Rosenthal didn't intervene and Lesnar turned the fight around. Photo: Josh Hedges
Brock Lesnar now knows the day, location and opponent for his next heavyweight title defense. He will face Cain Velasquez as UFC 121 on October 23, in California. The news was confirmed by the promotion’s president, Dana White.
Velasquez is coming off a knockout win over Rodrigo Minotauro. Lesnar should be wary about that. In his last performance, against Shane Carwin, the champion ate a serious of strikes, but weathered the storm. Such was the onslaught that many who watched the fight felt it should have been stopped.
Refereeing the bout, Josh Rosenthal explains why he didn’t pull the fighters apart in the initial round, which gave Brock a chance to turn things around and triumph with a submission hold.
“He took some hard shots, but he was looking for a way out, blocking some of the strikes. He tried to push Shane away and took some more shots. I ordered him to fight, and that’s what he did. He put his feet to Carwin’s hips and pushed him away. He was functioning well, he heard and responded to my orders,” said Rosenthal to ESPN’s MMA Live.
(collaborator: Nalty Jr.)