UFC 100 = HUGE SUCCESS!!!

Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir: This fight has many aspects surrounding it that are very intriguing to fans around the world. First and foremost, this fight was exactly what Dana White wanted for his company. He was praying that this would happen...rather than Brock vs. Minotauro. No offense to Minotauro Nogueira...but this was the BEST possible scenario for the UFC's biggest Pay-Per-View of all time. Secondly, Lesnar had his chance to avenge his one loss in the UFC. This loss took place at UFC 81 and was controversial to say the least. Lesnar dominated the fight, but simply got caught in a ridiculous leg lock by Mir and was forced to tap out. The third aspect that made this fight so intriguing was the fact that the true, die-hard Mixed Martial Arts fans were so anti-Lesnar it was ridiculous. The boo's that filled the Mandalay Bay when Lesnar was introduced was really shocking to me. What does this man have to do to prove that he is done with his WWE-roots and is now a true, passionate fighter? This is what I thought before watching the fight..

The Fight: As soon as these two men met in the middle of the Octagon and were issued the instructions by Referee Herb Dean, it was ON! Brock passed on the pre-match touch of the gloves and made the entire building give a collective gasp. This usually does not happen in the UFC. The protocol for bad blood between two fighters is for this so-called bad blood to build hype for the fight. Pre-fight and during the fight, these guys want to kill each other. Post-fight, however, the two fighters almost always show mutual respect for each other with a big hug and an interview putting over the other guy. This is expected. As I mentioned in my analysis of the Dan Henerson and Michael Bisping fight, this bad blood is what creates the record buy rates for UFC Pay-Per-View events!


Back to Lesnar vs. Mir. Brock Lesnar absolutely pounded Frank Mir's face for nearly two straight rounds. Aside from a couple of knees that connected to the face of Lesnar, Mir had zero offense during this brutal beat down. Mir is a great fighter and I'm sure he will be back with a vengeance and earn himself a rematch against Lesnar. A rematch that will make even more money than UFC 100 because it will be the rubber match between the two. The fight at UFC 100 was stopped when Mir was pushed up against the cage by the much stronger and much bigger Lesnar. Mir, while on the mat against the cage, was repeatedly pounded in his face and could not continue. Brock Lesnar was once again an Undisputed Champion of the World. Only this time, Vince McMahon didn't decide to put the belt on him. Brock Lesnar decided to take it.


Post-fight, Lesnar did something that I almost expected him to do. He trash-talked Mir, flipped off the crowd, publicly disrespected the sponsor, and told the world he might get on top of his wife. Brock Lesnar became the biggest heel the sports world may have ever seen. If Lesnar took anything from his time working for Vince McMahon, it looks like he took the power to market himself to millions of people. He took control of the night and everything else that happened was put on the back burner. He cemented an image for himself. And considering he is already the UFC's biggest drawing star of all time, it looks like he has guaranteed himself millions of dollars.


I have read many columns talking about this topic and I have to agree with these columnists. Dana White should give Lesnar the ball and let him run with this. He should allow Lesnar to continue to piss off the crowd. He should allow Lesnar to continue to do whatever he wants pre and post-fight. If White trusts Lesnar to sell tickets and draw Pay-Per-View buys, the UFC's popularity may become scary. Ladies and gentlemen...the Brock Lesnar era has officially begun.