During a recent episode of the Pound for Pound podcast, Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo tackled a fan question that quickly turned into a genuine debate: who would win in a Real American Freestyle (RAF) wrestling match between Jon Jones and Brock Lesnar?
The question came during the show’s speed round. While Cejudo ultimately sided with Jones, it was Usman’s reasoning for picking Lesnar that sparked the most discussion.
“This is a tough one. It’s a tough question for me to answer,” Usman admitted.
He then leaned toward Lesnar, pointing to the former UFC heavyweight champion’s physical advantages and wrestling style.
“I would say hypothetically, if I had to pick, I would just say the sheer size of Brock Lesnar and how Brock Lesnar wrestled,” he said. “Because he could stay in a stance. This was why he beat a lot of guys in college.”
Usman went on to explain that Lesnar’s patience and physicality in hand figh ting made him especially dangerous at heavyweight.
“Brock Lesnar could get down in the stance there and he could hand fig ht for that long,” he continued. “Brock Lesnar wasn’t necessarily a guy blasting sho ts all the time, but he could stay in the stance and he could hand fig ht.”
At the heavyweight level, Usman emphasized, that kind of grinding approach can take a serious toll on opponents.
“At heavyweight, we all know that definitely wears a guy down,” he added.
Usman acknowledged that Jones would likely be the more aggressive offensive wrestler but maintained that the size difference would create a major obstacle.
“I would have to go with Brock, even though I think Jon obviously is probably going to be a little bit more offensive,” Usman said.
He also questioned whether Jones could consistently secure takedowns against someone as large and physically imposing as Lesnar.
“I just think those limbs shooting underneath a guy as big as Brock Lesnar and trying to get him down multiple times, I just don’t necessarily see it,” he explained.
Usman also noted that both athletes are now past their competitive primes, which could influence the outcome.
“And of course, let’s be honest, these guys are older now,” he said. “Brock just retired. Jon is retired. I mean, hey, I think Brock Lesnar potentially.”
Cejudo, however, took the opposite stance. While he acknowledged Lesnar’s dominance during his peak years, he argued that age and accumulated damage have changed the equation.
“I got to go with Johnny Bones, man,” Cejudo said. “Brock Lesnar’s been through the grinder, man. He’s not the same guy.”
He made it clear that his opinion would be different if both men were competing at their absolute best.
“If it was in his prime, Jones ain’t beating Brock in wrestling, you know,” he said. “Brock was a legit NCAA champ, real big heavyweight.”
But in the present day, Cejudo believes Jones holds the advantage due to being slightly younger and less physically worn down.
“But right now, Jones is a little younger,” he added. “Brock has had a freaking steel cage, falling off of that. His body’s beat up, bro.”
He closed his argument with a confident prediction.
“I’m easily going for Johnny Bones Jones via whatever he wants,” Cejudo said.
When Usman pointed out that Lesnar had competed at WrestleMania the previous weekend, Cejudo quickly dismissed the significance of that appearance, stressing that professional wrestling is scripted entertainment rather than a true athletic contest.
Later on, Jon Jones eventually came across the clip on social media and responded with confidence.
“I’m getting my hand raised against you and Brock at the same time,” Jones wrote tagging Usman in his Instagram story.
