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Brock Lesnar's Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions

Just kidding about the title, couldn't resist making an Al Jaffee reference. The New York Times' Freakonomics blog features Brock Lesnar answering questions sent in by their readers, pretty good stuff, a cut above the kinds of questions Lesnar usually gets I'm sure. Here's a few of the questions:

Q: What is the prevalence of steroids in M.M.A. and the U.F.C. in particular?

A: Outside of what you can already find out on your own, I really don’t know. I mean, the shows are tested and the results are made public. A vast majority of the time the guys are clean, but occasionally they’re not. I can tell you that the testing is real and, at least in the U.F.C., the fighters can be tested at any time.

Q: Are there any legal M.M.A. techniques or moves that fighters won’t use because they are considered unfair?

A: No. If it’s legal, it’s fair!

Q: Inside the ring, are you ever bothered with doubts about possibly losing the match or personal injury? Likewise, do you ever worry about permanently damaging an opponent?

A: The second you have doubts about losing or getting hurt, one of the two is bound to happen. As for permanently damaging an opponent: it’s not something I worry about because my opponent and I accept that risk long before we ever step into the octagon.

Q: The W.W.E. is well known to be rife with backstage politics; does the unscripted nature of the U.F.C. eliminate that aspect, or does it still exist?

A: Where there’s money, there’s politics! I do my best to stay out of it all.

Q: If someone fights dirty, are they likely to quickly be branded as a dirty fighter and have people fight back dirty?

A: There is really no such thing as fighting dirty. People are going to do what it takes to win. If they break the rules, they will be penalized; otherwise, everything is fair game.

Q: Why do U.F.C. fighters seem to have better sportsmanship (i.e., hugging each other after a fight) while other televised fighters (W.W.E.) have little or no sportsmanship and turn the fight into a soap opera?

A: Because U.F.C. fighters are really fighting and professional wrestlers are entertaining. After you fight somebody, in most cases there is a certain mutual respect.

Q: Gov. Jesse Ventura recently stated during an interview on The Howard Stern Show that he felt M.M.A. fighters were "working stiff," or that the match outcomes are already decided but there is no "script" to be followed by the athletes. As a former professional wrestler, do you believe his comments have any merit whatsoever, or do they stem from an unfamiliarity with M.M.A.?

A: I think Jesse was unfamiliar with the sport when he made those comments and probably has a different view after sitting ring-side at U.F.C. 87 last Saturday. It’s one thing to see it on the TV, but it’s a completely different experience when you are there live.

Q: Who would you consider fighting even if there was no money on the line?

A: Would I fight somebody if there was no money on the line? Absolutely not.

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According to some, I may be Brock's biggest fan here.

That said, I thought most of his answers were from the hip and sounded awfully honest, and also well-reasoned.

I especially liked his final answer. He’s a mercenary, not an artist.

But I would have liked it more if he’d have given us a little Tyler Durden, something like “Shatner. I’d fight William Shatner.”

There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.

by misterjonez on Aug 15, 2008 9:53 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I’d fight Ghandi. (Also, Tyler Durden, but you know…)

Don't believe a word I say, I don't train BJJ. -- TangleBones

by jemaleddin on Aug 15, 2008 11:04 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I get unbelievable mental imagery

trying to come up with what that scene would actually look like.

The Abe Lincoln dialog was hilarious, too. “Skinny guys fight ‘til they’re burger.”

There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.

by misterjonez on Aug 15, 2008 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Yeah, yeah

You are not a unique snowflake.

by Blackout612 on Aug 15, 2008 3:27 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Does anybody know if Jesse Ventura made any comments about UFC 87 after the show? I seen him on the PPV and he looked like he was into it.

by asmiley420 on Aug 15, 2008 10:20 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

He was probably really high.

by Blackout612 on Aug 15, 2008 3:28 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Anyways

Good questions and answers. I like how honest he is.

by asmiley420 on Aug 15, 2008 10:22 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Good answers – though if they want to know about MMA, you’d think they’d ask somebody with more experience. (Just kidding! I’m not starting something!)

I didn’t like this one,

A: There is really no such thing as fighting dirty. People are going to do what it takes to win. If they break the rules, they will be penalized; otherwise, everything is fair game.

Cause, you know. Nate Marquardt comes right to mind. Kevin Burns is an even better example. You know, bad behavior not being punished, or not punished enough.

Don't believe a word I say, I don't train BJJ. -- TangleBones

by jemaleddin on Aug 15, 2008 11:13 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I really liked that answer, actually :(

Seems pretty cerebral to me. Kinda like headbutts in the guard being legal for Coleman to show just how useless the guard is under those circumstances. It changed, and so did the sport as a result. But if something isn’t illegal or against the rules in any way then it’s not dirty.

This is supposed to be the final answer to the question of what fight techniques are superior, after all. I know that the sport has moved past that headline, but it is what founded the sport, and it’s still the driving principle behind the evolution of MMA.

Your point is well taken, though. Rules that exist need to be enforced. Vigorously and consistently.

There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.

by misterjonez on Aug 15, 2008 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I

think that has more to do with the ref. The Refs need to do more to enforce it when somebody is doing something illegal.

by asmiley420 on Aug 15, 2008 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Backing up a second: Fedor and Brock both made very similar points on this topic. Fedor, after holding the rope to avoid a takedown suggested that because you get a warning, you’re allowed to hold the ropes. But only once. Brock, in a recent interview, complained that he shouldn’t have had a point taken away for hitting to the back of the head because he wasn’t warned (well, he was, but he probably couldn’t hear it over the crowd – they had to do fancy audio analysis to hear it on the PPV broadcast).

But, and maybe I’m just an idealistic jackass (well, there’s a statement everybody can agree with!), I like to think that fighting fair is doing more than just not having points deducted. When Manny went for a punch while touching gloves, I thought that was pretty shitty. I also didn’t care for Spencer Fisher’s flying knee while Matt Wiman was saying that he was okay after taking a shot below the belt. Both legal, but dirty pool.

It’s a valid – and obviously effective – opinion, but I don’t care for it.

But yeah: reffing is a huge problem in MMA lately.

Don't believe a word I say, I don't train BJJ. -- TangleBones

by jemaleddin on Aug 15, 2008 12:47 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Who was in that fight last time, when it was proven that if you repeatedly try to poke your opponents eye out you will eventually get a win?

by mythbuster on Aug 15, 2008 12:41 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Kevin Burns!

Don't believe a word I say, I don't train BJJ. -- TangleBones

by jemaleddin on Aug 15, 2008 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

oh

You said him, didn’t you?

Well umm hey, way to go man! :)

by mythbuster on Aug 15, 2008 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

High Five! [Followed by flying knee to my face.]

Don't believe a word I say, I don't train BJJ. -- TangleBones

by jemaleddin on Aug 15, 2008 12:52 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

But..

..those situations are where things were missed, not where something legal was performed that was cheap.

by Blackout612 on Aug 15, 2008 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

As I commented above:

When Manny went for a punch while touching gloves, I thought that was pretty shitty. I also didn’t care for Spencer Fisher’s flying knee while Matt Wiman was saying that he was okay after taking a shot below the belt. Both legal, but dirty pool.

So…

Don't believe a word I say, I don't train BJJ. -- TangleBones

by jemaleddin on Aug 15, 2008 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I’m just saying – I’d already posted that other info…. it’s right there… with date stamps and everything!

Don't believe a word I say, I don't train BJJ. -- TangleBones

by jemaleddin on Aug 16, 2008 10:13 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Can't hate on Brock no more

Aright it just happened, like 5 minutes ago, I changed my mind about
Brock Lesnar. You can call those questions dumb, but the guy’s answers
showed a lot about him. What impressed me the most is that he seems
to respect the sport, the other fighters, and has a realistic attitude about
where he fits into the UFC. So maybe Heath Herring did deserve the
taunting for fucking with him before the fight. Either way I don’t think
I can hate on Brock anymore. Guess there’s still Tito and Matt Hughes ;))

by BrokeNose on Aug 15, 2008 1:07 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

What about Timmay?

You can hate Timmay too. It’s pretty easy..

by Blackout612 on Aug 15, 2008 3:30 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

“Q: Why do U.F.C. fighters seem to have better sportsmanship (i.e., hugging each other after a fight) while other televised fighters (W.W.E.) have little or no sportsmanship and turn the fight into a soap opera?”

by goo on Aug 16, 2008 6:00 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

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