At 6.3" and a chiseled 265 pounds, Brock Lesnar is a mammoth of a man. The combination of his size, speed, athleticism, and strength is unlike anything MMA has ever seen nor will probably ever see again.
Over the past three or so years Lesnar has become a major player within the sport, and will only continue to be a top draw as long as he keeps winning.
However, tonight at UFC 121 a man by the name of Cain Velasquez will try to put a stop to "King" Lesnar's reign.
Now while Velasquez winning the strap from Lesnar would be a history-making event from the standpoint of it being the first time that a Mexican Heavyweight would own a championship in a combat sport, this would ultimately not be great from a financial point of view for the UFC.
If you watched any of the UFC Primetime shows from the past few weeks, it couldn't be any more obvious that a Velasquez championship win tonight would be quite boring, and might actually lead to a decline in interest within the division.
You might think that I am being harsh, but let's look at the facts:
- Each fight which has featured Lesnar has been a major draw. In fact, since UFC 91 against Randy Couture, the pay-per-view buy rate has gone over 1 million. I can't imagine Velasquez being able to pull in the same type of numbers.
- Unfortunately, while Velasquez seems like a nice guy, he's only really marketable to one demographic.
- Lesnar provides the perfect villain anytime that he fights. Even as a "changed" man, he will still draw the ire of many MMA purists who feel that he is an outsider that came from pro wrestling.
In addition to being the perfect villain, there is just something about Lesnar that makes you want to watch him. He's this massive monster who just dedicates himself to training for fights, and wants nothing to do with the obvious pitfalls of the MMA lifestyle.
While it would be great for Cain to win, just to see someone take down the beast from Minnesota, Dana White and company better hope that Lesnar wins.
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/496658-ufc-121-why-the-ufc-needs-brock-lesnar-to-keep-his-title
Tom Belso JeanPierre Beltoise Olivier Beretta Allen Berg Georges Berger
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