Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture on ESPN
by Luke Thomas on Sep 3, 2008 3:51 PM EDT
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I can't believe people attacked me for suggesting Affliction likely had very little chance of succeeding in the face of the UFC machine and reach. What were you thinking?
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Come on Luke, many of the Affliction fans still think Affliction is gonna be a long term success and defeat the UFC. It was never about business sense or realism. Its about hope, however irrational.
So either you think Affliction is doomed or you think it will defeat the UFC, with no in between?
I don’t think its unreasonable to judge Affliction on its own merits instead of crowing about how they are finished every time UFC books a fight or makes an announcement. Lesnar vs. Couture is a big fight, but so is Arlovski vs. Barnett
I didn’t say we can’t judge Affliction on its own merits. But a huge percentage of fans were not; they were pinning their hopes and wishes on Affliction.
I don’t see Affliction surviving, but I see that in terms of their overall business plan and the state of the market, and have seen it that way basically since June. But a very healthy percentage of people fully expected Affliction to be a huge success based on very little. Some because they wanted an alternative to the UFC. Some because they wanted the UFC beaten. And some just because they wanted a more boxing-style model of promotion.
But those were wants and hopes and wishes, and wants and hopes and wishes don’t care about reason or rationale or the fact that the signs were not and have never been very good for Affliction.
by Michaelthebox on Sep 3, 2008 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t crow every time the UFC books a fight. My point from the beginning is that no organization can remain competitive to the UFC or perhaps even fiscally solvent going head-to-head with them. When I affirmed that point after their first event, I was screamed at for the mere suggestion that Affliction’s chances at even short run survival were bleak.
As for “judging Affliction on it’s own terms”, that is precisely what we are doing. I interviewed Michael Cohen myself and he was clear that Affliction’s goal was to compete on the national and international stage of MMA. Judging them, then, for their fiscal solvency in MMA endeavors and ability to last as a business entity long term are perfectly valid. Thus far, all signs point toward Affliction merely marking their time.
The video above is an illustration of the power and reach of the UFC machine. They are not only able to make large fights happen, they are able to do so while making money, cultural imprints, reasserting their preeminence among competitors and garnering meaningful media attention. Not one other MMA organization on the national stage besides the UFC has been able to do that at all much less consistently.
I remember that article after the first show…
Unfortunately It was filled with common sense and logic… thus the back lash.
I just saw a headline in the midst of all this from a site purporting to try explain the business side of MMA:
“No Need To Panic: An Analysis of the MMA Industry”
Who’s panicking? The potentially biggest fight in the industry is about to take place…
And people crying about this fight should realize it is a heck of alot more competitive than lidell-ortiz 2 which to date is the biggest fight.
Here’s the only analysis one needs in order to understand this industry:
UFC is the wave not MMA.
Ride the wave and probability is on your side.
Try to take on the wave and you will be crushed.
Period.
There is a big difference though...
between Lesnar vs. Couture which is a HUGE fight for not only hardcore MMA fans and Arlovski vs. Barnett which is one guy with a good rep for the casuals (Arlovski) and a guy who doesn’t carry a ton of credit with anyone but the hardcores.
That isn’t to take anything away from either fighter….and I am genuinely excited about the fight. Arlovski is a hell of a guy (I’ve met him a few times when I was living in the Chicagoland area) and one of my favorite fighters to watch. But you can’t compare those two fights and consider them on the same level except when it comes to straight hardcore MMA fans.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Sep 3, 2008 7:18 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree. Thinking that Affliction is poised for long term success is very much irrational.
Almost as irrational as thinking Lesnar vs. Couture says anything about the long term viability of UFC’s heavyweight division.
Dude...
we get it….you don’t like the Lesnar/Couture matchmaking (and seem to be quite firmly in the anti-UFC camp) but you’re killing your own ability to make you points when you won’t make points beyond very surface level “old guy vs. unproven = bad”
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Sep 3, 2008 7:21 PM EDT up reply actions
That’s the only point that needs to be made. There’s so much UFC cheerleading and talking about how this is totally going to change things for UFC’s heavyweight division when in reality this is a one-off freakshow that succeeds in burying Couture/Fedor even better than 9 months litigation did.
What makes you (or anyone else) think that this is going to be a good fight?
This is going to help the UFC’s HW division by creating hype, something that they have been severely lacking since Randy’s “resignation.”
Who knows if Brock/Randy is going to be good, it’s going to be huge, it’s going to get a bunch of buys, and it’s going to make everyone involved a lot of money. It’s going to generate hype for the Mir/Nog fight, and it’s going to help them because towards the end of TUF they will mention 5 times an episode how the winner gets a shot at Brock or Randy.
This is making 3 huge HW matches for the UFC, which is 3 more than they’ve had in a while.
I think it will be a good fight...
because of the feeling I’ll likely have while watching it. That tense “anything can happen” unknown quality will make it a very interesting experience. It will also have an insane atmosphere and bring a lot of attention to the sport.
This would NOT have happened with Fedor/Couture. That would have been a big fight but you’re kidding yourself if you think that outside of the hardcores it would be a bigger fight than Lesnar/Couture.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Sep 3, 2008 7:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Here’s a question for you George…
would you rather have couture sit out and fight the winner of nog/mir?
no matter how you dice it… this is huge.
By just having Randy this causes a ripple effect of untold bounty.
From a hardcore point of view:
Couture vs Lesnar is more competitive than lidell vs ortiz 2 was.
This is so far from a freakshow it’s not even funny. If Lesnar didn’t have the performance he did with heath than yes you may have a vine to climb on but come on MAN.
And Couture vs nog or Lesnar vs Nog will be great.
It says a ton
If Lesnar beats Couture, then Mir/Nog. then all the sarcasm and trolling in the world won’t let you deny the fact that he would easily be a top 10 HW. And if Randy beats Brock, well, we’re back to whether or not Lesnar belongs in MMA and Randy becomes even bigger than he is and sets up two more huge fights with Nog/Mir or Fedor.
You keep complaining about the UFC’s hw division. They have Big Nog, Randy Couture (who everybody wanted, so much so they were trying to help him win his court case and trying to use his face) Lesnar, Velasquez, Werdum, Mir, Gonzaga, Kongo, Herring, O’Brien, Carwin (several of these are up and coming and therefore tomorrows stars instead of just todays headliners) and enough money to pay them all and then some. What other company has this many of the top HW’s and the $$$ to pay them all while making some cake themselves? Are you the guy with glasses running Affliction?
Carwin, O’Brien, Velasquez, Herring, Mir and (wait for it) Lesnar aren’t top heavyweights.
Heavyweight divisions suck universally throughout the MMA world. It’s just sad that the biggest, richest and best managed MMA promotion on the planet can’t put together a heavyweight division worth a damn.
Umm..that’s where up and coming came from. You must build for tomorrow while living today. Mir and Herring have both done their share of fighting to be considered. I love critics like you, you sit back and talk down everyone but bring nothing of your own to the table. You sound bitter like your maybe Mark Cuban or something.
Lesnar looks like a caricature there, in a suit, the size difference of him vs the interviewer is staggering.
His head has always looked kind of inhuman to me. Like he’s some statue and the sculptor didn’t bother shaping his head more than a cube with facial features on the front.
by Michaelthebox on Sep 3, 2008 5:04 PM EDT up reply actions
He'd probably laugh.
He’s always making jokes about his head, on all the WWF/E promos they did with him, he would take an opportunity to crack wise about his dome.
Even in the Herring pre-fight hype stuff he liked his head to a ball-peen hammer.
There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.
I'm Confused?
So what are we supposed to be rooting for here? Today is the goal for all MMA to die off except for the UFC? Then I can just tune in and let Dana White tell me what I like and don’t like about MMA.
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "
When has that ever been a risk? The UFC has to please both casual fans and hardcore fans, and those conflicting needs keep the UFC honest. Even if they are the only MMA organization in the world, if they provide a crappy product, the casuals will watch American Idol instead.
by Michaelthebox on Sep 3, 2008 5:45 PM EDT up reply actions
They can’t afford to put on a crappy product even once they’re the only MMA org left standing because they still have to compete for overall entertainment dollars.
Exactly. Never understood the “monopoly” fears, as a crappy UFC is easily replaced by boxing or kickboxing or racing or a dozen other sports. Or an evening at the movies.
by Michaelthebox on Sep 3, 2008 6:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Remember the run poker had
after the NHL hold-out?
Entertainment dollars will be spent. If your product is good, you will keep your market share. If your product is bad, but there’s a big vacuum, you’ll get tons of business short-term. It’s simple free-market mechanics. But the one constant is that people will continue to spend a given percentage of their income (gross, usually..entertainment is pretty recession-proof) on personal entertainment.
There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.
Here’s the problem.
You don’t have to be rooting against Affliction to come out and say that they are going to fail. It’s perfectly reasonable to come out and say that their business model is not working and that, as things stand right now, they don’t really have a chance to compete at the level they are looking to compete at without hoping they fail.
Exactly!
I loved PRIDE to my very core…but that doesn’t mean that toward the end I was saying “jesus…this is getting REALLY bad.”
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Sep 3, 2008 7:22 PM EDT up reply actions
This is a win-win situation for Brock….this was a horrible fight for Randy to take, it is a must win for him or career over…
Definitely not true. He will make more money in 1 fight than he did in almost all his priors combined, and they have a line of fights planned out for him back at LHW if he loses. He will be fine.
"Far and away"?
Maybe, maybe not. But one of the top guys in terms of compensation for sure. I’m quite confident Dana made it worth his while.
Me too. Randy wasn’t coming back for less then millions. Over 3 fights I can see him clearing 6-7 million. That’s if he keeps his stock up though.
Under his old deal, a million buys would have netted him $2,672,000. He’s doing better now. So assume, as I think we can, that he ends up making a cool 3-4 off of this fight. Has he made that much fighting in his whole career prior to this just counting purse money? it’s probably close.
I didn’t realize he made that much. That’s in line with what Liddell makes. I remember back when he signed to fight Tim they said his contract was among the best in the company. Second to only people such as Chuck.
chuck lidell made more than 10 million dollars in one year… and this was before elite xc or affliction were around.
Do you hear this on anywhere? no…
But you hear tito ortiz signs a record breaking deal which was utter bullshit.
Nobody talks about reality, instead people are dying to find zuffa lacking in some way.
Yes I’m sure 45 year old Randy Couture, who hasn’t fought in a year because he wanted to fight Fedor and retire, has a long list of fights after Lesnar.
As always, George Lucas, I love your sarcasm...
The problem is that the UFC unleashed Lesnar at the perfect time. No “real” fan believes that the winner of Fedor/Couture is the best fighter in the world now that Lesnar is off the chain. If Randy wanted to retire after beating the best, a win over Fedor wouldn’t help that. If Randy wanted to make a quick buck off Fedor, it’s too late, Tim Silvia already did that. Couture has no options now, except to fight lesnar. In other words, Don’t Mess With Zuffa… You Can’t Win!
I told you I can't build your candy house! It will fall apart, the sun will melt the candy, it won't work!
Standard, nonproductive snark.
Helping remind me I’m on the internet. Thanks GL.
There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.
I think a lot of people had high hopes for Affliction (including myself), but once a business plan was revealed, with all those high purses and unrealistic PPV goals, compared to the current MMA landscape and economic status, I think anyone with any common sense figured Affliction’s days were numbered. Their plans, while idealistic, were far-fetched at best, or just plain unrealistic, to be kind.
On a similar vein, I don’t think anyone realistically wants a UFC dominated MMA scene. Monopolies, no matter what industry, are not good for consumers, nor for the industry itself. Competition breeds better products and helps the industry to evolve. If anything, this past summer has forced Zuffa to really flex its muscles, and it was clear: the product produced was heads and shoulders above the rest, and above all, it kept Zuffa honest. I think those that still believe Affliction will be around for the long run are just kidding themselves at this point.
Hell, I do. As I mentioned earlier, the UFC can never be a true monopoly due to competition with other sports and forms of entertainment. Also, while having two or three powerful leagues would be good, the more leagues the higher the likelihood of the promotional game devolving to what boxing has. Which sucks on wheels.
by Michaelthebox on Sep 3, 2008 6:22 PM EDT up reply actions
What?????
So you would rather have
A) A strong UFC with no competitors
or
B) Screw it, I’ll go watch NASCAR
How can anyone argue with a staight face that competition this year hasn’t brought on loads of good events? Just the jump in free events alone has really upped the ante for all MMA. Anyone who thinks this is a bad thing has to have some sort of financial stake in the UFC.
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "
But these good events could have been happening all the time if all the fighters were in one place.
Name one big fight that we’ve missed out on since the death of Pride that doesn’t involve Fedor?
What great matchups is the UFC not givin us that they can?
They have to give us good matchups
Because there is competition for the MMA dollar. If they cared about making the top matches then they would cross promote. They wouldnt bury guys who are 1 fight from FA. They wouldnt bash everything Non Zuffa. True they have been putting on good fights from the company roster. But so does everyone else. Does everyone forget that it hasnt been that long ago where we got Evans/Bisping, Franklin/Shamrock, Ortiz/Shamrock, Stevenson/Penn as main event fodder?
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "
Dude, you think the UFC is giving us these great fights because of their competition? They aren’t. The UFC has NO competition for the MMA dollar right now. The risks of EliteXC and Affliction aren’t that they will take away the dollars right now, they are that they will grow into being decent promotions that will compete in the future. But that has very little to do with the UFC’s matchmaking today.
The plain fact is that I crave MMA and will accept a substandard product if I have no alternatives, and so will most of the other fans who post online and write blogs and breathe MMA. But the UFC makes most of its money from people who would drop the UFC and the sport like a bad habit if it starts to suck. The UFC isn’t putting together great matches now because of competition. Its putting great matches together now because it wants to build its fanbase and increase the number of people who want to see its shows, and because the UFC now actually has the financial ability, reach, and technical prowess to do things now that it could not do in the past. That will not change, regardless of the number of upstart promotions that want to take a bite of the market.
by Michaelthebox on Sep 3, 2008 7:25 PM EDT up reply actions
The boxing promotional model sucks, and it’s corrupt beyond belief. That would definitely be bad for MMA. What I’m suggesting is a little competition, with someone nipping at Zuffa’s heels isn’t a bad thing. I think there’s room for a top dog like the UFC, with smaller promotions. Plus, I really do think the UFC can become a monopoly in MMA. Not necessarily in entertainment sports, but in MMA for sure. The same way the NFL or NHL is in their respective sports.
I think they boosted Randy’s seat all the way up and pushed Lesnar’s seat all the way down. And still Lesnar looks twice as big.
I told you I can't build your candy house! It will fall apart, the sun will melt the candy, it won't work!
Was that creaking the noise of Lesnar’s chair when he swiveled around?
by Eugene Schelfaut on Sep 3, 2008 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions
This is a powerful blow landed on Affliction -- ZUFFA will very shortly have the best fighter in every class LW and above!
After this fight Fedor is gonna be irrelevant. Everybody thought Fedor vs Couture was the heavyweight fight to determine the best heavyweight. After Lesnar dominates Couture, everybody will agree that the UFC has the best HW in the world.
I told you I can't build your candy house! It will fall apart, the sun will melt the candy, it won't work!
George, who is the best HW in the world?
I told you I can't build your candy house! It will fall apart, the sun will melt the candy, it won't work!
… Fedor.
That was an easy question.
I still don’t quite get why being 1-1, having tapped out in less than 3 minutes, and then beating Herring — who most on here claimed was a pure can before that fight — suddenly vaults Lesnar to being the greatest thing ever to walk into an octagon.
Physically the guy is scary. Skill-wise he has shown next to nothing at all. In the Herring fight he destroyed Herring by managing to land a perfect first punch and then pouncing. I understand that you can’t discount just how powerful and perfect that punch was. But I can’t believe anyone watching that fight would disagree that if it had not landed perfectly — and in mma things don’t always go that perfectly — that entire fight would have been much, much different. Lesnar may still have won, easily even. But after that first huge punch he basically just got on top of Herring and managed to use his size and muscle to keep an already devastated Herring who has never been a particular great guy from the bottom neutralized. He couldn’t even finish him after that huge first shot. How that suddenly makes him the best in the world is just something I don’t quite understand.
Fedor may not have fought the best competition in the last couple of years, but despite that he finished Sylvia (who is arguably, if not definitely, considered to be a much better heavyweight than Herring) without even breaking a sweat. And that’s pretty much what he’s done to everybody he has fought, a list that includes significantly more top quality wins than a single decision victory over Heath Herring.
Lesnar may become the greatest heavyweight. His size and power may be too muich for anyone. He may dominate Randy (which may or may not prove anything, given the time off and the age and the legitimate questions about Randy’s heavyweight legacy). But as of right now, I just can’t believe you’re that impressed with his decision over Herring.
Just a difference of opinion.
Unlike you, I don’ need to see a dozen fights before I can determine a guys potential. By the way, neither does Dana White, and neither does Randy Couture or any other HW in the UFC.
I told you I can't build your candy house! It will fall apart, the sun will melt the candy, it won't work!
Yo baby, I agree with you.
This whole crazy situation isn’t gonna be resolved until we alter the crazy weight limits in the HW class. The way the class is set up now: a much larger, athletic, boxer/wrestler, can dominate. I agree with you that a 50 pound disparity in weight can make a huge difference in the fight — and it’s not fare! But, it is reality.
I told you I can't build your candy house! It will fall apart, the sun will melt the candy, it won't work!
If Lesnar isn’t anything why would Fedor say he’d like to fight him? Why did Randy come back to fight him? I remember Randy saying only the Fedor fight intrests him. If the best want Lesnar it isn’t because he sucks. I don’t see either of them caring enough to want Kimbo. Anyone saying Fedor is irrelevant is smoking shit better then me though.
The problem is, you haven’t said that he has “the potential” to be the greatest heavyweight out there. You’ve said he already “is” the greatest heavyweight. And he hasn’t really done much of anything to justify that pedestal just yet. That’s all I’m saying.
Dude...
anyone who considered Herring a can is out of their mind. He isn’t a worldbeater but the term “can” is taking it way too far. I mean…just insanely too far. Or else it’s just a basic lack of understanding of a term. A can isn’t a guy who will likely lose in a match-up. If that is the case than Fitch was a can in the GSP fight.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Sep 3, 2008 7:26 PM EDT up reply actions
No...
I’m not arguing with him at all. I agree that several people are probably jumping the gun. I have admitted that I am among the people giving Lesnar more love than he probably deserves at this point. This comes from just sheer interest in what I think he COULD be. He is such a freakish athlete…the ability to tryout for an NFL team and make a practice squad without having played any high level football is an amazing statement to his athletic abilities (and anyone who acts like he was somehow a failure because of what happened with not making the full squad is insane).
I’m just sick of the tendency of people to immediately write off an underdog in a fight as a “can.” It’s disrespectful to the fighters as well as just moronic revisionism. Especially considering that he said the following before the Lesnar/Herring fight:
Maybe it would go better for Herring because Herring is not already injured going into this fight? Or maybe because he has pretty much completely remade his body with new cardio and diet people in his corner since that fight? Or maybe because, for his faults, at least Jake O’Brien had almost a dozen fights under his belt and had enough legitimate experience to take advantage of Herring’s injury? Actually there are lots of reasons that the Jake O’Brien fight is probably not the one to base a prediction on …
Hmm…doesn’t sound like he thought he was a can until AFTER he lost. THAT, my friend, is not a can.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Sep 3, 2008 7:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Come on now, Brent. I know you can read better than a lot of the people around here who jump at the chance to twist somebody’s words into something they never said. Read my post again. I never called Herring a can. I expected him to win that fight. My point was that the bulk of the posts here and everywhere else before the fight and after the fight were generally of the tenor that Herring was not much of an opponent. I was basically arguing a losing battle in trying to make the case that Herring had a legitimate shot at winning against Lesnar, because most people seemed to expect Herring to get destroyed — and indicated in their posts that Herring was an easy opponent given to Lesnar to destroy to build his career. Despite the fact that most people (not me) were acting as if Herring was nothing, it seems odd to me that Lesnar’s sole UFC victory over Herring has suddenly propelled him to status as the greatest thing around. That’s all I was saying.
I don’t think Herring is a can now. I didn’t think he was then. I never said he is, was, or will be. I think the Lesnar/Herring fight was defined and determined largely by the fact that one perfect devastating punch landed. Lesnar gets credit for that — but one perfect punch doesn’t equate to “greatest heavyweight on the planet” in my book.
well then...
…shut up!
Seriously though. I’ll own up to the fact that I misread your post.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Sep 4, 2008 5:59 AM EDT up reply actions
I just don't agree with the premise that
the first punch is what determined that fight. Herring didn’t look terrible to start the second or third rounds, not behaviorally anyways. Of course his face was torn up, but that happens.
Lesnar did nail him with that shot, and it was clearly had the most impact of any event in the fight. But watching the replays, it just didn’t seem to me that Herring was totally shaken or that it demolished his gameplan. He made the correct decision to work clinches with Brock, since Brock had that kind of power in the outside striking game, and he even managed to do some damage from the standing clinch..right before Brock took him down again.
So I guess I’d argue that while Lesnar’s Mega Punch was certainly the most important event of that fight, I didn’t think it really changed the way Herring fought afterwards. Not like Forrest’s leg kicks against Rampage, which were legitimate fight-changing events.
There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.
Completely agree, calling Herring a can really is laughable, and pretty insulting to the guy.
by idefinecagefighter on Sep 3, 2008 8:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Just like Dana said
Fedor sucks!!! Fedor isn’t a top 5 heavyweight. Brad Imes, he’s a real heavyweight. Cheick Kongo, he’s a real heavyweight.
We can always count on Dana to give us the truth.
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "
No.
you can always count on Dana to promote the UFC that’s it that’s all seeing how it is his job
Brock Looked Huge compared to randy and the other guy damn funny he said Brock your bigger than most two men combined…this kinda showed the size difference..and it was all over ESPN today let the PR machine begin..they will hype this fight non stop until Nov 15th by then the anticipation will be so high and the buys will be threw the roof..like the guy said hardcore or causal fan of mma this is not a fight you want to miss..another corner stone in the UFC
"If I wanted to spend a half hour between two hairy legs I'd go to your mother's house." -Don Frye
Finkie and Fedor are risking more, much more fighting the winner of arlovski/barnett than fighting couture and being locked in with the UFC.
Even though he would be favored in both cases… what happens if he loses to the winner of barnett/arlovski?
But if he lost to Couture he would still walk away with the extra brand equity he would receive from Zuffa promotion.
Plus he would have to lose again in order to be written off.
If he loses to Barnett/arlovski his stock drops from the outset.
Big miscalculation by finkie.
I have a feeling that Fedor can find a job if he loses.
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "
Sure, he’d be able to find a job. But Fedor’s worth is tied up to a huge degree in his image of invincibility. Right now, he’s making well over a million dollars a fight. If he loses and he has to sign for a new fight in the US, he probably won’t making over half a million dollars, and maybe as low as a couple hundred thousand. He’s not easily marketable and doesn’t have much fame in the US. If he loses to Barnett or Arlovski in Affliction, he probably wouldn’t fight in the United States again.
by Michaelthebox on Sep 3, 2008 8:15 PM EDT up reply actions
That’s not the point. The point is that he risks hurting his value, not that he risks becoming unemployable.
by Richard Wade on Sep 3, 2008 10:03 PM EDT up reply actions
This comment section has it all.
You’ve got Couture. You’ve got questions about Lesnar’s legitimacy. You’ve got irrational fears about a UFC monopoly even though substitute sports products are too numerous for a lazy commenter to name. The UFC can’t and aren’t being complacent. They’re expanding internationally and trying to get MMA legalized here in the U.S. Those aren’t the actions of an organization that’s slowing down to count their money. They can’t afford to put out a shiitty product. Sorry about the mini rant.
Of course, Luke started this whole thing out right by inserting that little blurb to remind people that his criticism of Affliction was legit. That shit cracked me up. You know, I’m really the kind of person that doesn’t like to give downtrodden organizations like Affliction and ProElite a bad time (insert laughter with well placed expletives here).
Bloody elbow is home to the most sophisticated and high level mma discussions and analysis on the net.
PERIOD.
+1.
That’s about as sophisticated as I can produce right now. Good thing more isn’t necessary.
There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.
Competition is good for any industry. Lets hope Affliction can survive and keep the UFC honest, so to speak.
Brock was surprisingly articulate and Randy seems to actually be enjoying himself again.
Every interview I've seen of Brock, outside of whatever promotion he currently works for
has shown him to be a pretty articulate, straight-forward guy. I’d even go as far as to call him ‘nice,’ at least as far as men who can snap most of us in half with one arm.
Randy does look not unhappy. I wouldn’t say he’s thrilled, but it’s a step in the right direction, in any case. All the random interviews I saw of him for the last six months have made him seem a little weary.
There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.
That’s the thing about Brock.
He was all over espn yesterday, and seemed like a normal guy the whole time.
Sure, he snaps during the emotion of a fight, and I can see how he lost his cool a little during the conference call, but who never does that?
He's actually a fairly well groomed public figure.
Part of his problem with WWF/E, admittedly, was that he couldn’t sell his persona and matches as well as others. But the public demands of a UFC fighter have to be considerably less than those of a WWF/E star, so he’s already gone through the training for this sort of thing.
And yeah, just check YouTube for his post-fight interview after his first MMA fight against Kim. Very calm, articulate, and engaging. The guy’s a ready-made superstar for this organization.
There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.
Well...
while he was there for athletics obviously…he did graduate from a major university. Unless there is significant grade fixing going on (which despite what TV and Movies would have you believe is not exactly running rampant) he would have to be a reasonably intelligent guy.
He IS a big kid and a bully who gets giddy over beating people up and dominating them. But that’s just a personality thing.
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Sep 4, 2008 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions
I won't ever argue with the fact that he is quite literally
the definition of an Alpha Male. Dude has more testosterone in his…never mind. But those types are generally off-putting, at least to those of us who frequent the ’net.
There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.
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