"I’m not sure exactly what it is he has, mono or whatever, but I know that he was sick and couldn’t get a good, hard workout in. There’s a big difference between making an appearance and smiling and waving at a football game and going out and doing what he has to do in his training."
-- Greg Nelson, the founder, owner and head coach at the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy in Minneapolis, Minn., tells Yahoo!Sports.com that his biggest fighter, UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar, is still not well. Lesnar was recently forced to withdraw from his upcoming title fight against number one contender, Shane Carwin, at UFC 106 on Nov. 21. It was a difficult decision that did not sit well with most fans, setting off a firestorm on conspiracy theories that Lesnar wasn't really sick, but just preferred to fight on the blockbuster year-end show, UFC 108, which is scheduled for Jan. 2, 2010. Most of those Oliver Stones pointed to Lesnar's appearance at a Minnesota Vikings football game as proof that his illness was hogwash. Nelson defends Lesnar, saying that he has been unable to train hard because of the mysterious malady. In fact, he even indicates that Lesnar still has not returned to full strength and that he may have to postpone his return until the Superbowl weekend event in early February.
Get the latest gear
