch.
Five seconds later, it was over, and Mir’s arm raised in victory.
“I had a dominant position and I stood up and made an amateur mistake,” said Lesnar.
Lesnar got to his feet after escaping an armbar on the ground, leaving his leg behind, and Mir caught Lesnar in a kneebar, causing him to tap out. It was a spot Lesnar drilled regularly in practice before the fight, and even more after.
In response to the loss, Lesnar added Rodrigo “Comprido” Medeiros, a seven-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, to his team of coaches.
“I worked a lot of stand-up this camp,” he said. “We worked on all aspects of wrestling, a lot of jiu-jitsu defense, a lot of leg kick defense. Heath has a strong right hand and is well-rounded with his kicks. We haven’t left any rock unturned for this fight."
“First and foremost, I didn’t like to lose,” Lesnar said. “Nobody likes to lose. I have to be a little more relaxed. I’m a little more relaxed and a little more polished. I’ve had a few more months to train. The Brock Lesnar now against the Brock Lesnar then, I’d beat him.”
The estimated 600,000 buys Lesnar’s match with Mir did on pay-per-view is bigger than any boxing or MMA match has done so far this year, and among the biggest in MMA history. Even more impressive, UFC sources indicated nearly half had never purchased a UFC event before.
Because UFC president Dana White saw the potential of bringing new fans to the sport, Lesnar walked into the company as one of its highest paid fighters, at a $250,000 base guarantee plus undisclosed bonuses.
But because of that same drawing power, and the cost, his early path is opposite to how UFC has treated similar heavyweight prospects Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez, or how Elite XC has booked Kimbo Slice.
The others have been given lower or mid-level opponents to start out with to build their reputation. UFC decided that with what they were paying Lesnar, there was going to be no such slow grooming process.
“I said from the beginning I didn’t want any easy fights, and Heath is not an easy opponent,” said Lesnar.
Things are a lot different in match No. 2. The company did an intense marketing campaign around his debut, pushing him as a former WWE champion, showing clips of his pro wrestling matches and using him as an outsider from pro wrestling coming into UFC to see what happens if a pro wrestler were to fight for real.
But for this fight, things are different. Lesnar is no longer a novelty act to either the media or the audience. He’s a name fighter, but one who has to prove himself. He hasn’t been marketed as hard as he was for the first show. He’s clearly the draw for the live show and expected to be the most popular fighter on the show, which heading into the week has sold 11,000 tickets for $2.2 million. That’s a 180-degree turn from the Las Vegas crowd, which booed him out of the arena, seeing him as a fake pro wrestler invading their sport. But on a national basis, the main event is clearly Georges St. Pierre’s welterweight title defense against Jon Fitch.
“I think experience is something that is much needed,” admitted Lesnar, now 31, facing a man who is actually a year younger than he is even though he’s almost a pioneer heavyweight in the sport.
Texan Herring has 41 pro fights over the past 11 years, in nearly every major organization. He became a star in Japan at the age of 22, and has been in the ring with a Who’s Who list of the greatest heavyweights of all-time.
“For me, I’ve been able to get a lot of experience in the training room,” said Lesnar.
Herring, a big star during PRIDE’s heyday in Japan when he was known as “The Texas Crazy Horse” for his unique multi-colored hair, noted he’s beaten men bigger than the 6-2 ½, 277-pound Lesnar, as well as higher credentialed wrestlers. He’s best known for a 2000 win over Tom Erikson, a 300-pounder with better amateur credentials than Lesnar, who had never lost up to that point. But Erikson was 36 and had never focused 100 percent on the sport the way Lesnar has. Herring also beat Mark Kerr, a former NCAA champion, in 2001 when beating Kerr, an early MMA star, still meant something. Against the top wrestlers, both opponents come out strong with takedowns. But in both cases, they started getting tired. In each case, Herring caught them with knees as they shot in, and quickly finished them.
But in Herring’s UFC debut on January 25, 2007, that never happened and Jake O’Brien outwrestled him for three rounds to earn a decision win. O’Brien, while a good college wrestler, isn’t nearly as big, as strong, or the level of wrestler as Lesnar.
Herring (28-13), is known for being difficult to finish; he went the distance twice with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in their three meetings, after being submitted the first time. But he was beaten by his most famous opponents in Japan, by Cro Cop from strikes on the ground, and by Fedor Emelianenko due to blood.
source: sports.yahoo.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)