I love MMA. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love this sport. I love to train, watch, and follow the sport. Its the greatest sport on the earth. However I cant help but feel like the UFC is doing a few things that may help to ruin the integrity of the sport.
Lets take a look at Brock Lesnar. He made his living in the popular world of wrestling, playing the part of the big headed, loud mouth villain. He made millions with popular endorsements and a huge fan base. He is your typical "meat head" backwoods country boy....and he plays the part well.
Not all of his career has been fake though. Lesnar is an accomplished amateur wrestler, winning the 2000 NCAA heavyweight wrestling championship and placing second in 1999, losing in the finals to 1999 world freestyle wrestling champion and future New England Patriots offensive lineman Stephan Neal.
Lesnar also had a short stint in the NFL. Lesnar played for the Minnesota Vikings, where he created controversy in some games by starting minor fights and got heat from the Kansas City Chiefs for a hit on quarterback Damon Huard, which drew a big response from the crowd. Huard was hit hard and had to go to the sidelines and sit out a few plays. After playing in the preseason, Lesnar ended up being a late cut. He declined an invitation to play as a representative of the Vikings in NFL Europa because he wanted to be closer to home with his family.
In 2007 Lesnar turned to Mixed Martial Arts. Fighting in 2007, "fat head" had his first career win under the K1 promotion defeating Min Soo Kim (who?...exactly!) at 1:09 of the first round due to strikes. Heres where Dana White starts screwing shit up.
After this redneck wins 1 fight, the UFC decides to make him a deal he can't refuse by offering him a contract. His first fight is against a "past his prime" Frank Mir. Brock loses a point early for hitting Mir in the back of his head. "But you can do that in the WWE!" With no chairs to use or a table to throw him on, Lesnar is submitted by Mir via "nasty ass kneebar" at 1:30 of the first round
"WELCOME TO THE UFC"-Mir
Brock then faces a B level guy at best in Heath Herring. With the "punch heard round the world" Lesnar literally knocked Herring from one side of the cage to the other with one vicious right bear claw of his. I don't like Lesnar, but that punch was AWESOME! The rest of the fight ended up with Lesnar on top of Herring beating him like a rag doll. Lesnar via decision.
Lets recap this rednecks record 2-1 with his record of 1-1 in the UFC. Hey Dana, whats the next logical step for a guy who's only had 3 fights, lost one of them, and couldn't finish 2 of your B level "over the peak" fighters???
"Hey, lets give him a title shot!" WRONG!
Lesnar faced a geriatric Randy Couture at UFC 91. Lesnar won by TKO in the second round simply because of size. Anyone who says Lesnar is more skilled than Couture surely slobbers on themselves and wears a helmet. This fight really pissed me off because it helps to encourage this "Don King" like mentality of Zuffa. And we all know what Don King did to the sport of boxing.
After Mir beat Big Nog, a rematch was scheduled for Mir vs Lesnar for the Undisputed Heavyweight Title. This fight did not go like the first. Lesnar pounded on Mir all night winning by TKO. 1-1 vs Mir.
Lesnar became very ill and almost died due to a severe case of Diverticulitis which required surgery. He was out of competition for a year.
"Dammit Darwin, we almost had him."
The next fight I got really excited about. Im talking I was excited as a 10 year old boy with big glasses on Christmas morning opening up his Red Ryder BB Gun.
Well mom was right, I shot my eye out.
After Shane Carwin threw Lesnar a red headed step child beating in the first round, (which should have been stopped by the way....no....no stop arguing, it should have been stopped) Lesnar capitalized on the fatigue of Carwin and won via submission (arm triangle).
Now Im really pissed.
Lesnar also showed how classy he is by dissing one of the UFC's prime sponsors, Bud Light, after the fight because they wouldn't give him any money. Thats because they are smart Brock. He said he was going to go home and have a Coors Light and "climb on" his beefy wife.
Way to stay classy Brock and thanks for setting the mentality of the public about fighters back 10 years. Im not sure why fighters get such an arrogant, loud mouth, bar brawling reputation.
So at this point Lesnar is 1-1 vs Mir (Past his prime, B level), beat Herring (same as Mir), beat a 45 yo Couture, and barely, with controversy, beat Carwin.
I almost gave up hope in the UFC heavyweight division until a jesus like figure appeared from the shadows. Ladies and Gentlemen, the one, the only, Cain Velasquez. (insert heavenly choir)
Shortly after 4 minutes in the first round, Cain was announced the winner by rape..... I mean TKO. I would like to add that Lesnar did not dominate one second of this fight.
NOT. ONE. SECOND.
Thank you Cain for putting the world back in order.
Brock Lesnar is simply a big name that showed some interest in MMA. Dana White saw dollar signs and irresponsibly put him in the big leagues to make money. Now I will give credit where credit is due. Lesnar is one giant dude who is a freak of nature athlete. That alone is not enough in my opinion to make you a top level fighter. Im sure it pisses off fighters who are out there sweating and bleeding every day, busting their asses to get a shot at the big leagues when this guy gets in after one bum fight simply because of his name. This type of thinking is what will ruin the integrity of this sport. If you don't believe me just look at boxing. Look what happened when people got greedy and money became the focus instead of the integrity and advancement of the sport.
I also think its funny and sad that this redneck bull is coaching this season on TUF. His record is 5-2. Out of 14 original cast members and 1 replacement fighter this season (Keon Caldwell left for family and they brought in Chuck O'Neil), there are only 4 fighters that have fewer fights than Lesnar. Those fighters with fewer fights have a combined record of 15-3.
So shouldn't these fighters be coaching Lesnar since the majority of them have more experience and have been in the sport longer than 4 years???
My buddy Brody argues with me saying "He's beat a few guys including a title holder, doesn't that mean he has proven himself?" Im not saying Brock doesn't belong in the UFC. Im saying I hate the way he got in to the UFC. I hate the way Dana is hugging his nuts because of his name and ability to sell PPVs. I hate that he got a title shot after 2 fights in the UFC. I hate that the UFC is heading the way of boxing. If Brock had a few more fights and "worked" his way in to the UFC, then we wouldn't be having this discussion. I know a lot of fighters, like my buddy Dan New, who have more fights and are a hell of a lot more talented than this broad shouldered, cow humping, trash talking redneck.
Hey Dana, where is their contract???
