30
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2009
UFC
Lesnar's swagger might kickstart sport's popularity
The great sportswriter Red Smith wrote after Cassius Macellus Clay defeated Sonny Liston in Miami Beach in 1964 that the man now named Muhammad Ali "climbed like a squirrel onto the red velvet ropes and brandished his still-gloved hand aloft."
"Eat your words," Clay shouted to the working press rows. Eat your words.
A few things before we talk about UFC 100: Brock Lesnar's dominating knockout victory against Frank Mir to become this world's UFC undisputed heavyweight champion was not an upset. Lesnar was actually favored. Frank Mir is not Sonny Liston. And Brock Lesnar is not Muhammad Ali. He's bigger.
He's bigger obviously in terms of size and while he'll likely never approach Ali's societal influence, he is as big a force in terms of athletic potential.
Let's stop pretending that Lesnar's refusal to touch gloves with Mir - who actively engaged in trading
colorful barbs with Lesnar preceding the fight - was something befitting Lesnar's former home, WWE.
I could have done without the middle fingers after the fight, but it didn't ruin my night. UFC 100 was a special event and effectively ushered in a new era for mixed martial arts. Lesnar's performance showcased what will probably be a record number of viewers that he is an extraordinary fighter. One eras are built around.
And although Lesnar's stated preference for Coors Light and his intentions to get on top of his wife later drew a chuckle from me (and also those previously booing him)
during his post-fight chat with Joe Rogan, I'll admit that dumping on one of the UFC's chief sponsors (Bud Light) was unwise. That's all you're getting from me. If you were hoping for more outrage, Google "Joe Buck" and "Randy Moss."
When Ali won his first heavyweight championship in 1964 he told doubters to eat their words. When Lesnar cemented his place as MMAs biggest mainstream figure, he asked "Who's the f--ing man now?"
The audience of budding and longtime fight fans alike saw Lesnar control the first round. The damage inflicted on Mir's face by the second round was visible when he first put Lesnar on the defensive.
But it was over not long after Lesnar caught Mir as he threw a kick. With Mir backed up against the cage, Lesnar's figure kept him immobilized as he collided his XXXL-sized gloves with his opponent's skull. Each blow was severe but when Lesnar sped up his barrage, there didn't appear to be a single fighter who could remain
intact after sustaining that damage.
And so it happened. In his fifth MMA bout, Lesnar avenged his only loss in destructive fashion.
UFC 100 was the biggest sporting event of the weekend. Coverage included front-page billing on ESPN, com and Sports Illustrated's Web site. For the first time, highlights of the fights and their outcomes were the top stories on SportsCenter.
With the momentum MMA has accumulated over the past several years, there is no reason to believe it cannot become even bigger than it was last weekend. Lesnar's once-in-a-generation blend of talent and ability to draw emotional responses all but guarantees the idea.
Don't think for a second that almost every one of the people raining down boos in Las Vegas Saturday night won't shell out some major cash to see if Lesnar can be stopped.
But the storyline now moves to Fedor Emelianenko, considered by many as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. During the post-
fight press conference, Dana White admitted that he will go after Fedor with all he's got in an attempt to sign the 30-1 juggernaut from Stary Oskol, Russia. Fedor's contract with Affliction is up after his Aug. 1 fight with Josh Barnett. Barnett is the third consecutive former UFC champion Fedor will face - his first two fights were quick, impressive dispatches of Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlowski.
The demand for Fedor by UFC fans has been insatiable. Of course the allure of a Lesnar-Fedor fight would essentially blow up with a loss to Barnett, but barring those unforeseen circumstances Fedor's following will likely grow even more and anticipation for Lesnar-Fedor will be at a fever pitch.
And imagine that. In the world's biggest fight sport, its potential biggest fight of all time will have a Good Guy vs. Bad Guy ascetic to it.And it'll be the Russian who is beloved and the American reviled.
Edited by Dylan Sands