There were a few things that came out of UFC 81 that are worth talking about. The MMA purists are happy that Brock Lesnar lost to Frank Mir. That's their selling point that people can't just walk into this sport and become a champ overnight. The truth is they're right. But you can't argue that Lesnar wasn't putting a beat down on Mir for all but 5 seconds of the 90 second fight.
The loss won't hurt Lesnar at all. He made a rookie mistake and he probably won't make that mistake again. He is only going to get better and I would bet that he will contend someday. The only downside to him losing is that now his aura of invincibility is gone. He had the reputation of a man-beast who probably has most opponents mentally defeated before stepping into the cage. So maybe he loses a little bit of the intimidation factor but he'll gain it back after a couple wins.
It could also mean that Frank Mir is back and ready to contend in the heavyweight division. He is kind of lucky to get out of that fight with a win and without getting hurt. He even stated that he saw 'flashes of light' when Lesnar was dropping elbows on his head. But all of that means nothing because he won the fight and he deserves all the credit in the world right now. No matter how good Brock Lesnar becomes, Mir will always have the distinction of not only wanting to fight him, but handing him his first loss.
Something else we learned is that either Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira isn't that good, or maybe it's finally time to start giving Tim Sylvia some credit because maybe he isn't that bad. Nogueira took a beating for 2 rounds from Sylvia before he finally caught Sylvia in a guillotine and submitted the giant in the 3rd round.
Nogueira was losing both rounds and was getting picked apart by Sylvia's stand up game. Big Nog is an awesome fighter who was ranked as high as 3rd recently.
So as much as I'd hate to admit it, maybe we have to consider Tim Sylvia one of the elite heavyweights when he's healthy. The man, afterall, is 26-4 so he really can't be that bad. I'm not about to start a Tim Sylvia bandwagon but maybe it's time to give this guy a bit of credit. He never backs down from a fight and regardless of how ugly it is, he does win.
Unfortunately, the heavyweight division is still in a state of chaos. It'll be interesting to see Dana White's next move regarding this division.
Monday, February 4, 2008
What Did We Learn From UFC 81?
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3 comments:
That's exactly correct. They made the biggest mistake (from a marketing standpoint) in the world putting Lesnar up against someone of Mirs caliber so early in his (Lesnars) career. Why let him risk a loss so early? I don't get it. People want invincibility, undefeated records, monsters (like Lesnar).....thats what sells tickets. Lesnar was supposed to be a wrecking machine and he lost to someone who is not even in his best form. Mir would have won in 20 seconds instead of 90 if he was at his best. Sure, it won't hurt Lesnar in the long run but I it definitely has already lost its mystique. The monster, NCAA champ, 270lb animal is already 1-1. Should have waited, let him get more experience!!!!!!
You couldn't be more correct. I published an earlier post about throwing Lesnar to the wolves too soon but I guess the formula worked for that evening. Unfortunately, the draw might not be nearly as big for his next fight? Any other UFC fighter and they're abolished to preliminary status. We'll see what happens. I gotta try and re-post your comment to the webpage.
Lesnars still gonna do well in MMA. He moves fast for such a large guy and his power is probably unmatched in the heavyweight division. Without a doubt, he will eventually be a contender for the heavyweight title. Again, that loss to Mir just takes something away from it all.
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