I just wanted to take some time to respond to the types of comments I have seen regarding the Lesnar/Couture fight on this site (and others), so here we go...

"Lesnar didnt deserve to get a title shot after only two fights."

Probably true, but he doesnt control this. Any other fighter given the chance would have taken it. What some people here have yet to understand is that while mixed martial arts is a sport, it is also entertainment, and it is also a business. 

"Lesnar proved nothing to me by beating a 45 year old Randy Couture."

This arguement is fine...if you really believe it and you said it before the fight. Problem is most of the people that said Randy would kick Lesnars ass, have changed their tune after the fact and still refuse to give Lesnar any credit.

"The only reason Brock Lesnar won this fight is because he was bigger."

While it is true that Lesnars size and weight will always be an advantage, that alone does not win fights. If it did, Hong-Man Choi and Bob Sapp would be the best fighters in MMA. If you choose to fight 45 pounds under the weight limit in a given class, you accept that you will on occasion be giving up an enormous amount of weight. While it plays a factor in his fights, it does not give you the right to discredit everything he does.

"I certainly do not see Lesnar as the best and I think Fedor would take him out."

I agree, but what does that have to do with anything? I dont think anyone is claiming Lesnar is the most skilled mixed martial artist in the world. You cant respect a fighter until he has beaten Fedor? Or Nog? Give me a break, that is a pretty short list.

"I just hope this doesnt set the sport back too much."

This fight recieved more ESPN coverage than any other event in the history of the UFC and it was all about the fight, not debating the validity of the sport. It also brought in the 4th highest gate in history, in a time when the economy is in a downturn. How can that be bad for the sport? 

"People are saying how great this is for MMA because it’s bringing in new fans. I say, who cares? These people dont know anything about the sport anyway."

You should care because the more fans brought to the sport, the more we will see it covered on ESPN and in other mainstream media. The more popular it gets, the easier it will be for smaller promotions to do well. This will create more ways for fighters to make make a living and raise their pay. This means more people will train in MMA, and we will start to see even better fighters coming up. Everyone was new to the sport at one time, you arent better than anyone else. I have never seen fans of other sports complain when they gain popularity. If you love the sport, why wouldnt you want to see it grow?
 

My point is, while you dont have to like Lesnar, people need to stop trying to discredit everyting he does. I cant think of anyone that has fought the caliber of fighters that he has in their first four fights. He is extremely athletic, a great wrestler, has huge potential if he continues to grow, and is exposing new fans to the sport. If he was not a former pro wrestler, everyone would be really excited about him. Instead they are caught up in their epic battle to prove how much cooler they are than fans of pro wrestling and other sports.

(P.S. I am not and have never been a fan of pro wrestling, nor am I a Lesnar "nuthugger," just tired of seeing so much undue hate toward him for reasons other than maybe his personality, but I know that is not the reason for most of it, feel free to disagree and let the mud slinging begin...)

ADDITION: One thing I forgot to add are my comments about the people comparing Lesnar to Kimbo Slice. Kimbo was a streetfighter from Youtube, Lesnar an NCAA wrestling champion. Kimbo fought cans and looked aweful against them, Lesnar fought real competition and looked pretty good. Is anyone actually comparing Tank Abbott/James Thompson/Seth Petruzelli to Frank Mir/Heath Herring/Randy Couture? Not if they have half a brain. Lesnar is way more skilled and athletic and would beat Kimbo easily. The only comparison you can make is that they both got a chance because of their name recognition and the marketing possabilities that go along with it, but that is how business works.