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Misc Boxing/MMA Boxing Archive Preview: UFC 81
Written by Scott Swerbinsky

Scott Swerbinsky
Tonight from the Mandalay Bay in Vegas, we get one of the most hyped UFC fights in the sports history, as monster Brock Lesnar makes his UFC debut in a heavyweight bout against Frank Mir. Lesnar, the former WWE champion, has a stellar college wrestling background and imposing size. But will it translate to the octagon and mixed martial arts? My cousin previews tonights UFC event for us. Tonight, live from The Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, we have one of the most talked about fights in a long long time. The UFC heavyweight division needed a spark and boy are they going to get one.

Brock Lesnar is a former WWE champion and will step into the octagon for the very first time this evening. Everyone wants to see if he can hang with the big boys of the UFC's heavyweight division. Lesnar's NCAA wrestling background is well known. The guy is simply a monster and his power can't be questioned. The main thing fight fans want to know is how is his all around mixed martial arts game?

Frank Mir is a former UFC title holder. He also possesses one of the best ground games in the sport. He holds an 8-3 record in the UFC and will have a huge experience advantage. Lesnar has one mma fight under his belt and it was against an outclassed opponent.

I can't wait for this one. There are many people that think Lesnar will just walk right thru Frank Mir because of his strength, size, and wrestling ability. I'm not one of those people. I think we are going to see a great fight that can go either way. I see Mir having an advantage on the ground because of his submission game.

I also think Mir should take this match as a slap in the face. The UFC is hyping Lesnar up as the biggest thing to hit the sport, maybe ever. People have always questioned Mir's training and conditioning. He hasn't looked too impressive after coming back from a horrible motorcycle accident. I look for Mir to be in excellent shape and have his head on straight tonight. This could easily be his UFC career on the line tonight. If he wins, he should be in line for a title shot. I expect the best Frank Mir we have ever seen.

There just happens to be another heavyweight fight on this card and it's for the interim championship. Randy Couture's belt was vacated when he resigned from the UFC a few months back. That set up a showdown between former title holder Tim Sylvia and former Pride champ Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueira.

This is another matchup I am looking forward to. Sylvia loves to strike and has great hands. Nogueira is a great grappler and will prefer to be on the ground in this one. The fighter who can gain early control will have a serious handle on this title fight. It should be a hard fought chess match between two of the best heavyweights in the world.

Every time I think Sylvia is outclassed, he looks impressive. There are many people who don't like the big man but he does go out and gives it all he has. His 9-3 record in the UFC is legit. I expect a great fight and can't wait to see who will be crowned king of the heavyweights.

Middleweight contender Nate "The Great" Marquardt is back in action tonight. He steps in with one of the most experienced fighters in the game, Jeremy Horn.

The last time we saw Marquardt, he suffered his first UFC loss to Anderson Silva. I think we will see a totally different guy tonight. He is one of the most well rounded fighters in the sport. He has great hands, good wrestling, and slick jui-jitsu.

Jeremy Horn has competed in over 100 mixed martial arts fights in his career. He hasn't fought anyone of Marquardt's caliber in a few years. I look for Marquardt to dominate him and get back on the winning track.

Full Fight Card:

Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Tim Sylvia (for interim heavyweight title)

Ricardo Almeida vs. Rob Yundt

Jeremy Horn vs. Nate Marquardt

Tyson Griffin vs. Gleison Tibau

Kyle Bradley vs. Chris Lytle

Marvin Eastman vs. Terry Martin

Tim Boetsch VS. David Heath

Rob Emerson vs. Keita Nakamura

Tonight's Las Vegas card should be very exciting. The hype around Lesnar should have some fans that normally wouldn't watch the UFC tuning in to see what will happen. It is a great night for all fight fans, the sport, and of course the UFC.

The heavyweight division has been on the down swing for awhile now. This evening will bring them to the big stage and put them front and center. I truly think we will see two excellent fights in that weight class tonight.

There is a lot of talent on this fight card, many of which have a good shot to climb the ladder and get near title shots. I can't wait to tune in to see what will happen.

Don't miss it!

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