DaytonDailyNews.com

After just three pro fights, Brock Lesnar will headline a major event that Ultimate Fighting Championships executives predict could shatter previous pay-per-view records.

The MGM Grand Gardena Arena in Las Vegas will be sold out. ESPN will be on the scene. And Lesnar, a former World Wrestling Entertainment superstar still trying to win over mixed-martial-arts fans, will take on one of the sport's most popular fighters — in his own backyard.

Yet, Lesnar doesn't seem the least bit fazed by Saturday's "UFC 91: Couture vs. Lesnar" event.

"I've had the opportunity to wrestle in front of 72,000 people," Lesnar said of his WWE days. "That's entertainment, but you're still in front of a large crowd.

"I've headlined many pay-per-views. This will be just another one."

Not exactly.

Lesnar (2-1), a former NCAA national wrestling champion, is meeting Couture (16-8), a 45-year-old UFC hall-of-famer who moved up a weight class, gave up 60 pounds and yet won the UFC's heavyweight title in his first fight back from retirement in 2007.

Couture now returns from a 15-month layoff due to a contract dispute.

Lesnar, who cuts weight to make the 265-pound limit, will have a serious size advantage, which led the oddsmakers to tap him a slight favorite in the fight.

"I wouldn't even consider Randy an underdog," Lesnar said. "Randy ... is a world class athlete, regardless of his age."

And despite turning pro just a little more than a year ago, Lesnar had no reservations about taking the fight.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me," Lesnar said. "Anybody that would be in my position would never have turned this fight down."

Dayton to host Muay Thai even

Some of the region's top Muay Thai fighters will compete Saturday for the Midwest Muay Thai Kickboxing Championships' "Autumn Fire Cup."

The event takes place at the TAMA Family Martial Arts Center (1753 Woodman Drive) with more than two dozen competitors, including a handful from Dayton.

Tickets for the event are $25 to $35 and can be purchased at the event. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the first fight begins at 8 p.m.

Muay Thai is a tradition-rich form of kickboxing most popular in Thailand. The sport recently experienced a resurgence thanks to the growth of MMA. Many of the world's top MMA fighters train extensively in Muay Thai.

Dann Stupp is editor-in-chief of MMAjunkie.com, a content partner site of Yahoo! Sports. For the latest MMA news and rumors, go to www.mmajunkie.com.