Brock Lesnar did everything he could to avoid suffering from the infamous 'Octagon jitters' when he made his UFC debut 16 years ago.
'The Beast Incarnate' was better prepared than most after a legendary first run in professional wrestling with the WWE, but he was still nervous about fighting in the premier division of MMA.
Fighters are so often overcome with anxiety before competing in the UFC, especially for the first time, that a phenomenon known as “Octagon jitters” has been talked about for years.
Brock Lesnar did his best to avoid nerves during the first fight before UFC 81 in 2008.
Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images
Brock Lesnar trained for UFC debut in replica Octagon
Lesnar's only MMA experience before signing with the UFC was a 69-second win at Dynamite!! USA
The 47-year-old quickly defeated 2-5 fighter Kim Min-Soo into submission. Dana White had seen enough, so he immediately signed Lesnar to the UFC and paired him with one of the best heavyweights in MMA, Frank Mir.
In February 2022, Lesnar was asked about the differences between competing in the WWE and the UFC.
The American explained that although he loves professional wrestling, it is nothing like a real MMA fight. Lesnar used his first UFC fight camp to explain how nervous he was moving forward before clashing with Mir.
“I still get butterflies. I still enjoy it. I enjoy it,” he said.
“It's a different game when you enter the Octagon and, I'm telling you, you have to be a little crazy! You do.
“I built or ordered an Octagon, so I didn't have the initial itch to get into an Octagon. I'm like, 'Dana, I want an Octagon.' Tree! “Send an Octagon to Brock.” So I could fight in it and practice in it, you know?
“But then you're standing in front of 20,000 people and they close the door and you're like, 'Ah, okay! Here we go!'”
Lesnar suffered a 90-second knee injury defeat in his UFC debut, but that didn't stop him.
The next man he faced in the Octagon, Heath Herring, was knocked down by a monstrous punch in a decision victory.
Lesnar defeated Randy Couture to become UFC heavyweight champion in November 2008.
A second-round TKO victory over Mir saw Lesnar avenge his debut defeat before making a second defense against Shane Carwin, which was especially impressive as the WWE icon battled a serious illness.
Ultimately, Cain Velasquez ended his career as champion and Alistair Overeem effectively kicked him out of retirement in 2011. Lesnar returned to Mark Hunt in 2016, but he retired for good after his unanimous decision victory over 'The Super Samoan' was overturned in a no. match due to failed drug tests.
Brock Lesnar addresses the Dana White and Vince McMahon comparisons
Lesnar is one of the few people who has worked with White and McMahon.
The two powerhouses are often compared, but Lesnar sees them very differently after meeting them at different stages of his life.
He added: “Dana is doing well. I got a lot of money from him. Maybe I probably should have been paid more.
“I really can't compare the two guys. Honestly, my relationship with Vince over the years is so different than it was with Dana. Vince and I have had a love-hate relationship for the last twenty years, but it was good. There is a lot of water under the bridge.
“I have a lot of respect for both men. But when you deal with Dana, it's just a completely different business approach.
“I met Vince when I was younger. I actually consider Vince more of a father figure because I learned a lot of things from him, and I was able to pass those things on and handle things with Dana.
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