UFC 100 is coming up, and with it, a mea culpa. I didn’t give MMA its due. I thought it was a fad. But the premier promotion is up to their 100th event with no signs of slowing, and I have to admit that at this point in time, MMA is healthier than boxing.
So, as someone less than immersed in the scene, I have to wonder if MMA fans aren’t disappointed in the main event for what’s being billed as UFC’s “biggest event ever.” Brock Lesnar, he of three career UFC bouts and a background in fake fighting, is your UFC heavyweight champion and main event headliner. Does this piss on everything MMA’s worked so hard to become?
Lesnar is going up against Frank Mir, who beat him handily in Lesnar’s debut. So there’s a history behind the bout. But Lesnar wouldn’t be here if not for his “fluke” victory over Randy Couture for the belt last fall, and Lesnar wouldn’t have been there without his WWE name recognition. How many 1-1 fighters get title shots?
Everyone agrees that Kimbo Slice was a sideshow. Someone who could draw the casual fan’s attention, sure, but not an accomplished or trained fighter. Is Lesnar in that same category? Does the diehard MMA fan resent his presence in a showcase event?
And does it matter? MMA has a solid fanbase, but can’t make that next step without the casual fan. So if some more people buy the PPV just because they’ve heard of Lesnar from his WWE days, and some of them like what they see and stick around, is that a bad thing?
MMA purists like the “underground” nature of their sport. But there’s a trade-off. They can’t remain an exclusive club who “gets it” if the sport is to grow and thrive. Maybe Brock Lesnar is the crossover star needed. Or maybe he’s an affront to 16 years of UFC events. I’m asking you.
1:56 pm on July 1st, 2009
it dosent piss on it at all……Lesnar was an all-american NCAA wrestling champion, and an amazing athelete
wrestling is probably the most solid background for MMA
and btw..he has 4 career fights
i do agree he is only where he is now because of his name…if he was a nobody he would have had to pay alot more dues, and would have had to win many more fights before getting a title shot
2:10 pm on July 1st, 2009
You’re point is valid, and I agree with the principle. However, Lesnar is not a good example. While his celebrity and name recognition played a prominent role in getting him his title shot, he’s legit, and proved that in wins over Herring and Couture. As Matty said, he’s got Olympic caliber wrestling pedigree and some freaky abilties. I think the majority of the hardcore fans can accept Lesnar as the character who pushes the sport into mainstream. Kimbo Slice on the other hand…
2:29 pm on July 1st, 2009
I think it more legitimizes WWE performers as capable athletes than hurts MMA’s image. If Lesnar does hurt MMA’s image, it’s because he’s a meat-head idiot based on comments he’s recently made.
2:32 pm on July 1st, 2009
Inaccuracies:
“But the premier promotion is up to their 100th event”
-Actually, it’s a lot more than 100 events total, with their Fight Nights, Ultimate Fighter Finales, etc.
“Brock Lesnar, he of two career bouts”
-Well… someone already mentioned this, but he obviously has more than 2 career bouts.
“and a background in fake fighting”
-This has already been pointed out as well, but his background is in REAL wrestling. He was an All-American when he was at Minnesota. The fake crap was just a way to pay the bills, albeit an unsavory one. Much like… well.. never mind.
“his “fluke” victory over Randy Couture”
-It wasn’t a fluke. And if it was, then 90% of MMA victories are flukes. He won the fight. It wasn’t controversial, either. I’m a huge Randy Couture fan, but seriously… Lesnar was dominant.
But anyway… to answer your question, the bottom line is that neither of your answer choices are correct.
Is he a big name? Yes. Will he bring in fans? Yes. But that’s not why it’s good for MMA. It’s good for MMA because he’s a world class athlete who has chosen to compete in the sport of mixed martial arts, despite the fact that he could make more money elsewhere.
And any MMA “purist” who is offended by it is merely ignorant. There’s nothing offensive about Lesnar being the champ. Matt Hughes, Georges St Pierre, Randy Couture, Rashad Evans and a ton of other champions (past and present) came from an amateur wrestling background. Lesnar’s WWE career is irrelevant here, and anyone who truly knows the sport is aware of that.
2:35 pm on July 1st, 2009
Lesnar is a totally legit UFC fighter who has a valid wrestling background, and can go toe-to-toe with anybody in the Octagon.
Kimbo, however, was nothing more than a YouTube-generated personality .
There’s a reason why Dana White is giving Lesnar this title shot, and why he wanted nothing to do with Kimbo.
2:36 pm on July 1st, 2009
You say Mir beat him handily? You must not have watched the fight. Mir simply beat him because of his experience and Brock’s inexperience. Brock was owning him.
He wasn’t 0-1 when he got a title shot and his win over Couture wasn’t a fluke. He won the 1st round and knocked him out in the 2nd.
I love MMA and Lesnar has nothing to do with it. He is a beast and great for the sport.
3:06 pm on July 1st, 2009
Is Brock Lesnar good for UFC 100…..yeah why not?
but you also have to ask is Frank Mir good for UFC 100 too.
Lesnar is a good fighter and this will be a great fight, both guys are big and fast and very experienced in the caged. it should be good,
The problem is none of the contracts and fight schedules match up to make UFC 100 the biggest show ever …plus for most people theyve really only seen 20 or less UFC shows, so the number 100 really doesn’t mean much.
the dream UFC 100
BJ penn vs George st Pierre rematch (vaselinegate)
Fedor vs Anderson Silva (if Fedor ever would fight for the UFC)
Rampage vs Rashad evans
dan henderson vs Mirko
Babalu vs Vitor Belfort
Keith Jardine vs Wanderlei
jake sheilds vs Thiago alves
Gomi vs Roger Huerta
And I disagree with Peauxboy about Kimbo
Kimbo is not a joke, the way he was handled and promoted was a joke.
you have NEVER heard Kimbo talk bad about the sport, disrespect the sport or even claim he is bigger than he is, he’s a very humble man that just wants to fight, he gets a bad wrap because he was put as a headliner after two fights..thats NOT his fault he has no control of that as a fight thats all on the promoter.
If you ever met Kimbo, you would know he has turned down 100’s of fights in little cities that just want to sell tickets with his name, just to train harder and be a better fighter, and to be honest he was one of the classiest guys at Mask’s from Tap outs funeral, I as well as everyone there was very impressed with him as a human being.
3:35 pm on July 1st, 2009
QC Douche- relax there Turbo, not hating on Kimbo. He seems to be a swell guy. I can’t blame him for getting paid. Whether or not he’s for real will get settled soon enough on TUF…
I referring to the fact that the MMA hardcore fans would hate for him to be the “face of MMA.” If this post was about him instead of Lesnar, the little poll on the bottom would flip-flopped…
3:37 pm on July 1st, 2009
OC_Douche I agree with you 100% about Kimbo
Kimbo won the first 4 out of 5 fights against guys who had a combined fight record of 196 fights, NO ONE has ever done that in MMA.
I found respect for Kimbo here in Vegas, after his loss to seth he flew out to Coutures and trained he made a half mil on that fight and he was training and watching tape 48 hours later, he’s a humble guy and a hard worker, he never speaks bad about anyone.
4:44 pm on July 1st, 2009
Brooks, I think that you only wrote this to antagonize people. Nobody thinks that Lesner doesn’t deserve it. You have no quotes from anyone saying this. Mir OBVIOUSLY didn’t dominate Lesner in the first fight.
This is a poor attempt at garnering responses. Kind of like your Fox News bashing the other day. Redeye is a Late Night SARCASTIC show. You’re losing it here buddy.
Stick to chicks b/c that’s why we come here. Not for your typical Cali uninformed rhetoric.
4:47 pm on July 1st, 2009
Silva and Fedor would never fight because Silva is a middleweight that occasionally fights at light heavyweight…..while fedor is a pure heavyweight
Fedor will NEVER fight in the UFC either way
4:56 pm on July 1st, 2009
the UFC isnt stupid…they arent going to completely stack one card with all the main fighters…the ufc 100 fight card is stacked as it is
6:37 pm on July 1st, 2009
will find out now he is in the real thing let that answer your question, if he does well or wins, should make it clear until than enjoy the show!
8:30 pm on July 1st, 2009
I’m convinced after this, and many other ridiculous posts, that Barry has pictures of Brooks doing something very, very naughty. Barry knows nothing - as others mentioned Barry’s only talent is for packing more falsehoods in such a small space. While some MMA ‘purists’ aren’t thrilled that he’s the champ, they haven’t abandoned the UFC. UFC 100 sold out in a few hrs - in spite of the bad economy. Dana White is inking deals around the world - and has been for a few yrs - guess the memo didn’t get down to Barry who is probably living in his parents’ basement. Lesnar has incredible size, power, speed and agility - if he can learn a little of the other disciplines to avoid the submissions (like the one Mir put on him after Lesnar pounded him into the mat for about 90 seconds) he’s going to be a real tough out.
Barry, stick to commenting on something you know about - once you figure out what it is…
8:42 am on July 2nd, 2009
He has a background in ACTUAL wrestling. He won the NCAA Heavyweight Championship at Minnesota. He’s no mixed martial artist, but if his strength and force can get it done, then he’s the best in the UFC. He’s one scary dude.
10:11 am on July 2nd, 2009
I actually started watching UFC when Lesnar made his debut & think he is tremendously marketable for UFC at a time when they can leap-frog boxing. I like Frank Mir and his back-story too of overcoming injury to come back thru the ranks. I believe that both of these fighters will be a top 5 heavyweight staple for some time regardless of the outcome. If Lesnar wins, you know there will be a Lesnar/Mir III. If Dana is smart, Frank would be the first guy I would put up against Fedor if that ever comes to pass.
I think Kimbo was a guy who was pushed too quickly and was carrying a minor league organization on his shoulders. The UF deal for him should give him a shot to earn some fans from the MMA ranks as I believe he respects the sport tremendously. However, I will also argue as an outsider, the thing that makes you love OR hate MMA is that, unlike boxing, the better fighter doesn’t always win. SO just because someone loses, it doesn’t make them bad for the sport.
3:07 pm on July 5th, 2009
Sooner or later (hopefully sooner), Lesner will get his ass handed to him quite tidily and that will be that. Until then, he’s legit. I still don’t believe he’s the genuine article though, so I can see where your coming from. His MO is to sit on people and donkey kong them until they tap. When you outweigh all your opponents by 50lbs, this isn’t tremendously hard to do.