Brock Lesnar is your new UFC heavyweight champion. That's an undeniable fact many mixed martial arts fans seem to have a hard time digesting.
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| Haters, as far as the eye can see. (UFC) |
It would appear Lesnar's biggest fault is the fact that after graduating college he made a sound business decision to accept a multimillion-dollar offer from Vince McMahon and the WWE.
For a 22-year-old world-class amateur wrestler, choosing a career path isn't as easy as it might be for a projected first-round pick in baseball, basketball or football. There is no NFL of amateur wrestling and Lesnar was faced with the decision of living a life of financial security or trying to grind out a living on the international freestyle wrestling circuit.
For those who begrudge Lesnar for not going directly into MMA after college, it's important to understand that the landscape of the sport in 2000 was completely different than it is now. When Lesnar graduated from the University of Minnesota, the UFC didn't have a television contract and wasn't selling its events on pay-per-view.
The path Lesnar chose is one many in his position would have taken. Granted, pro wrestling took a toll on him mentally and physically but Lesnar spent his money wisely and still has much to show as a result of his WWE tenure. He did what he felt at the time was best for his future, yet many self-proclaimed purists wanted to punish him for it.
Many of those same purists who are crucifying Lesnar also crucified Kimbo Slice. They ripped Slice repeatedly for failing to take on top 10 heavyweights while they scream about how Lesnar didn't deserve to fight a world champion after only three fights. It appears that some of the critics are trying to have it both ways: They don't want inexperienced, heavily promoted fighters to fight stiffs, yet they complain when they are given legitimate competition.
But Lesnar has not gone the freak show route. All of his competition in the UFC has been nothing but legitimate, starting with his debut earlier this year against former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir. In that bout, Lesnar came within a hair of TKO'ing Mir but submitted after getting caught in a leg lock.
Rather than take on a total tomato can in the wake of the loss to Mir, the former WWE heavyweight champion accepted a fight vs. Heath Herring in August. While Herring is hardly championship material, he's a legitimate fighter that Lesnar was for three rounds. And when the UFC offered Lesnar a chance to take on legend Randy Couture, he didn't hesitate to accept.
As champion, the competition won't get any easier as Lesnar will have to unify his title with the UFC interim heavyweight title that will either be held by Mir or incumbent Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira following their UFC 92 matchup on Dec. 27.
But Lesnar's legitimacy extends beyond wearing a belt around his waist and wins over notable competition. Since deciding to embark on a career as a full-time mixed martial artist, Lesnar has worked hard not to rely solely on his impressive wrestling base. Far from being classified a technical striker, the South Dakota native has been able to use his massive fists as an alternative method to taking down opponents instead of using single and double leg takedowns as a method to take fights to the floor. Couple that with the fact that all of his victories have been early finishes, and Lesnar is not just winning fights, but he has managed to entertain while doing so.
There are many who resent Lesnar's success but I have an alternative perspective. As someone who was a fan of MMA long before ever writing about it, I can appreciate an athlete of Lesnar's caliber making the decision to get involved with the sport. He provides a great deal of ammunition to use against critics who claim fighters aren't legitimate athletes. There aren't many men alive right now that are his size and able to run the 40-yard dash in 4.75 seconds.
Athleticism isn't all there is when it comes to Lesnar. Using his pro wrestling background, he has also excelled in promoting his own fights and has been able to expose a lot of new fans to MMA. A fighter with his star power only stands to grow the sport and create larger opportunities for everyone.
While his positive attributes are many, critics refuse to acknowledge them as they are blinded with rage over the fact that a former pro wrestler is now a world champion in a legitimate combat sport. Lesnar has proven to be an overnight success but widespread acceptance in MMA is going apparently going to take time.
In addition to being a contributing writer for CBSSports.com, Sam Caplan is also the publisher of his own MMA website, FiveOuncesOfPain.com. You can contact him via e-mail at: SCaplan8@comcast.net.
