Lesnar new and improved on many levels

Brock Lesnar is finally feeling comfortable as a mixed martial artist. That's right the UFC heavyweight champ who's rolled to 5-1 record with zero experience in the cage before 2007, is finding his groove. He's a calmer fighter now who's not afraid to admit his weaknesses and ask for help.

After watching Lesnar take a first round beating from Shane Carwin, it was clear that Lesnar has big holes in his striking game. He got the win at UFC 116 and learne some important lessons.

"I think it’s just a confidence thing,” Lesnar told the Boston Herald. "You bang around in the gym and you’ve got 18, 20 ounce gloves on and you can take a punch in the gym, but up until the Carwin fight . . . there was always some question mark in my mind, I guess."

The former NCAA wrestling champ just isn't completely comfortable with his standup yet. Facing a cardio machine with good striking skills in Cain Velasquez this Saturday, Lesnar knew he had some work to do. He brought fellow UFC heavyweight Pat Barry to his camp in Minnesota and also worked with boxing training Peter Welch again.

"I never learned just the basics in boxing," Lesnar told the Boston Herald. "I wanted to go get a grassroots boxing coach to get my feet underneath me, to try to combine my wrestling positions and mold into a boxing stance, and just lower myself and learn to punch from my feet to my hands. And so he’s been a huge help - just being able to understand the fundamentals of punching."

It's going to come slowly. Even the best athletes in the world can't learn everything in just a few years. Heck, even the top MMA fighters are closing holes and adding to their games each day.

The Lesnar camp is wise to concentrate on certain areas in each matchup. For Frank Mir, it was more drilling on submission defense and ground positioning. Against Carwin, Lesnar worked on his conditioning and a specific submission. For Velasquez, it's boxing defense and being leaner. Lesnar is carrying a little less mass across his shoulders now.

It's that kind of flexibility and drive to get better that could make Lesnar tough to beat as time goes along. Someone better get him soon.

Wyman Priddy Alessandro Puzar Gaston Rahier Steve Ramon Tyla Rattray