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Here we are, more than a week after UFC 100 and it seems everyone is still talking about Brock Lesnar and the spectacle that was his fight with Frank Mir…specifically his post-fight antics. There were more than a few people extremely unhappy with Lesnar’s act following his TKO win; specifically flipping off fans, insulting sponsors, and getting in the face of the opponent he just bested. Yet, there are many people, including me, who loved it.
Plain and simple, I will state this before going any further. Despite what Dana White says, I believe something like this is GOOD for the UFC, because it has created buzz. There’s no question about it. People are still talking about it and will continue talking about it until Lesnar’s next fight. While his act may have turned some casual, first time watchers off MMA; I believe that it has hooked far more than it has pushed away. By hook or by crook, I really do think that more people are going to make sure they watch Lesnar’s next fight. For 2 reasons: you want to see him win, or you want to see him lose because you hate him that much. You’re telling me that’s not good for business?
But that’s not what this post is going to be about…that’s too much of a cop out to say “it’s good for business, so I like it.” Nope, I’ll tell you why I marked out for Lesnar after the fight. First of all, I’ve loved the guy since he set foot in the MMA world. He’s cocky, he’s brash, he’s arrogant…yes. But he also tells it like it is. From a guy who is inundated with “give it a 110%” and “take it one game at a time,” you have no idea how refreshing it is to see a guy like Lesnar be brutally honest all the time. Does he respect and revere opponents if the occasion is there? Nope. Does he absolutely hate to lose, and therefore hate the person that beat him? Yep. And does he care what anybody else thinks when he says and does things? That answer is fairly clear as well…hell no he doesn’t.
Lesnar is what he is. Is there still a little (or a lot) of WWE still left in him? Yeah, there really is. And that’s why he’s so damn good at selling a fight! Lets be clear…he knows what he’s doing. He is playing the villain card really well, because he knows that there is a whole lot more intrigue with a heel then with a couple of good guys going out to fight for the honor of it. So he’s going to say things that he knows will garner a response…and while he probably means most of what he says, he goes about it in the heel type, wrestling way. And he does a damn good job of it too…and the UFC loves it.
Or they love it until it “goes too far”. Was taking a shot at a multi-million dollar sponsor well advised? Probably not. Did we need to see him flip off the fans and get some inside info on his sexual techniques with his (hot) wife? Again, not really. But lets remember…a fight inside The Octagon is highly physical, but it’s also highly emotional. For us to expect emotions to be turned off immediately by every single fighter is probably not fair.
Lesnar filled himself with so much rage and energy for this fight, and built it up in himself to a very high degree. When it was finally over, that emotion carried over…and I thought to myself how refreshing that is. A guy who does the first thing that comes to his mind. It may not be what most other people would do in the same situation, or what most people would like to see. But what it is is HONEST. In an era with steroids here and betting scandals there, you have no idea how refreshing it is for me to see an honest, genuine, legit athlete who is the same in and outside of competition.
That’s what Brock is…and he doesn’t care what you or I think about it. So, you may not like what he had to say or the manner in which he went about it. But lets try and realize how rare it is to have an athlete without restraints; a guy who will do what feels best, take it or leave it. That’s why I can’t dislike what we saw and what we’ve seen from Lesnar…in fact, I’m hoping for more in the future.
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Hi Pat,
First, I agree with everything you said, without reservation – which is rare…
And if Dana says he doesn’t like Brock’s behaviour – well, let’s just say he may be feeding the machine. What better way to generate further buzz than to come out and proclaim that you had it out with your heavyweight champion over his behaviour? Sponsors are happy, media is happy… and I would bet dollars to donuts that what he REALLY said to Brock might be something more along the lines of – “Listen big man, I loved the fight and I loved your act. But, for the good of the company and PR buzz, I am going to have to publicly give it to you a little bit, ok?” And Brock says, “no problem, boss – but this won’t affect my bonus, right?”
Like you, can’t wait for the next fight..
BTW – good news about GSP – it wouldn’t be good to have one of your top guys out until next year…
PS: Ha, thanks for the compliment Tim! The GSP news is huge, I guess the question is…who the hell is he going to fight that will give him a test? No offence to Swick or Kampmann…
- TIM O'NEILI don’t know how much of the WWE is still in Brock. He got his push because of his size and physical attributes. His interview ability left little to be desired. Perhaps his wife has been coaching him.
Bottom line is people who didn’t tune into UFC 100 were on youtube to check out his tirade and it increases the likelihood of a bigger audience for the next PPV. Regardless if the fans and media liked it, it has increased exposure for the UFC. I know Dana White loves money and Brock has ensured he’ll be seeing a lot more of it in the near future.
PS: Yep, you’ve got it Bob. The only reason I say Brock still has a lot of WWE still in him is because he is used to playing the heel. He’s used to guys not liking him, so as such, he plays the role gladly.
- Bob in the AbbeyPat,
I’m sitting over here with my club and taking another swing at my dead horse. I take great pride in the fact that I was a big time MMA fan before UFC was a household topic. Taking something to the main stream is a necessary evil for the survival of any such organization. I feel like you begin to lose the genuine nature of your product when you have to use characters like Brock Lesnar to attract negative publicity to sell your product. I understan you need to appeal to a broader market, but I still maintain that my attraction to MMA is not only the extreme talent and ability of the athletes, but the honor and respect that most of them have for each other.
If there’s one thing Dana White knows how to do, it’s manipulate a situation. He knows what cards to play and he knows how to do the tough talk act. I just don’t want to see the UFC turn into a side show circus, that is my biggest concern with the likes of Brock Lesnar as a center piece for your brand.
On a more fighting oriented topic:
I think with the success of Brock Lesnar in the Octagon we are going to see a shift in that Heavy Weight division. You’re going to see alot of the smaller heavyweights move down to the 205 division. I remember watching Randy Couture beat up on Tim Sylvia, and I thougth it was the coolest thing ever to see an undersized guy dismantle a giant like Sylvia. The biggest difference (aside from the fact that I don’t consider Tim Sylvia an athlete) is the speed and agility that Brock Lesnar has in his massive build. We’ll see if Fedor is up to the challenge of fighting Lesnar, that’s a tough test. I think the next logical choice would be Bobby Lashley/Brock Lesnar. They both have similar backgrounds, and they both have similar builds, would be a fight I’d like to see once Lashley determines that he’s earned his stripes.
PS: Let me touch on both your points Jordan. First off, I completely respect your reasoning for watching MMA, because it’s the exact same reasons I watch MMA. But I just find it sort of refreshing to see a guy be completely honest in the world of sports, regardless of what he’s saying is respectful or not.
As for the actual technical implications of Brock being so dominant, I agree 100%. The only guys that are going to be able to BEAT Brock are big, strong guys with wrestling ability. I don’t think Velasquez can do it at this point; I think Carwin might have a better shot. As for Lashley, I’d love to see it too…I think Lashley is about a year away, but I’m with you, would be a really interesting fight.
- Jordan PYou missed the one thing that Lesnar did after the fight which I found the most objectionable and showed his true character.
Fingers to the crowd, who cares, most of the guys in the crowd are likely douchebags anyways.
The disrepect towards a sponsor is Dana White’s concern, and likely lead to him making a late night phone call to slurp up to the Budweiser people.
After Broch had beaten down Frank Mir, in convincing fashion, the battered and beaten fighter, blood on his face was standing up , and Lesnar thought it was still time to ‘get in his face’ and shout him down. Showing he truly is a classless piece of garbage and is not ‘playing the heel.’ You beat the man, fair and square, but yet that’s not enough for Brock, who then had to say he’d go have sex with his wife, even though my sources say Brock fell asleep in the hotel room, and Sable then went out and picked up a couple of black guys.
PS: Wow. But what do you expect from Brock? He didn’t like the guy, he won, he wanted to rub it in! I don’t agree with it, but he did it and isn’t backing down from it! That’s what I’m saying…that’s why I love the guy!
- Hot and Sour Soup