Lesnar requires 4 XL gloves and is guaranteed $250,000; Couture not sold on former WWE star

There are some interesting quotes going around about Brock Lesnar right now in anticipation of his UFC debut tonight against Frank Mir.

First, we have this little nugget of info from Dave Meltzer of Yahoo!:

This week brought a few other surprises. The first is that Lesnar has a freakish reach for a man of his height. The second is he is only the second man in the history of combat sports in Nevada to wear size 4XL gloves, the other being South Korean giant Choi Hong-man, who is 7-3 and 367 pounds.

Say what you want about Lesnar’s striking ability, but to have such a large impact zone with your fists attached to a healthy reach says to me that he has a lot of potential as a puncher.

The fact that he has a short, thick neck also suggests to me that there’s the distinct possibility he could have a solid chin as well. The less your head jerks back when you get hit, the easier it is to retain your equilibrium. No, that isn’t a scientific fact but I’ve done some field research of my own.

I don’t think we’ll see all that much of Lesnar’s striking ability tonight, but I really believe he has the potential to be a threat on his feet in the future.

According to Meltzer, Lesnar was the taller of the two at the weigh-ins even though he’s only listed at 6’2.5” while Mir is listed as 6’4”.

Meltzer also breaks the news of what both fighters are due to be paid:

Lesnar is guaranteed $250,000, the highest of anyone on the show, plus has a $200,000 win bonus. Generally speaking, most UFC headliners earn substantially more than their contracted guarantees. Mir, who has a chance to revitalize his career with a win, has a $40,000 guarantee with a $40,000 win bonus.

While I’m picking Lesnar to win and pick up that $200,000 bonus, current UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture isn’t so sure, according to a quote attributed to him in the Los Angeles Times:

Obviously I have a lot of respect for Brock Lesnar’s wrestling ability. He was an NCAA champion, which is an elite group of individuals. I don’t think it was a wise choice to jump in and fight a former heavyweight champion.

Couture forgets more about fighting than I actually know. I realize I am in no position to question his expertise. But let’s just say we agree to disagree. Mir was heavyweight champion at a time when the UFC’s heavyweight division was less than stellar. And in his prime, Mir lost to Ian Freeman and got pushed by Wes Sims. I respect Mir but I think his reign over the UFC’s heavyweight division is being embellished.

I also really think Mir is a good opponent selection for him. Lesnar wanted a name opponent and with a $250,000 guarantee, putting him in there with a no-name doesn’t make sense financially for the UFC. They need him to draw immediately at that kind of rate. So if you’re going to put him in there with a name guy, why not Mir?

Anyone who has ability is a threat to beat anyone. But of all the possible ways to win vs. Lesnar, I think Mir’s options are fewer than a lot other name fighters in the UFC right now.