Brock Lesnar makes waves

Date: 2008-05-16 22:26:58
Source: http://www.nationalledger.com/ledgerpop/article_27...
Submitted By: MMA Fight Dump

The first weekend in February looks to be a sports fan's dream. In addition to the Super Bowl (is anyone betting against the New England Patriots?), UFC is presenting a pay per view from The Mandalay Bay Arena in Las Vegas headlined by former WWE World Undisputed Champion and NCAA Champion Brock Lesnar against former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir.

The UFC 81: Breaking Point pay per view is very interesting because a lot of MMA fans want to see Mir, a submissions expert, humble "the pro wrestler." Mir is best known for literally breaking Tim Sylvia's arm
in half during a title fight.

But Mmanewsdesk.com editor Arturo Collozo Jr. thinks that anyone who looks past Brock Lesnar's collegiate wrestling background is making a huge
mistake. "Lesnar is best known for his fast rise within World Wrestling Entertainment, but he's one of the best amateur wrestlers in modern day history," Collozo pointed out, "he was a NCAA Champion, a Big Ten Champion, a truly dominant heayweight."

Lesnar told an Ultimate Fight film crew, "The UFC Heavyweight Division is starving for a champion ... the people want a true heavyweight  ... I'm gonna fight my way to the top and be that guy."

UFC commentator Joe Rogan seems to understand Lesnar's abiltiies. "If Brock Lesnar can perform in the UFC to the same level that he performed in amateur wrestling," Rogan stated, "you might see the new archetype of the heavyweight champion."

But AOL's Michael David Smith thinks the possibility of Lesnar's success in UFC could be bad for MMA as a whole. The America Online scribe noted, "For MMA as a sport to be taken seriously by the general public, it needs the general public to think the best fighters in the sport are legitimate athletes. If someone like Lesnar can make a transition from pro wrestling to MMA stardom, it will be hard for the sport to be taken any more seriously than wrestling is. I realize that Lesnar has credentials as a real athlete in collegiate wrestling, I'm glad White got Lesnar to sign up with UFC, and I'm curious to see how Lesnar does. But I'm concerned that if Lesnar succeeds, he'll be doing it at the expense of the sport of mixed martial arts."

The public, it would appear, does not agree. "We're getting flooded with emails about this fight," MMA News Desk's Collozo said, "people are very interested in whether Brock Lesnar is the Next Big Thing in UFC."

Indeed, the curiosity factor may be at an all time high for Lesnar. A glance over at Ebay will find 43 items up for auction, with a 2002 official WWE 8x10 publicity photo of Lesnar with his on-air agent (or "wrestling manager") Paul Heyman selling for over $50.00 as this story was being written. Heyman, who gave Lesnar the moniker "The Next Big Thing" during Lesnar's rise to stardom in WWE in 2002, told a New York City radio station in 2006, "Brock Lesnar is a farm boy. To him, getting blood on his hands, mangling another being, ripping something apart limb from limb is just a flashback to his childhood. He's merciless, and he finds that aspect about himself rather funny!"

Can Brock Lesnar become the Next Big Thing in UFC? Can Frank Mir use his jui jitsu experience to snatch Lesnar's arm and force a tap? Which one of these brutes will go on to become an obvious number one for whomever is recognized as the UFC Champion? Will the "real" sport be dominated by the former "fake" wrestler? Will the rise and fall of Frank Mir have a
happy ending?

As much as it sounds like a cliche, we'll find out the answers to these questions as UFC reaches the "Breaking Point" at UFC 81 on February 2nd from Las Vegas.