“I was blown away. I don’t think in the history of the UFC we’ve had anybody do that. It’s not who we are, and, to be honest, it’s not who he is. You hang with these guys personally, and you get to know them. If he was a dick, I’d tell you right now this guy is a psycho and I don’t know what I’m going to do with him. He’s not. He’s a smart guy. The sponsorship thing was the craziest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.
“Brock went so far over the top, I can’t even put it into words. WWE — that’s what it is. We had a talk. We talked like men, and he said he was sorry. He said, ‘I’m embarrassed by what I said.’ I take his word for it this time.”
UFC President Dana White addresses Brock Lesnar’s post-fight actions and comments following his UFC 100 main event win over Frank Mir that included confronting a dazed and bloodied Mir in the Octagon, flipping off the crowd, dissing top UFC sponsor Bud Light, and announcing his plans to “get on top of” his wife.
A video of Lesnar apologizing at the post-fight press conference in below.
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There’s 2 minutes and 15 seconds of my life that I won’t be getting back.
That was more like a cheezy-sponsor/whack-excuse/blame-it-on-the-bad-childhood explanation. Whatever the F it was, it sure wasn’t an apology.
I
how can you this guy is not for real. better take this guy very serious, he is no joke. to think, he’s only gona get better. and if I had playboy centerfold wife, id mounting her to an telling everybody.. that was good, made me laugh
Both White and Lesnar can save the apologies. Everything at this point is insincere damage control. The truth is White paid this guy 400 grand to disrespect the fans, his opponent, the sport, his employer, himself, and a major sponsor that’s been with the UFC for a while.
And to all the Lesnar defenders and apologists out there I’ll submit this:
You are trying to make the case that because Mir talked some trash about Lesnar hitting like a girl [which is not the case] and that Lesnar doesn’t know the difference between a kneebar and a candy bar[which is most certainly the case]; that somehow greenlights and justifies Lesnar to double bird the crowd during the promotion’s biggest event to date and cut some $hit-awful WWE-style promo in the Ocatgon.
Really? Thats the side of this issue you want to take up and be identified publicly with?
I’d suggest these Lesnar supporters take a deep breath, look past all the rampant juevenile Lesnar-mania running wild, and ask themselves if they really want to support a champion who needs constant defending for his actions?
As I’ve said before, these two @$$-clowns White and Lesnar deserve each other. The only downside is the effect they have on the sport and its supporters…
Unfortunately, I have not seen the video because it told me “Invalid Parameters”, so I can’t say anything as to what se said specifically. However, I have seen many, many athlete apologies, so I have a pretty good idea of what was on it.
I think the operative phrase in Dana’s statement was “He said, ‘I’m embarrassed by what I said.’ I take his word for it this time.” Maybe it’s just me, but I think it will be interesting to see how Brock handles the next interview and the next time he’s involved in a really tense fight. I’m also curious exactly what Dana said to him in the locker room. I would imagine that he used a few colorful words (this is Dana White, after all…), but the overall message probably was, “If you ever do that again, I will fine you within an inch of your life.”
I am a supporter of Lesnar from the time the ref says to touch gloves until the ref calls an end to the fight (or the bell rings or whatever), but there is no excuse for what happened after that. I don’t think that him being in the UFC is a bad thing. I think he brings a unique skill set to the table that will prove to be a challenge for anyone he fights against, whether they are a striker, wrestler, what have you. This may not be the appropriate place to raise this point, but I don’t think it is the UFC’s place to decide what kind of background is necessary for inclusion. Talent will separate itself from the chaff, and sometimes you find talent in unusal places.
I will reserve my ultimate judgment on Lesnar as a person until I see the next fight and the fight after that. Personally, I think he needs to let his lunchboxes do the talking for him. I hope he learns soemthing from this, and if he doesn’t, it’s on him. There have been a lot of cases of inexperience leading to bad decisions, and then turning it around. Will he? Only time will tell.
Alright, this time it worked, so now I will comment on the video:
I don’t really have much else to say. It was a pretty standard apology, one that was very much PR-driven, but it sounds like Dana did rip him a new one for being a disrespectful jackas$. Only time will tell if he means it and this was a one time thing or whether it was the first incident in a pattern. We won’t know until whenever he fights next.
he lost his cool, did/said things he regrets, apologized for it and realized he was wrong…what more can you expect from him, if it continues to happen then alright but he flicked off the crowd and ran his mouth about sponsors, etc its not like he shot someone or committed some sort of crime..I just don’t believe its the end of the world that he did what he did, I mean he could have been a d*** and just been like i don’t care what you people think about what I did but instead he apologized…I mean I understand if people don’t like him/respect him and that is totally fine and ok, but I don’t feel like I am wrong for liking the guy and enjoying his fights, so he isn’t the greatest person in the world and that is fine with me, I’m here to watch him fight not have him babysit for me or run as president
if it wasn’t for hendo this ufc card that was suppose to make history was a BIG flop. and somewhat is imo. hopefully shane can show that he can wrestle with the best (cain, might not be the best but def. in the talks) and we all know he can trade with pretty much anyone.. i’m on the shane carwin bandwaggon to dethrone the tool of a champion we have now.
Vote Carwin!
Amen Brother!
Long live lesnar……
Yup, I’m on the Shane Carwin bandwagon too. He has all the tools necessary to defeat Lesnar: good wrestling back ground, heavy hands (and the same size glove that lesnar wears) and a decent chin. He toke a hard shot from Gonzaga, yeah it dazed with a bit, but he recovered quickly and KO’d him.
If this were the first time Brock Lesnar had done this, you could make the argument he just didn’t know better, or that it was all emotions. The truth is he did similar (although not nearly as offensive) antics with Heath Herring after the fight. The guy is a 12 year old trapped in a 280 lbs frame, and he needs to grow up. It is one thing to posture. It is another thing get in the face of the guy that you just pounded into oblivion. It is another thing all togther that I haven’t even heard of to bash a major sponsor, flick off the crowd, and then say you are going to go and have sex with your wife after the show. This guy needs some professional help. I don’t blame Dana White for this one. He had to do damage control for his business’ sake. This is all Lesnar.
I agree, this is not the first time Brock has run his mouth. What we need is someone of equal size to step into the cage and show this WWE wrestler what MMA is all about. I watched him all through college…he is an average wrestler who stalled his entire college wrestling carreer and now because he is so much larger than everyone else becomes successful in the UFC. Dana is using him as a meal ticket when it is actually deminishing the UFC and what it is all about. Get rid of Bock Lesner! We do not buy the pay-per-view to listen to his bashing of sponsors no do we watch a bully push around the little guys…anyone can do that. I met a lot of those guys in high school, but Brock acts like he is in middle school. PTRAN78: I agree he needs professional help! Wait til Fedor gets a hold of this POSER. Go home Brock, we don’t need you in the UFC…we were doing fine without you!
No1 shows this man ANY respect!! He is not the first fighter to fight someone smaller thn him so his size shouldn’t be the deciding factor.If it is maybe his opponents aren’t as great as they thought. Fedor took out a 7 foot guy who outweighed him by quite a bit and did it easy!! WHY? Because he’s the best in the world. Frank Mir had it coming and brocks outburst was from hearing his mouth and everyone else who can’t shut up about the wwe.
To a large extent I agree with Ptran78′s comment but I have to take it further. This guy is a professional athlete and professional athletes do not behave in this kind of disgusting and entirely classless behavior; if they do, they pay a price. Suspensions, fines etc. are handed out in every sport, all over the globe. Athletes are banned, medals are stripped and this fool pulls this crap and says it happened because he is used to being in the entertainment business and he was “Amped.” What sport isn’t in the entertainment business? That explanation doesn’t hold water with me.
Most people know how hard Dana White and the UFC have worked to clean up the sport. How many guys have screwed up (i’m not condoning it)to a lesser extent than what Lesner did in the ring and Dana’s said they’ll never get a chance to fight in his organization? Dana doesn’t want these hooligans dirtying up his sport, at least thast what he says. I’ve seen Junie fight a couple times. What about that guy Jesse who trashed a limo? He fought (I think only once)in the UFC. Now this high profile idiot acts in a manner I can’t accurately describes, flips off not only the fans in the MGM, he’s flipping off every single person who bought the PPV, he’s flipping off the UFC brass (I don’t recall seeing Joe Silva run in the ring to shake his hand; he got it), he flipped off Kizer and the Nevada State Athletic Commission. This isn’t entertainment. So what happens? Dana, who I do respect for many reasons, has a “Man to man talk” with Lesner who he claims is a decent guy. I don’t care what Lesner’s like in real life. I care about what I see in the ring. I saw a little kid in the front row at the Herring fight and his t-shirt read “Lesner’s Number One Fan.” Hey Brock how are you going to explain to this kids parents when he’s older and talking about getting on his girlfriend and spitting all over his classmates while he’s drunk on Coors because that’s what Brock drinks?? Same question to you Mr. White. You have a chat after. I don’t let anyone flip me off for any reason. I’m suprised it doesn’t bother you. I’m thinking about what Chael Sonnen said before his WEC title shot against Paulo Fihlo and Fihlo missed weight. Chael said “Nobody should be rewarded for negative behavior.” Maybe Sonnen and Kizer need to talk about what should be done to this maniac champ the UFC has.
Brock Lesnar is as genuine as a Swiss naval officer…and I get tired of the apologists on this site for Lesnar and Dana White and their juvenile antics. (And for the uninformed I refer to Whire’s idiotic tirade against some reporter just doing her job)
The fact of the matted is people are talking, good or bad, the next ppv people are gonna buy it. Its all a work that Dana is mad, he couldn’t be happier, well maybe he didn’t like the beer thing, but lesnar draws heat.
he didnt say he was going to have sex with his wife, he said maybe. and isnt it better for him to say with his wife rather than he will F a bunch of hookers?[the hooker thing wouldve made me laugh, just like the coors comment did] mir got what he deserved, he shouldnt have ran his mouth. if a fighter is going to run their mouth and then gets destroyed its alright to rub their face in it a little. as long as you dont keep rubbing their face in it. it teaches them a lesson. i promise you that bisping learned his lesson, maybe frank did to.
also brock was flipping the booers, it would be different if people were cheering for him and he did. he got caught up in the moment. however i do believe he is the 12 year old trapped in the big body thing. i doubt he has ever had many people stand up to him and put him in his place. i believe dana did rip him at least two new ones, and brock realized that dana aint playing, and dana could cut him. sure the apology sucked and it was a pr move, and brock is a douche imo, but for better or worse he is the champ. until carwin gets a shot that is, hopefully by christmas.
I think something to consider is the difference between a martial artist and an athlete. Guys like Brock, Hendo and Hughes are athletes. In College they are groomed to think of themselves as the best and to hold their opponents in little regard. Its about winning and nothing more. For martial artists such as GSP, Machida, Silva etc… they are trained to hold the opponent in respect. So when comparing attitudes it is quite recognizable in the difference. Even tonight you could see Hendo who obviously has matured over the years when dealing with fighters revert back a little to his athlete days. Its the alpha male syndrome.
I think as Brock matures in the sport so will his mindset in regards to the fighers he faces and how he presents himself to the fans and his fellow colleagues. Dana may or may not care but lets be honest–contraversy sells. Whether it was Brock’s real attitude or playing for heat he stoked a fire with the fans which means he will once again sell buys for his next fight. The only real lambaste I can see Dana giving to Brock was in regards to the Sponsorships.
Whether you like or dislike Brock Lesnar he for sure brings some energy back to a division that has sorely lacked a presence. Outside Fedor IMO there is not alot of real top level competition in the HW division. Some good young guns but whose to say how they will develop. As UFC is a corporation its important to have fighters that can draw crowds. I am not sold on the idea of a Carwin, Kongo or anyone else outside Brock or Fedor headlining a PPV in the HW division. Nog may have but I think his days of title contention have slowly come to a middle. Its not cheap to watch the fights whether at home or in a bar. Here in Canada it cost me $70 to order the fight and I alternate between watching at home and at the pub. So its important to have quality fights to justify the costs and Brock Lesnar is the type of guy that can draw people. Whether its too see him get his ass handed to him or not people will still tune in.
If I was a betting man I would think a rubbermatch between Brock and Mir may be in the cards somewhere down the road. I dont know much about weight cutting et al. but I wonder if Mir could drop to LH. He’s a great fighter and I hope he doesnt become the odd man out in the division.
I agree,the HW division needs someone like Brock right now,at least until the talent pool expands.I also think Barnett and Rogers could give him a good go as well.
Rogers would get one punch off before lesnar puts him on his a$$ then crushes him. I see very very few HW being able to handle this guy. Rogers aint one
One punch might be all he’d need cause he has some of the heaviest hands in mma,and I’m sure Brock might put him on his a$$-but crush him?-Rogers is actually bigger than Brock.And I didn’t say that he would necessarily beat him,just give him a good go.
So who are these ‘very few’ HW that you see handling him?
I finally figured out who all the Lesnar apologists and defenders remind me of.
They remind me of those embarrassed parents in the mall or the doctors office who are trying to put a brave face on it when their child is flipping the f*ck out and creating an unpleasant disturbance.
When the child is 5 or 10, its maybe understandable. When it’s a high school kid, you may think, “what an Fing brat”, and move on with your day, even when the poor parents are trying to excuse shoplifting or some other misdemeanor offense.
Keep in mind as the years go by the parent keeps making excuses for their child’s behavior and repeating the mantra, “s/he’s really a good kid, s’he’s really a good kid”, and trying to justify an internal problem by blaming external sources, instead of dealing with the problem head-on.
Then one day this spoiled brat is 30 years old, and does what Brock Lesnar did last night, and the parent figure, Dana White, keeps making unbelievable excuses and offering lame explanations.
And as someone intelligently pointed out, this isn’t the first time Lesnar has acted this way. I’m not much for the pro wrestling scene these days, and haven’t been since like the 10th grade, but a close friend of mine and business partner is. He routinely goes to events, fan fests, and spends a disturbing amount of time on what he calls pro wrestling “dirt sheets”, of fan gossip webpages.
Apparently Lesnar’s man-child meltdowns are not news to his WWE co-workers and former fans. The guy has a history of unprofessional and immature behavior, and the WWE wasn’t all that broken-hearted to see him go, and by all accounts “didn’t do business the right way”, whatever that means in the scripted world of “sports entertainment”.
Please bear in mind that I’m getting that pro wrestling info thirdhand at best, and apologize if it is inaccurate.
I agree on one level with bsbiz that maybe we should give Lesnar another pass, and see how he conducts himself from here on out. On another level I have to wonder when people say things like, “the crowd booed him [because he is an @$$hole], so he was right in flipping them off”?
How so exactly? If Lesnar came into the sport humbly and respectfully, and earned what was given to him, he would have been received very differently.
MMA fans are by and large amongst the most knowledgable and open-minded sports fans on the planet. Lesnar was given a chance in his first bout with Mir, and whined afterwards about being beaten by someone far more skilled and experienced than he was. Then he was served up Heath “Cupcake” Herring, and again acted out at the end of that fight.
Lesnar himself has repeatedly said in interviews that he holds no respect for his fellow MMA fighters, including the venerable Randy Couture. How do you plan on making a living in this sport and not respect Randy Couture?
That being the case, and Lesnar is free to disrespect the sport and it’s participants, then why should the sport’s fans respect him? They booed him, as well they should have. He’s a black eye on the face of MMA. That doesn’t justify his actions, ever.
If someone has a problem with Frank Mir, thats one thing. Admittedly he isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but after submitting Lesnar in an embarrassing 90 seconds, he certainly didn’t act out in the Octagon like Lesnar did. I hope the next time someone has Lesnar in a submission hold, they keep in mind his disgraceful disposition towards the sport and its fans, and the fact the he’s repeatedly disrespected his fellow MMA fighters, not to mention referee Steve Mazzagati.
Does Dana White really want to keep “Daddy’ing” a fighter that says things like, “Mazzagati was at Frank Mir’s house the night before our first fight hanging out in the hot tub together, thats how he beat me” ?
Or are we supposed to keep turning a blind eye and a deaf ear?
Supporting a man like Lesnar is like being one of those parents of a misbehaving child. Sooner or later, it comes back to bite you. In Lesnar’s case it’s going to be sooner AND later…
Although I agree with alot of what you’re saying and I also think Brock is a bit of an a-hole(and I won’t even start on the whole he doesn’t deserve to be here thing),you said ‘Dana keeps making unbelievable excuses and offering lame explanations’.What else is he supposed to do?
jaymz – what Dana White is supposed to do is act like the head of the largest and most powerful MMA promotion on the planet, which is what in fact he is, not still some street hustling boxercise instructor working the door at Boston’s swankiest hotels.
What White was supposed to do was make an immediate SINCERE public apology in the Octagon to the fans both in attendence and at home, and then announce he’s docking 100 grand from the champ’s paycheck as a fine and donating it to a charity for kids with behavior disorders or something.
He should also have announced today that Lesnar as been ordered to undergo some sort of behavioral counciling, and if he opts not to he’ll be stripped of the UFC HW title and his contract invalidated.
I guarantee you that when MMA fighters hear and see the swift action White takes, none of them will every try that high school Harry WWE crap in the UFC ever again.
What White’s “slap on the wrist” response tells other fighters is that its OK to be a world-class douchebag as long as you’re a world-class moneymaker.
It also tells the fans that he values the business side of MMA more than the sport, which is something a lot of us have long suspected, but have now had confirmed for us by White himself.
THATS how you act when you’re trying to safeguard the sport from devolving back into its NHB / open class tournament roots and make a solid impression on those state legislatures still debating on whether or not MMA is right for their state. THATS how you act when you’re serious about making MMA the most popular sport on the planet, and THATS how you act when one of your employees disrespects his coworkers, your customers and your biggest corporate sponsor…
jcohl- You make it sound like being ‘the head of the largest and most powerful MMA promotion on the planet’ is easy. I’m sure that Dana didn’t have time to sit down and write a perfect speech,but rather,had to do DAMAGE CONTROL on the fly without expanding the problem.Sure,he probably could have handled it better perhaps or at least differently-but hindsight is 20/20.And I’m sure that making an appointment for Brock to see a sports psychologist is a top priority.
People like Brock are what is holding the sport back. This certainly does not help the case of legalizing MMA in New York nor with legitimacy in lobbying politicians. This debacle will come into play in the future, you can guarantee that. So thank you Brock, for running around screaming at your defeated opponent, yelling into the camera while foaming at the mouth looking like a rabid dog, and for making a sport that we all love look barbaric and foolish. It just goes to show what his true motives are … “bud lite isnt paying me. so i drink coors” … right there he tells the world that he fights for money, not legitamacy of MMA. He wasnt only flipping off MMA fans, he was flipping off MMA.
I did think the press conference damage control was comical, at best. Brock comes in drinking a bud lite and Dana telling everyone how much he loves it.. what a douche..
He should see a psychologist, because he obviously has issues, and he is pulling every MMA fan under a bus with him.
I agree 100%. White is trying to legitamize MMA and the UFC 100 Card was the one of the best ways to do that. Then douchebag Brock comes in and casual fans and first-time watchers leave with a bad WWE taste in their mouths. Brock is a hindrance to the sport and I will not order another Pay-per-view where he is on the card. Sorry Dana. You can’t have my $45 to support that trash.
come on man…you cant not watch an mma event just because lesnar is on it…..i dont know about anyone else but im a true mma fan and i dot care who’s fighting but im gonna watch it no matter what
Re jcohl-
Although I do not whole heartedly agree with your analogy I can see your perspective. I would further your point in that his “brat” attitude is based on the fact that he seldom loses at what ever physical challenge he undertakes, coupled with whatever supports are around him that enable his “brat” attitude. Studies also conclude that those who grow up in poverty can often develop ego based on insecurity. Which would then make sense to me his attitude of sore losing, having to be the best and utter disregard for his opponents. Conjecture on my part anyway.
I don’t know if I agree either if Dana parents him. Brock is an investment with a high return . From a business perspective you have to protect your interests. Although I would introduce a fine system (like other sport leagues do)that could eventually lead to a termination depending on the behaviour.
Yet who really knows, I can remember when Babalu ignored the refs call when his opponent tapped. He was gone soon thereafter which does show that there is a line in the sand that the UFC has. Do Brock’s actions equal that of Babalu (which put a fighters health and safety at risk)?, that would be an interesting argument.
But like a few others here, I do agree that Brock should have the benefit of the doubt with his apologies,yet, if the behavior continues I also concede that he should be let go immediately. Morale is fundamental and if his attitude acts like a poison then cut the cord.
Discussing with friends we have often thought that he could benefit from a good club like Greg Jackson or even Randy Couture where they also teach you how to be a champion on top of being a good fighter. Thats what makes someone like GSP so admirable. He behaves as a champion should.
Yeah I agree,implementing a fine/suspension/termination system would probably be a good idea.
I am a person of high moral standards and therefore do not care for 90% of professional athletes due to their lack of role model-esque qualities.
That said, I think Lesnar puts on a show more than he truly lacks character. When he’s not in the ring, he acts like a pretty decent guy and talks fairly humbly and certainly isn’t the biggest trash talker I’ve heard.
What amazes me about the pro MMA/anti Lesnar people is that they blame him for detracting from the “legitimacy” of the sport. Look, the NFL, the NBA, the MBL, the WBA and WBC are all “legitimate” three-letter organizations and they all have a ton of trash talking, law breaking, immature, in-it-for-the-money douche bags. That doesn’t hinder them one bit from being extremely lucrative or “legitimate” (whatever that really means).
Hell, Hollywood is chock full of morons, delinquents and drug addicts- does that detract from that business’ “legitimacy”? Heck no, we have every movie star’s latest antics written up in 50 different magazines and the public eats it up and asks for more.
Love him or hate him, Lesnar is making UFC money and is drawing attention that would not otherwise be there. No press is bad press. And even if he was somehow “detracting” from the sport- who cares? Since when do we care about the moral standards of our celebrities and athletes? Did OJ Simpson cause the NFL to have to rebuild their image? Did Mike Tyson cause boxing to have to tighten the code of conduct of their fighters in order to save face? No, and MMA is not held at some higher standard than the rest of the entertainment industries. Get over it.
Finally, whoever says Lesnar doesn’t belong in the UFC for SKILL reasons should be taken to the nearest mental hospital. I’m sorry that there is an MMA champion that hasn’t trained extensively in MMA and holds no blackbelts- but that doesn’t nullify the fact that he has dominated highly skilled and seasoned fighters. He certainly is not the most technical fighter, but last time I checked, the whole point of MMA was that there weren’t specific styles you had to win by. For every GSP, there is a Thiago Alves, who wins by brutality more than technicality. In the HW division this should be expected even more so.
I do not condone Lesnar’s actions last night. In fact, I was downright shocked. But I’m willing to give him another chance and I hope that he becomes a more respectable and respected fighter.
i could see a “fighter code of conduct” being written up so that respect is shown… there will always be some trash talking and birds fliping, as it is impossible to eliminate them.
you are surprised by Dana not caring? He kept Junie Browning on TUF, then let his douche lil bro on the next season…I honestly dont think Dana would have said ANYTHING if Brock hadnt bashed Bud Light.
Brock is a dispicable human being, but White wont do anything that severe to him if he keeps winning. I dont mind an a-hole, heel type champion that doesnt get along with fans, it would just be kind of nice if he were funny (a-la Tank Abbot). Just look at all the major sports….T.O is a douche, Bill Romanowski was a crazy douche, there are all kinds of egotistical Basketball players, boxers, rappers, etc.
These people think they are gods because they are really good at doing whatever it is they do, and there is nothing we can do as long as win…except boo them, and flip them off. this is what happens when we bring in slappy jerks.
If ya smmeeeeeeeeeeellllllalalalalalala
Just a quick observation…
How come it’s OK to trash a guy pre-fight…say WHATEVER you want…but when you win, you’re some kind of a$$. I don’t fight, and I never will, but I would think that a lot of adreneline is pulsing through you’re body after a fight. I just don’t see how one is OK, and the other’s not.
The rest of the stuff, of course, I had a problem with.
And just for the record, at Radio City (live closed circuit) everyone was laughing and cheering Brock. Just thought I’d throw that out there.
Because pre-fight trash talk is part of the game. Fighters try to get into the heads of their opponents by doing so. Then they settle it in the ring. Post-fight trash talk is bad sportsmanship and douchebaggery. I’ve seen a lot of pre-fight trash talk and then fights that end with fighters embracing and holding eachother’s arms in the air. I’ve never seen a fighter run to a dazed fighter’s corner to yell obsenities at him after a fight. Brock is the first. Brock is bad news for MMA.
This guy!!!!
LOL. That was one of the best post fight interviews I’ve seen. All twenty people I watched it with busted out laughing. Brock is awesome, hope he stays on the top for quite a while. He’s a BEAST!!! I wonder if Dana White is really mad at him or just has to act like it for the sponsors. I was pretty surprised he made Brock apologize, actually. How are people saying this is bad for the sport and Lesnar always needs defending? The sport is about entertainment, and that post fight interview was entertaining as hell. And flipping off the crowd? They were booing him, it was funny, and this is entertainment for adults… I think we can handle it lol.
You arent seeing whats going on here. I see the big picture. So I’ll enlighten you. imagine theres a group of small kids in middle school that are being bullied. 0bviously they dont like it. SO they decide to learn martial arts. they believe the hype about martial arts. If you learn the “art” you will now be able to beat up people bigger and stronger than you. Now imagine they form a little karate club, or tae kwondo club (or bjj or mui thai for that matter) And they all get together and practice thier little karate on eachother but they always shake hands afterwards. Then one of these much bigger “bullies” comes into thier club with no martial arts training what-so-ever and whips the dog sh*t out of all of them. Then he gives them the finger. Of course they are going to hate him. It’s a universal small man’s complex. The only difference is brock wasnt bullying ANYBODY prior to his fight with Mir. He was humble in defeating Coture and even congratulated Mir when he lost to him the first time. Mir (and the rest of the “true” fans of MMA, (see the aformentioned little guy karate club)) ran his mouth for a year and a half, then brock took his little BJJ black belt and wiped his ass with it. Now what you have is all of those little karate club middle schoolers outraged because the equivalent of Bruce Lee (even with his abundance of martial arts knowledge) is no match for a rhinocerus. The world as they know it is crumbling before them. I’m truly baffled as to the logic. I knew right off the bat there was no match for Lesnar in the world of MMA. Another thing that confuses me is how all of these people who are outraged cant see how it is their own fault for creating this monster in brock lesnar in the first place. I could find posts dating back to his first fight calling him a hack. “He has no skill” “he’s not a fighter because he isint trained in brazillian kung thai karate” blah blah blah. You think Brock doesnt read sh*t on the internet? Those little karate kids with all of thier post-fight love fests, and “sportsmanship” (this is fighting not baseball) created this monster. Now they dont know what to do with a Rabbid, Slobbering, Angry, 280lb rhino. I know what they should do……LTFO
Brock Lesnar’s remarks and behavior after his win last night were inexcusable, childish and most of all unprofessional, especialy since he is the Heavyweight Champion. With that said, i’m not defending what he did, but like i said before the guy is human and Frank Mir talked a lot of $hit before the fight. It wasn’t just to hype up the fight, it was personal $hit talking that shouldn’t happen between fighters period so i found it funny as hell when it was Mir’s turn to talk to Rogan and he tried to sound professional just to get some cheap cheers from the croud, at least Lesnar keeps it “real”. Lesnar made himself look very stupid and proved a lot of his critics right with his disgusting lack of class. Lesnar will for sure not do this again as Dana White chewed him up after the fight and put him in his place, BUT Mir…come on dude don’t try to be a pro after talkinf LOADS of $hit that you did NOT back up man, i’m not buying you trying to be profesional either man. It’s not simple to just beat a guy who talked so much personal $hit about you and just say”ok wer’e cool now”, no we are human and we have all kinds of emotions that sometimes we can’t control, BUT STILL BROCK CANNOT JUSTIFY HIS BEHAVIOR, IT’S UNACCEPTABLE PERIOD.
When it comes to the actual fight, i feel that Brock deserves some credit, whether or not you like it jcohl, i know your not a Lesnar fan, and neither am i for the record, but he did control Mir and kept him from attemping any submissions. Before anyone tries to use the excuse that Lesnar overpowered Mir and that’s the only reason he won i say this: Royce Gracie beat Kimo who outweighed him waaayy more than Lesnar outweighed Mir so there you have it, NO EXCUSES. So i understand that Lesnar was given a shot too soon and did not work his way up to a title shot, but come on, he’s taken out some legit guys, don’t hate on that. Mir has a heart of a champion and he will be back, but i bet next time he will be more humble
This guy is a total Jerk, I was a fan of his but that is history after watching his actions after the fight. He needs to watch StPierre to see a class act! Anyone who gives all the fans the “bird” after this fight needs to find another way to make a living. And, then to talk the trash talk while being interviewed showed NO CLASS AT ALL. BULL SHIT WITH THE APOLOGY, HE IS NOT A KID, CAN HIS BUTT FOR A WHILE!!
brock you are the man..keep doing what you do best, and that is beating everyone up with your lunch box hands. no one can touch you
Dana White is mad because things went a little crazy? Are you kidding me? Have you seen White’s video blogs and lets not forget the Tito Ortiz incident. This guy acts like a child in most all of his blogs that I have seen, from stupid bets to cursing people out and everything else. Just watch them, look at his own history and he is upset? HAHA. I loved the whole event and enjoyed the Lesnar/Mir Fight as well as what happened afterward. This is fighting, these guys are fighters… with real emotions that can’t be expected to be under control 100% of the time. If you have been in a fight or fights, think back to what happened before, during, or after and tell me if you ALWAYS kept your cool. Of course not, and I’m not talking about the difference between a professional scheduled fight and some fight that breaks out at a keg party. Fighting is fighting, and fighters are fighters, period. Lesnar showed emotion and call it ‘bad antics’ or whatever you like but the bottom line is that if people are so shocked by what he said or that he flipped the crowd off, how can you watch people being beaten to a pulp, bloodied up, or getting their arm or leg broken? I like the unpredictable aspect of fights, this fight will stir things up and look at it how you will but it will bring more attention to the UFC, more money, more fans and YES, Dana White will make MORE MONEY. So to say that this was an “outrage” or anything like that, snap back to reality because you have been watching too many PG rated movies or not enough news. I love the sport and have been involved in it for ten years.. just as people who practice karate, kung-fu, judo, or any other style of fighting. The UFC will get bigger and bigger and this is what fighting is all about. Lesnar is the champion and will be the champion until someone beats him, like it or not just as Dana White will be the spokesman and part-owner, until someone replaces him, like it or not.
Brock Lesnar made an estimated 3 million for this fight and in my opinion he earned every penny of it. The UFC is a sport which carries a entertainment value. And I must say Brock was very entertaining! Every one at the Buffalo Wild Wings I was at really enjoyed his time on camera. Hes perfect for the UFC and Dana knows it! The same people that didnt like his actions seem to be the people that didnt like him before… so O well…
Amen brother
I simply can’t believe this! what are u whining about? Mir ran his mouth before the fight in the worst manner. Describing Lesnar’s ground and pound with “like when your sister is pulling your hair”?
He should have been the one getting the boos and disrespect of the crowd. Comming to the weigh-ins with abs and not as the usual fat guy he is, Mir thought messing with Lesnars head and putting on some muscle would win him the fight. What an a$$hole. He just got what was comming to him the whole way, same with Bisbing. I was never more statisfied and excited by a knockout, than with what hendo pulled off that evening. Same thing with Lesnar and Mir. Dont call out guys that are out of your league. Bisping said: “I will take down Dan Handerson”, haha, bam, knockout. Mir f*cked with Lesnar and during the fight he was thinking: “Oh I can’t lift up 254 lbs off of me, and my face is being beat up, oh I’m such a pretty boy, I better hide!” Lesnar wins, Mir looks like a retard and as if he was stung in the face by a thousand bees. Exactly what he deserved.
What do you guys expect? And wtf is “professionalism in MMA”? That’s a joke in itself! Fighting is brutal and primitv, thats why I, we, the world loves it. Everyone who says he/she cares about what Lesnar said and did after the fight and that it is destroying the sport – or putting mma (the ufc) in a bad light, is out of his mind! We pay to see how Lesnar destroys people, we want to see it because we cant believe how a freak of nature can move that quick and overpower guys with more experience and technique. We want submissions where guys get unconscious due to chokes, we want blood dripping in masses, messed up faces and raw entertainment. What sets apart the WWE from UFC is that the WWE is ridiculous once your mind passes the state of a 12 year old. Its like the first time you understand, that santa clause is just a commercial joke, not a real thing. The UFC feeds of the same primitve motive, only the fights are real and unforseeable. I personally dont give the slightest f*ck about the post fight interview, as long as I get what I payed for in the first place: An awesome fight-card, knockouts, submissions and all the nasty stuff that goes with it. Everyone who says anything about what Lesnar said in the post fight interview and how he offended the fans, would be better off in the WWE, as there they actually care about what the fans think to write a script, that even heats up the situation more the next time someone fights.
UFC is where Lesnar belongs. Just send in guys willing to stop him, and we are in for a treat. The fight matters, pre and post fight ramblings are no better than WWE business. We had all that before, not only with Lesnar and Mir. Ortiz and Shamrock did the same stuff, no one made a scandal of it. Give Lesnar some props, he deserves it. I payed for a beat up Mir, i got it, no hard feelings.
Signing out.
Everybody needs to get over the fact that Lesnar is here to stay, good or bad. I say the man is a breath of fresh air for a sport in need of a bad boy. The man can fight PERIOD!! What he did afterwards has no bearing on the fact that he destroyed Mir this time and it is going to take a real beast to beat him. Is Carwin the one who can do it? We will see.
The rules for commenting here include “Be nice. Keep it clean.” This comment was deleted for breaking those rules. – Justin
Dispicable, inexcusable, embarrasing, jerk ????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please, give me a break, what Brock did was funny plain and simple. So what if he pissed off the sponsors, if they did throw their toys out the pram (which they won’t) they’d be plenty of other lined up to take there place. He’s certainly a character and its characters that make any sport. Sure its nice when fighters are magnanamous in victory but its also nice to see what Brock did also from time to time.
barnett might beat fedor and then pummeel lesnar bfore trying out some expirimental chiro work
paying lip service to a beer co. makes you a prostitute.
saying god kows what in the shower stall with your boss doesnt count for an apology to mir or the sport..
great fight though
For the fans of MMA that want to see this sport grow and shed it’s “human cockfighting” image of the past, this was absolutely horrible. I invited two of my friends that regard MMA as such to watch it with me and some of my other pro-MMA friends at BWW. Brock’s actions left a bad taste in thier mouth and they will not be joining us to watch another MMA event. I just feel that since this was going to be an epic event with a lot of first time watchers, certain inside the octagon actions might have turned them off from the sport. I really want MMA to reach a broader audience and be one of the biggest AND most respected sport, Saturday night did not help to achieve this.
to everyone talking about how the UFC is entertainment and therefore Brock/Dana should not apologize, etc…
I think you are probably under the impression that UFC = Sports Entertainment = WWE
Maybe that is where the sport is headed…but i was under the impression that Dana White wanted the UFC to be a serious sport. Hockey has fighting, but after the fight the players dont flip off the crowd, talk sh*t about NHL sponsors, etc. Other sports have their fair share of d-bags…but they all have an element of sportsmanship that Brock Lesnar does not exhibit at all. If UFC = WWE then fine, thats what it is and that is how seriously people will take it. If UFC wants to be an actual professional sport that is taken more seriously than professional wrestling, then Brock needs to be taught a lesson.
ALL sports are entertainment. They are for-profit organizations that exist only as long as they hold the attention of their audience. Arena football would be a good example of how a “serious sport” or a “legitimate sport” isn’t really taken seriously due to lack of interest and entertainment value.
There is a laundry list of athletes in just about every sport imaginable that have pulled some serious shenanigans, Brock is hardly a pioneer in this field. Usually all the fans get is a formal press conference apology. So once again, Lesnar’s actions are par for the course.
MMA will NEVER be as big as other sports due to its nature. The core intended demographic for MMA is simply much more narrow than other sports. How people act in MMA, whether civil or barbarous, will not affect the general view of two people bashing each other’s face in as “cockfighting”. People still view boxing as such and it is much more tame than MMA. The only thing that will alter the public’s perception of MMA is public acceptance- and that simply takes time. 10-15 years ago video gamers were viewed as geeks and nerds living in their mother’s basements. Video games haven’t changed, but they have gained more and more fans and therefore are now considered a social norm.
For this reason, MMA should be more concerned with viewership than image and for this reason Lesnar will do nothing but promote the sport- even if in a negative light.
I disagree with some of your points:
1. All sports are suppossed to be entertaining, but they aren’t “Sports Entertainment.” Professional wrestling is more about the putting on a flamboyant spectacle, and tell a story than it is about actual wrestling (or fake wrestling). Arena Football is still about the sport of arena football, regardless of the lack of entertainment value. i’ve been to an arena football game, and while they do ridiculous between-quarter circus acts…the arena football players are seriously playing their sport, and not trying to play a good-guy or bad-guy, etc.
2. I agree that all other sports have their fair share of d-bags, but the problem is that if the UFC wants to be widely accepted…they cant have some foaming-at-the-mouth jackass be their poster-boy, that would be WWE. He doesnt have to be an angel by any means, but showing NO respect to any of his fellow competitors, or champions before him that he isnt competing with is going to hold back the entire sport for as long as he’s one of the big “faces of the sport.”
3. K-1, MMA, and combat sports in general are a big around the world…MMA is growing by leaps and bounds in USA, Brazil, UK, etc. It appeals to both men and increasingly women . I would argue that the mass public acceptance hinges upon MMA athletes avoiding Steroids, Assault/Battery outside of the octagon, etc. I dont mind that people might not like Brock, or maybe he talks trash or acts like a violent animal…but I think its when the champions…faces of the organization – show no sportsmanship whatsover, then people think MMA is only for crazy violent animals that hate everyone/everything.
4. Last comment about viewership being most important I agree with. But I think if UFC is established as a Sport on its own instead of “Sports Entertainment”, the viewership will be constant. I think a lot of people grow out of pro wrestling…but you dont see football fans getting tired of football at age 17.
off topic:
4. Video games went from 2 paddles hitting a ball back and forth to entire worlds and 40-60 hour storylines being created. Play Mike Tyson’s Punchout on NES then play Fight Night Rd. 4 and tell me that video games havent changed.
and i cant count.
actually zac having a foaming at the mouth jack*** baby boy as there champion is just about the best thing to ever happen to the ufc hw divsion…..im never seen espn cover the ufc like they did today of sports center
Sports by default are entertainment. Labeling one “sports” and another “sports entertainment” is a completely subjective affair. WWE may not be “real”, but for a while it was a real big deal, and even today it still is a profitable organization (don’t ask me how). The fact that is was scripted and often characterized by misfits and steroid abusers didn’t lower its viewer ratings- in fact it arguably boosted them.
All I’m saying is that MMA already is a “legitimate” sport, it just isn’t as popular or widely known as other sports. Brock Lesnar has already brought in new fans and exposure to MMA and from the looks of it, will continue to do so.
As for video games, yeah, I’m aware the complexity of software and programming has changed- but that’s not what I meant. I meant that video games as a hobby has not changed- it’s still the same activity. Ten years ago, a kid sat in front of a TV or PC and played the same types of games that kids do today. The only difference is that ten years ago it wasn’t as popular and was therefore looked down upon.
I agree that MMA is growing rapidly and there’s a good chance that several years down the road, the general populous will accept such activities as a social norm. I also think that characters such as Lesnar are going to be critical in taking the sport to that level. Just look at what the crazy, trash-talking, overly opinionated loud mouth Ali did for boxing. No one cared that he was generally a complete egotistical jerk. They tuned in because he was a spectacle to be seen.
If Dana doesn’t want this kind of behaviour occurring in UFC, maybe he should take a long, hard look at himself in the mirror. It’s hard to condemn Brock when Dana goes on just as many crazy tirades laced with profanity. Do you expect your fighters to be more well behaved than the head of the company? And Dana doesn’t have the excuse of just finishing the biggest fight of his career.
Take it easy people Dana had a long talk with Lesnar and now his attitude has been adjusted. From now on we’ll be seeing a warmer kinder Brock. Hell I hear next time he’s gonna eat a litter of kittens in the dressing room and fart out furbys for the kids in the audience on his way to the cage. Besides you can’t fault Brock for hangin his ass out on PPV he’s used to it, his wifes been doing it for a living for years.
ha^
She retired from the WWE actually… but that’s another argument for another page.
I was watching some program on ESPN2 just a bit ago called Sports Nation or something. They talked about the Lesnar incident. The co-host’s rationalization was, “who cares what Brock said or did, these guys try to pummel each other in a cage, a cage for chrissakes, a cage” and on and on. He still holds the absurdist view that MMA is nothing but a bunch of animals killing each other in a metal cage. He couldn’t even get the length of the bouts correct because he doesn’t see it as a valid sport. He thinks it’s funny that real MMA fans are taking exception to Brock’s antics because, after all, they follow a sport where men fight in a cage. This is what mainstream sports outlets think of MMA. UFC 100 had a chance to change that. It didn’t. Thanks Brock.
If Brock hadn’t done what he did, do you really think that idiot on ESPN 2 would have suddenly changed his mind about the UFC and MMA and started taking it seriously? I don’t.
Probably not, Justin. I’m just saying that Brock’s antics didn’t help. But it sounds like you’re of the mindset that any publicity is good publicity. I’m cool with that, Justin.
Let me start by saying I do not like Lesner or his wife. I do not think he is good for the sport and I hope he does not stay around to long. The guy does not have any talent as far as MMA goes. He is just big as a result from steroid use. He is in a weak division that has no true heavyweights to speak of. Here is a guy who is champion and never tried a submission has 4 fights its a joke.
Mike – while I agree with your sentiments, I do think in the interests of fairness I point out that to the best of my knowledge, Brock Lesnar has never been connected with any sort of steriod use.
I think he’s just a really big guy, with some gorilla DNA thrown into his mix or something :)
While I don’t think anyone has slammed Lesnar harder or more frequently for his many shortcomings in our sport, I thought it only right to speak up in Lesnar’s defense in this instance. Perhaps Justin can post something regarding Lesnar and any sort of proven involvement with performance enhancing substances, if said exists, but as far as I know Lesnar’s clean until he fails a drug test…
When’s the last time Liddell tried a submission… just saying…
On the Steroid thing, there has never been a positive test result for Lesnar for any PED. He was tested as an NCAA athlete, as an NFL athlete, and is tested now as a UFC athlete. He was probably not tested in the WWE, and I will say that he was more “cut” in his WWE days than he is now, but that doesn’t necessarily indicate that he was on steroids then, just a change in training as in functional training for MMA versus training as a body builder to look big. I would say, however, that if it ever comes out that he did use roids during his WWE days, the change in his physique since then would indicate that he no longer does. When E:60 asked him if he used Steroids he stormed off, which would indicate that either he hasn’t and is sick of hearing that question, or that he has and to cover that up he showed his butt.
All I can offer to definitively say anything beyond any speculation is he has never tested positive for ANY P.E.D. or masking agent, and it’s not right to ask someone to prove the negative (as in asking him to prove he didn’t do something), it is the accusers responsibility to prove he did.
Side note: Lesnar was once arrested near a WWE training facility in Louisville for possession of Steroids, but it turned out the cops were wrong and they were not in fact steroids.
wonder how much money the cops made for being wrong haha.
An independent lab tested the pills, not the cops, and to suggest that the cops were bought off to keep Brock’s name clean is ridiculous. If cops could be bought off, don’t you think we would have heard a lot less about other more wealthy athletes and celebrities getting busted for possession of illegal substances?
they didnt need to find OJ guilty for everyone to know he did it….your last name isnt cochran by chance is it ;]
zac – questioning what I or pretty much anyone else posts is one thing, but questioning what Justin posts is way too far out of bounds for my tastes, and its just in bad form.
The fact is he insulted many viewers with his actions, no apology is going to fix that. He doesn’t belong where he is at. There are many people out there that have dedicated their entire life to this sport and have to work their way up the ladder, not him cause he is “Brock Lesnar” whoopteefreakingdo! I don’t care how pumped you are after a fight, you don’t go back to the other person and act like an idiot. Take a look at the Matt Hughes and Matt Serra fight, they are long time rivals and they hugged and shook hands. MMA is a matter of respect for your opponent and Lesnar has stated many times he doesn’t respect anyone. He was mad cause the crowd was booing him, well HELLO…don’t taunt someone that is half out of it…because you layed on him most of the fight and trying to get your fat arse off of him wore him out. He is bad for the sport. He should have stayed in fake wrestling and he could continue to behave in this childish manner. His wife, aka Sable, was flipping off people in the crowd and telling F U as well, that is so classy. People like that are bringing down one of the most challenging sports out there and there is no place for that. He won the belt/fight fair and square and I can’t wait to see Fedor take it from him!!! Now I will just wait till August 15th and see the long awaited Cyborg vs. Carano!!! Girl fights are so much better!! =)
has he apologized for taunting mir afterwwards, or is that his disrespect the fighter shtick?
is the beer sponsor cool and gonna remain affiliated?
I’m sure they are going to stay a sponsor, but I’m also sure that Dana had to give them some of their sponsorship money back because they promoted a direct competitor on the PPV telecast. This is probably the only reason Brock had to apologize at all.
sounds about ‘right’.
take it out of my allowance padre – or not even.