LESNAR SHOW

[Guest baseball25]

LAS VEGAS – So Brock Lesnar, in the parlance of pro wrestling, had gone straight heel.

After bludgeoning Frank Mir to retain the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight championship at the hyped UFC 100, the former pro wrestling star decided to put on a real show.

Lesnar ran around the octagon flipping off the Mandalay Bay Events Center crowd with both middle fingers. He shouted at Mir as the challenger sat on a stool trying to regain his equilibrium. Mir stood up and they went sort of nose-to-broken nose before Lesnar cackled with laughter.

In the post-fight interview, Lesnar encouraged the booing fans to “keep going†before continuing to taunt Mir.

No one and nothing was spared. Lesnar even turned his attention to the UFC itself, which paid him an estimated $3 million for the fight, pointing at the giant Bud Light advertisement in the middle of the octagon.

“I’m drinking a cooler full of Coors Light, Coors Light because Bud Light won’t pay me anything.â€

Anything for the children at home, big guy?

“Hell, I might even get on top of my wife tonight.â€

With his clown-show antics, Brock Lesnar just became the greatest villain in modern fighting. From refusing to tap gloves prefight in a sportsmanlike ritual to this over-the-top rant that came right out of the silly wrestling circus.

“Straight WWE,†said a stunned Dana White, the president of the UFC. “Brock went so far over the top tonight I can’t even describe it. I don’t think in the history of the UFC we’ve ever done anything like that.â€

Postfight, White pushed his way into Lesnar’s crowded locker room and took the big guy into the bathroom for a private “discussion.†Lesnar himself described it as “a whip-the-dog session.â€

“With women in here you don’t want to know what I said,†White said. It worked, Brock showed up at the press conference smiling, supposedly contrite and even drinking a Bud Light.

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“First and foremost I want to apologize,†Lesnar said. “I acted very unprofessionally after the fight. I screwed up and I apologize. I apologize to Bud Light. I’m not biased, I drink any beer.â€

It was mostly a chance for laugh lines, but it was still an apology. Lesnar said the pent-up energy of avenging a loss to Mir caused him to go crazy. “I’m a sore loser,†he said. “I don’t like to get beat. I believe I gave that fight to him. So there was a lot of emotion in this fight for me.

“Man, I was so jacked up. I’m used to selling pay-per-view tickets. I come from a business that is purely the entertainment business.â€

And so that was the excuse. Lesnar didn’t flip, he just flipped the switch back into Vince McMahon’s operation where nothing is too over the top. The UFC, however, is real and it has tried to position itself not as a blood sport but one based on sportsmanship and mutual respect.

Lesnar did the UFC no favors in that regard. And neither did veteran Dan Henderson, who dropped a vicious forearm smash on an already knocked out and prone Michael Bisping on the undercard. Henderson then admitted he did it on purpose to avenge prefight trash talk. The UFC even went on to award him its $100,000 “knockout of the night†bonus. White also gave Henderson a talking to, but Henderson still said it “felt good.â€

The damage done to the UFC’s mainstream momentum remains to be seen. While some will be repulsed, others will be drawn in. It’s cage fighting, after all. Things get out of hand.

That this occurred on the promotion’s biggest night, when the numerical significance of the card was expected to bring in a large first-time audience, wasn’t appreciated by the UFC. The night was electric and highly entertaining. And while it is likely to most offend people who weren’t disposed to giving mixed martial arts a chance in the first place, White was aghast at Lesnar’s act. This isn’t what he built. This isn’t what he wanted.

“What he’s doing out there tonight is not real,†White said. “You don’t have to act like something you’re not. This isn’t the WWE. I don’t ask these guys to act crazy so we get more pay per views. That’s not the business I’m in.â€

In the meantime, the cementing of Lesnar’s reputation as the promotion’s most hated man is done.

“Brock hasn’t made himself very loveable,†White said. “They hate Brock.†For the UFC, a classic villain is business gold. He’s the ultimate leading man for the organization. Some loathe him. Some love him. No one can ignore him. For those seeking his comeuppance however, there isn’t a WWE storyline that can be written to stop him.

Lost in the antics was Lesnar’s performance, a brilliant effort that showed both his growth as a mixed martial artist and the immense potential. The question becomes, who the heck can tame this mountain of a man from the Minnesota woods?

Shane Carwin? Cain Velasquez? Mir in a final chapter of a trilogy of fights? No doubt they’ll get a chance, and no doubt they stand a chance.

The greatest beneficiary of each Lesnar snarl, however, lives in Stary Oskol, Russia, a man named Fedor Emelianenko who is considered the No. 1 heavyweight (if not pound-for-pound fighter) in the world. If anyone has the knockout power to stop the 6-3, 265-pound Lesnar, it’s Emelianenko.

Fedor doesn’t fight in the UFC though. He’s with its rival promotion, Affliction. He’ll fight Aug. 1 in Anaheim, Calif., in what is the last match of his contract. Affliction is hoping to re-sign him until 2012, but the UFC will come hard after him. More now then ever. And that means money, big money.

“Eventually Fedor is going to be here,†White said. “I want Fedor. We’ll end up getting that deal done and then we’ll do Brock vs. Fedor and we’ll do a huge fight.â€

Time will tell, but the pressure to sign the elusive Russian has been ratcheted up. A villain was born and there isn’t an obvious superhero in sight. The UFC brought Brock Lesnar over from the WWE for just this kind of a sensation. And the big man has delivered – the good, the bad and the embarrassing.

Only Dana White has no scriptwriters that can contain him.

[Bucof2010]

That was completely embarassing for the UFC.

[Guest baseball25]

Thats who lesnar is man, thats just the way it is, he's that cocky great athlete that you have in every other sport, so people hate him, people hate all the BEST  FIGTHERS or best football, baseball players, and ETC, Example  ALMOST everyone hates BARRY BONDS, ALMOST EVERYONE hates Lesnar, everyone hates MAYWEATHER, but u know what these guys are the best at there sport, so don't hate the player HATE THE GAME, these guys are suspposed to go take care of buzzzzziness on the field or ring and thats what they do they can care less of making other people happy...

[Bucof2010]

Nobody hates Jordan or Ali or Tiger. Maybe others should take notes on humility.

[Guest baseball25]

depends on who you ask but the reason they like those guys because they were good with the media and ETC  and didn't run there mouth these guys don't care they will talk and keep running there mouth, but I know alot of people hated ALI jordan, and alot of people don't like tiger but out of all these guys you named the MEDIA loves these guys because those athletes are good to them...alot of people hated TYSON , but I am the type of guy that I don't care what you do outside of your life thats there business,  I want to see what they can do inside the ring,field, and etc....I mean the reason you don't like lesnar is because he runs his mouth and flips off the fans ands he's cocky am I right?......Lesnar isn't dumb he loves every bit of this all the booing and everything he's not there to make fans happy, he's there to whip Azz, Barry Bonds was horrible with fans and media thats why everyone  hates him but he wasn't there to make them happy he  was there to put up numbers and be the best in baseball, Mayweather everyone hates him bec he is just like lesnar but u know what he does his thing in the ring and thats all that matters to me, people hated dennis rodman because he was a punk, and ran his mouth and hated the MEDIA, but you know what he is one of the greatest rebounders every he didn't care what the media thought when he stepped on the court he did his thing and thats what matters......

[venom33]

Thats who lesnar is man, thats just the way it is, he's that cocky great athlete that you have in every other sport, so people hate him, people hate all the BEST  FIGTHERS or best football, baseball players, and ETC, Example  ALMOST everyone hates BARRY BONDS, ALMOST EVERYONE hates Lesnar, everyone hates MAYWEATHER, but u know what these guys are the best at there sport, so don't hate the player HATE THE GAME, these guys are suspposed to go take care of buzzzzziness on the field or ring and thats what they do they can care less of making other people happy...

  please tell me you didnt just type that!!!   

baseball, youre better than that!  :'(

[Guest baseball25]

lol lol, its just the truth though, i'm not saying lesnar is the best in the world bec fedor is the best heavyweight but lesnar is the best that UFC has right now, I was just trying to make a point venom lol

[mat]

Thats who lesnar is man, thats just the way it is, he's that cocky great athlete that you have in every other sport, so people hate him, people hate all the BEST  FIGTHERS or best football, baseball players, and ETC, Example  ALMOST everyone hates BARRY BONDS, ALMOST EVERYONE hates Lesnar, everyone hates MAYWEATHER, but u know what these guys are the best at there sport, so don't hate the player HATE THE GAME, these guys are suspposed to go take care of buzzzzziness on the field or ring and thats what they do they can care less of making other people happy...

  please tell me you didnt just type that!!!    

baseball, youre better than that!   :'(

You should reverse that quote, "don't hate the game, hate the player". There's a lot of quality fighters out there that show class in victory and defeat.

[Bucof2010]

depends on who you ask but the reason they like those guys because they were good with the media and ETC  and didn't run there mouth these guys don't care they will talk and keep running there mouth, but I know alot of people hated ALI jordan, and alot of people don't like tiger but out of all these guys you named the MEDIA loves these guys because those athletes are good to them...alot of people hated TYSON , but I am the type of guy that I don't care what you do outside of your life thats there business,  I want to see what they can do inside the ring,field, and etc....I mean the reason you don't like lesnar is because he runs his mouth and flips off the fans ands he's cocky am I right?......Lesnar isn't dumb he loves every bit of this all the booing and everything he's not there to make fans happy, he's there to whip Azz, Barry Bonds was horrible with fans and media thats why everyone  hates him but he wasn't there to make them happy he  was there to put up numbers and be the best in baseball, Mayweather everyone hates him bec he is just like lesnar but u know what he does his thing in the ring and thats all that matters to me, people hated dennis rodman because he was a punk, and ran his mouth and hated the MEDIA, but you know what he is one of the greatest rebounders every he didn't care what the media thought when he stepped on the court he did his thing and thats what matters......

Tysons my faorite boxer of all times...I never saw him as cocky maybe a little weird but not cocky.

[silentassasin]

Now don't get me wrong because after the trash Mir spewed all before the fight he got a pounding. But Lesnar is a dick. He is a former WWE performer who for years has been using drugs to build that body up to the point where he is probably stronger than any other man in the organization.

Don't sit there and tell me that he is naturally over 300 pounds and cuts. It is possible but not likely. I know that these guys are tested after their fights but HGH is not tested for most of the times. I said it before he knows he is too big for most of the guys to muscle and is quick as the smaller guys so he is confident he can't lose. Now if he fights Fedor and smashes him then he is right, he can't be beaten. I don't like him and do not respect him as a person. I respect his abilities and his work ethic, as I doubt that what we see on his training videos are only done while the cameras are there. But I also feel like you are just sending the wrong message to the world about what MMA is really supposed to be about. I think Lesnar caused the UFC to take a step or two backward in the eyes of mainstream America. Which is who Dana is trying to still sell it to. Sure the company is worth over a billion now but he wants it on every channel like football or basketball. He wants the fighters to be known commodities like T.O. or Ochocinco, Pujols or Kobe and LeBron. While the fighters are known to us the true fans they are still not as recognized in the outside world yet. I think that what Brock did was horrible and wish I could have been in there when Dan ripped him a new one. I think that Brock has the potential with his background of popularity to have taken the UFC on his shoulders and carried it to new heights but this hurt its chances. Now the people who compared it to cockfighting are almost going to feel more justified in their belief.

With all that being said, man those were some great fights.

[venom33]

lol lol, its just the truth though, i'm not saying lesnar is the best in the world bec fedor is the best heavyweight but lesnar is the best that UFC has right now, I was just trying to make a point venom lol

baseball, you made a good point but you used "dont hate the player hate the game!"    :'(  you had to dust that off before you used it! 

as for the fights, i really thought hendo decapitated bisping!

[mat]

Now don't get me wrong because after the trash Mir spewed all before the fight he got a pounding. But Lesnar is a censored. He is a former WWE performer who for years has been using drugs to build that body up to the point where he is probably stronger than any other man in the organization.

Don't sit there and tell me that he is naturally over 300 pounds and cuts. It is possible but not likely. I know that these guys are tested after their fights but HGH is not tested for most of the times. I said it before he knows he is too big for most of the guys to muscle and is quick as the smaller guys so he is confident he can't lose. Now if he fights Fedor and smashes him then he is right, he can't be beaten. I don't like him and do not respect him as a person. I respect his abilities and his work ethic, as I doubt that what we see on his training videos are only done while the cameras are there. But I also feel like you are just sending the wrong message to the world about what MMA is really supposed to be about. I think Lesnar caused the UFC to take a step or two backward in the eyes of mainstream America. Which is who Dana is trying to still sell it to. Sure the company is worth over a billion now but he wants it on every channel like football or basketball. He wants the fighters to be known commodities like T.O. or Ochocinco, Pujols or Kobe and LeBron. While the fighters are known to us the true fans they are still not as recognized in the outside world yet. I think that what Brock did was horrible and wish I could have been in there when Dan ripped him a new one. I think that Brock has the potential with his background of popularity to have taken the UFC on his shoulders and carried it to new heights but this hurt its chances. Now the people who compared it to cockfighting are almost going to feel more justified in their belief.

With all that being said, man those were some great fights.

Good post.

Now Leshley wants to move over to the UFC. I say keep the circus out of MMA.

[silentassasin]

Maybe some kind of suspension clause in the contracts for some of these ex rasslers to have to follow just in case their old habits starts creeping out a little too much.

[Bucof2010]

lol lol, its just the truth though, i'm not saying lesnar is the best in the world bec fedor is the best heavyweight but lesnar is the best that UFC has right now, I was just trying to make a point venom lol

baseball, you made a good point but you used "dont hate the player hate the game!"    :'(  you had to dust that off before you used it! 

as for the fights, i really thought hendo decapitated bisping!

That was highlight of the night