UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar isn’t doing so hot. After being misdiagnosed with mono–which led to the cancellation of his fight with Shane Carwin in UFC 106–Lesnar’s career seems to be in jeopardy as UFC boss Dana White tries to get Lesnar transferred to the Mayo Clinic, which I understand is totally different from the Miracle Whip clinic.
White tells us Lesnar — the UFC heavyweight champ — is “very, very sick” with some sort of intestinal disorder, although listening to White, it sounds a lot more serious than that. White says the condition will require “major surgery.” –TMZ
Camel Clutch Blog reports that Lesnar was in Canada when he collapsed. And I’m sure that other UFC fighters are upset that Lesnar is getting his shot at the Mayo Clinic so much faster than the guys that paid their dues. It’s not a caste system, fellas. I was talking about the pecking order in UFC, not Canadian health care. That actually is a caste system.
MMA behemoth Frank Mir has fought Brock Lesnar twice, beating him at UFC 81 and then losing to him in the much-ballyhooed UFC 100. So Mir would be a knowledgeable fellow to ask about the dream matchup of Lesnar fighting UFC dodger Fedor Emelianenko, and which gentleman he would favor to prevail in that bout.
Though we may never see the fight take place, Mir was asked if he thought Fedor Emelianenko could beat Brock Lesnar. “In a cage no. In a boxing ring, possibly,” said Mir.
Mir also shared his honest opinion of Fedor’s recent signing with Strikeforce instead of the UFC.
“I think it’s an excuse to dodge top level competition. As long as he never proves he it, he can always keep the number one ranking. But if he goes into the cage and loses, he loses that.” via, via.
Mir also said that he wanted a rubber match with Lesnar, in order to beat the former pro wrestling champ in order to “show him how to properly act victoriously.” I’d like to see that; I’m a big fan of rematches. In fact, there’s a rematch coming up later this afternoon featuring “Li’l Punte” facing off against “Rosie Palmer.” Good seats are still available. For your mom.
UFC 100 came and went last Saturday, the highlight of which must have been Brock Lesnar’s vengeance on Frank Mir, the only fighter to whom Lesnar had lost an MMA bout. Sox & Dawgs brings us video of Lesnar’s post-fight interview with some guy that looks like Joe Rogan with a beard. We all know that Joe Rogan’s body produces an enzyme that prohibits him from growing facial hair, but I digress. This is the kind of victory speech that will put Brock Lesnar in the White House come 2013. The sport of MMA has found its great orator, and his chest bears a very penis-like tattoo. Never mind that he has no experience as a chief executive. That doesn’t seem to be much of a prereq these days.
And yeah, some people are gonna be pissed at the fact that Lesnar shot the bird to the fans or discussed the joys of Coors Light or performing a horseshoe-ectomy or having sex with his wife, (even though he later apologized for it) but honestly, screw them. Those are the people that can’t stand MMA, that feel they’re above it. None of these writers have any problems with Terrell Owens acting like an asshole after he catches a touchdown pass. Or drops one, for that matter. Brock Lesnar is not going to be visiting kids in hospitals and promising knockouts to 9-year-old boys with terminal cancer. Nor should he; the reason MMA works as a sport–and grabs such a large following of males that don’t follow traditional sports–is because it shatters that stodgy, sportswriter-cast mold of the 20th century athlete. But even with that understood, Lesnar still managed to irritate the wrong guy last night.
Dan Wetzel of Y! Sports reported that UFC czar Dana White pulled Lesnar aside and chastised him for his behavior after the match.
“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.”
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.”
I love Brock. The guy won UFC’s biggest fight to date. He won that promotion’s heavyweight title. And then Grizzly Rogan jams a mic in his face and asks, “So how’d it feel to kick that guy’s ass?” WHAT IS HE SUPPOSED TO SAY? This is the guy that Dana White brought in. This is the guy that got fed up with WWE. The guy that walked away from the NFL because he didn’t want to play in Europe. The guy that came to MMA because guys with 25-inch necks don’t work the late shift at Denny’s. It’s wishful thinking on White’s part that he can take Brock’s name and peel away the rest of that wrestling persona like a banana peel.
Brock Lesnar, in case anyone hasn’t been paying attention, is not a company guy. But now after the dust has settled from UFC 100, he’s THE GUY. And whether that’s part of the sizzle or not, I want to see it. I want to see what happens when he wins again. When he loses. As a casual fan, I’m guaranteed entertainment the next time he steps into the octagon. I don’t care if he’s a prick or who he upsets by doing so, because he’s done it. And I can’t wait to see him do it again.
Catch the end of Lesnar-Mir after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
It’s kinda fascinating that former pro and amateur wrestling champion Brock Lesnar is a favorite in his rematch with Frank Mir at UFC 100 tomorrow night, especially since Mir beat Lesnar with a sneaky kneebar last February at UFC 81. But Brock feels less like the popular choice to win in the main event and more like a guy that’s been slighted by Mir, referee Steve Mazzagatti, the UFC film crew, the Care Bears, and whoever else you can think of. But that door totally had it coming. I could hear it laughing at Lesnar’s eyebrows. What do you tweeze with, dude? A propane torch?
I almost hate to say that I want to see Lesnar win. He would be a solid draw for MMA and a bankable star that corporate types might have an easier time identifying in the white-guy labyrinth of today’s UFC. Any sport needs stars, and if Lesnar loses again, the UFC would lose in box office appeal as much as it would gain by showing that former pro wrestlers have a too steep a hill to climb in the octagon.
Measuring the popularity of a sport based on the betting action that sport receives in Vegas may not be fair, but at least it’s quantifiable. And while MMA wagering in Vegas may not approach what NFL or NBA action would deliver in terms of annual volume, it’s enjoying an explosive growth rate. So much so that oddsmakers have been forced to keep up with demand. From the Las Vegas Review-Journal (via Ben Maller):
“[MMA betting has] got to be less than 1 percent of our handle,” [Las Vegas Hilton sports book director Jay] Kornegay said. “But that’s an unfair assessment. It’s not fair to rate it that way. There’s just not enough events to properly give UFC a fair rating.[...]
Kornegay said the total bet on this weekend’s UFC card “would equal a good NFL game. It would surpass a Falcons-Browns game and equal a Giants-Bears game. It’s tough to say sometimes since you might get some large wagers on any given fight or very few large wagers.”
And Kornegay would know; the Hilton’s reputation as the most comprehensive sportsbook in Vegas precedes itself. The Review-Journal says the Venetian actually has lines up for all 11 fights, while most of the others have about half. UFC upstart Brock Lesnar (right) is a minus-220 favorite over Frank Mir in the main event of UFC 100 on Saturday. I’m enjoying the fact that Vegas is being forced to care, but do you care? I have a hard time betting on white people in combat sports. Especially one with a penis-shaped tattoo on his chest. But that’s me.
The other day a friend of mine asked, “How is Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar the biggest fight in UFC history?”
My answer: in terms of talent it’s not, it’s just really easy to hype. You’ve got your 45-year-old hall of famer who everyone loves vs. a freakish homophobic redneck meathead with a big cock tattooed on his chest who everyone hates. Guys like Brock Lesnar are pretty much the reason martial arts were invented in the first place. It’s basically good vs. evil. And even if you don’t buy into all that, who cares? It’s still a fight. I’d watch two hoboes fight (though I recommend attaching razor blades to their forelimbs to make it more interesting).
It all goes down tomorrow at 10 ET, live from Las Vegas, and if you don’t want to spring for the PPV, there’s a list of bars and sportsbars that will be showing it here. I’m Vince from FilmDrunk, and I’ve got your full run down of the fights after the jump (clothing optional).
