Why Brock Lesnar is Gold and Respect is Worth (About) 1/4 That
September 10, 2009
UFC 100, Lesnar/Mir, 1,700,000+ buys
UFC 102, Couture/Nog, 435,000 buys (initial estimates as reported by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
I guess this piece could end right there, but I should elaborate.
Anderson Silva is my favorite fighter. He also provides for perhaps the finest example of the respect ethos in Mixed Martial Arts; as Joe Rogan has commented, it’s as if Silva has stepped out of a movie into the Octagon. And until UFC 101 when he was booked against ultra-popular Forrest Griffin (est. 850,000 buys), Silva showed no signs of being a ppv draw.
I make no apologies for my choice for second favorite fighter: it’s the (irrationally) hated Brock Lesnar. I love Lesnar, particularly because such a large segment of hardcore fans hold a perplexing visceral hatred for this incredible athlete.
The Brock hatred runs so deep it allows some fans to:
- Monomaniacally focus on Brock Lesnar’s pro wrestling background at the expense of his championship amateur wrestling credentials, while at the same time conveniently forgetting, or ignoring, the pro wrestling background of many other MMA fighters, including hardcore fan favorite Josh Barnett, who himself currently pro wrestles in Japan;
- Create after-the-fact justifications for their hatred, such as Brock’s post-UFC 100 behavior that included flipping the double bird to the fans and getting in Frank Mir’s quite bloody face. This “WWE” behavior is bad for the sport, we were told, by the same people who seemed unaware that Quinton Jackson and Rashad Evans almost had an altercation in the crowd at 100, a scene captured on one of Dana White’s last v-logs. These same people, for the most part, hated Brock since the day he first fought Frank Mir, so Brock’s behavior after the second fight did not cause — although it might have exacerbated — the hate;
- Hero worship just about anyone who steps up against Brock, while being certain that Brock will face defeat against his upcoming opponent. The latest beneficiary of such worship is the charisma-challenged Shane Carwin, who faces Brock in November, and likely will never have the opportunity for a 1,000,000 buy ppv show ever again, that is unless he faces Brock in a rematch. Carwin’s a nice guy, but in his hyper-criticism of Brock’s behavior, he shows little understanding of what is required for a fighter to make money in the sport;
- Ignore Brock’s ever-increasing skills, his dedication to training, and his enormous athletic ability, while maintaining Brock has nothing but size going for him;
- Ignore that Brock Lesnar is, plain and simple, the biggest ppv draw MMA has ever seen. Brock could fight a broom, and half a million people will pay to see it.
Do not misunderstand me: one of the things that attracted me to MMA was the respect between the athletes, especially the respect typically shown by the loser after the fight, but in the United States, fights built on respect do not sell pay-per-views (one of the lessons of Couture/Nog) whereas the guy who receives the flak from hardcore fans is the fighter everyone wants to pay to see, whether they love Brock, as I do, or hate him, as does such a large element of hardcore fandom.
Brock was criticized for getting in Mir’s face after the UFC 100 battle was over, but quite honestly, on a visceral level, I much prefer that to the hugs we were seeing between B.J. Penn and Sean Sherk immediately after their fight.
I felt like a sucker (in pro wrestling carny terms, a “mark”) hearing B.J. tell Sean, right over the airwaves, that he wanted to make it the biggest fight ever (it wasn’t, not even close). I like knowing, or at least thinking, that a grudge is legitimate. After all, in the end, it’s a fight we’re talking about, one person attempting to dominate another in the most primal way possible. If the guys don’t like each other — or at least appear not to like each other — it can help make it all the more alluring. It’s hard, at least for me anyway, to take seriously anything B.J. Penn says nowadays while promoting a fight, as my subconscious constantly recalls B.J.’s comments in the wake of his Sherk destruction.
If you want to see how to build a mega-buy ppv fight, and you don’t mind spoilers, check out the first eight minutes of the first episode of the tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter, Meet the Heavyweights. You’ll see trash talk between Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans that gets so personal so quickly, you’ll immediately understand why Dana White expects this to be one of the biggest fights in UFC history when all is said and done. This footage made me want to see the entire season, IMMEDIATELY. It also helps explain — on a visceral level — the plain fact that Brock Lesnar is gold, and respect is worth (about) 1/4 that.
30 Responses to “Why Brock Lesnar is Gold and Respect is Worth (About) 1/4 That”
Got something to say?
What about any of that makes their dislike of Lesnar illegitimate? What about people who’ve disliked him for years? Are they somehow illegitimate? Your argument is basically “show me the money”, and “I like soap operas”.
Garth, in fairness to myself, I think my main argument is “1,700,000″ but I grant you that that can be seen as swallowed up in “show me the money.” Though I think your descriptions of my arguments are a bit crude, they’re not off base.
I add, though, that I’m not questioning the legimitacy of anyone’s hatred of Lesnar, only the rationality of the hate.
As summarized in the bullet points in the article, I think a large part of Lesnar hate is based in hypocrisy, in condemning Lesnar for things accepted in other fighters.
Any insight on what would happen IF Lesnar loses 2 in a row?
I mean sure, if he loses to Carwin, then the UFC can start hyping him as a monster back on the trail to regaining his title, but what happens to his drawing power if he drops 2 matches in a row?
Buzzer, although historically fighters like Chuck Liddell and Ken Shamrock have retained their drawing power even after losing streaks, I think Brock is a singular character, who became a draw immediately and for reasons unique to him.
A lot of Lesnar’s drawing power comes from two forces: (i) his fans view him as almost unbeatable at this point, or at least super-dominant; and (ii) his detractors want to see him lose in devastating fashion.
Whether Brock remained the draw he is, or even a draw on any significant level, would depend a lot on how he lost. If Brock were humbled two times in a row via KO, his drawing power would weaken considerably. But in MMA there are a lot of ways to lose.
Things are relative, too. Shamrock maintained his drawing power when 1,000,000 UFC shows were unheard of. With Brock, they *might* be routine (we’ll find out with Carwin).
If Brock lost two in a row, unless they both were in really controversial fashion, it’s hard for me to see him doing 1,000,000 buys for his follow-up fight.
Cool article on all points.
wolf: well said sir. all very valid points.
I am also surprised by the lack of respect that Lesnar gets.
I think some of the hatred directed at him has to do with him smashing Vegas hometown boy Frank Mir.
Lesnar deserves all the credit for taking the plunge into a real combat sport. He is progressing fast and despite his incomplete skill package, his athleticism is second to very few. Maybe hardcore fans are unhappy with him walzting in and taking the belt so easily.
Until the last year the heavyweight division has been a total wasteland and I’m glad that the UFC is finally taking their promotion job seriously and putting on the big heavyweight fights which are going to draw the next generation of MMA fans in and take the sport one step closer to the mainstream…and hopefully in turn more free, quality fights for the fans.
I think there are completely valid reasons not to like Lesnar, starting with him going out of his way to make sure that the press reports that he hates gays. That’s a non-starter for me. While I’m sure there are lots of other less-than-gay-friendly fighters out there (Matt Hughes?), most don’t go around shouting it at the press corps.
And being against his behavior is perfectly reasonable: the guy acts like an asshole. Justifying it with his PPV numbers is cynical at best and fanboyish at worst.
I believe that 1,700,000 PPV buys is giving too much credit to Lesnar. You must remember that this was UFC100 which was a milestone event. I am sure Lesnar contributed to some of the buys, but I am sure if Lesnar was not in it, there would have still been a lot of buys simply bc it was UFC100.
Mr. Wolf,
I have to say that while Brock Lesnar is surely a PPV draw, that only really matters from the perspective of the UFC, which derives a profit from his antics and status as a heel. From fans’ perspectives, the fact that Brock is a PPV draw is essentially inconsequential, as they do not see any of the spoils of Brock Lesnar’s drawing power. It is in this light that fans’ dislike of Brock (I wouldn’t go so far as to call it hatred, which I feel is a word that contrives a much deeper feeling) should be viewed.
I agree that while his pro-wrestling background has no bearing on his success in the UFC or his immense athletic gifts and abilities (you can’t bring up “abilities” without also mentioning “gifts” when it comes to Brock), it did lead to legitimate concerns from fans that elements of the WWE could be brought into the UFC. Brock’s post UFC 100 antics validated these concerns, which was how I as a fan personally felt. The fact that Brock is a major PPV draw only serves to exacerbate these concerns, as other fighters could potentially mimic these actions in an attempt to increase their own drawing power (think about it, this isn’t that far fetched).
You bring up the fact that Brock’s detractors downplay his developed athletic ABILITIES and instead credit his success to his athletic GIFTS (his massive size). While I do not doubt Brock’s “dedication to training” or his “ever increasing skills”, let’s face it: if Lesnar weighed about 35 lbs. or so less, it is very unlikely he would have been able to accomplish all that he has THUS FAR. It is far more likely that Frank Mir would have submitted a 245 lb. Lesnar, and at the very least would not have been dominated in the same fashion. I know that these are hypotheticals, but you must admit that they are realistic.
Fair points, Machiel.
Furthermore, accolades such as “dedication to training”, “enormous athletic ability”, and “ever increasing skills” are things you could attribute to lots of fighters in the UFC. These things are not what make Brock unique, instead it is merely the fact that he is more athletic than other men HIS SIZE. Again, it IS his SIZE and what he can do with it that sets him apart from the rest (so far). The other reason that these accolades are downplayed by Brock’s detractors are that other athletes in the UFC who are also dedicated to training, have enormous athletic abilities, and ever increasing skills are much more respectful and, let’s face it, professional. This is a negative aspect of what sets Brock apart. Rashad and Rampage may have shoved each other in a Dana White video blog, but I doubt they would’ve done this if the PPV camera were focused on them (oh yeah, they didn’t after UFC 96, merely a stare down and some harsh words). They certainly didn’t flip off the crowd. It is what makes Brock different that people will focus on, so why is this irrational?
Brock may be a PPV draw because people dislike him, and as one of those people I will also be buying UFC PPVs to see him lose, you are right. But the fact remains that these fans WANT HIM TO LOSE, and if he does enough times he will be gone from the UFC, along with his drawing power. Good for UFC to make money off of him from people like me, I honestly don’t care. I will still be happy when he’s out of the UFC someday, even if it takes many years.
One other gripe I have is the constant attributing of all 1,700,000 PPV buys to “Brock vs Mir.” While the main event is certainly the biggest reason for PPV buyrates, in MMA the undercard is far from meaningless. Comparing UFC 102 to UFC 100 like this is folly. UFC 100 had not one, but two title fights, as well as the long awaited clash of two TUF coaches from a recently aired season which had implications for national pride. UFC 102 had no title fights, Big Nog was not seen as nearly the threat he had been before UFC 92, the event lacked any other substantial draws, and the UFC had already had a major PPV earlier in the month, whereas UFC 100 stood alone in July. This issue needs to be addressed as comparisons like this happen far too often in the MMA media
Given these considerations:
“UFC 100, Lesnar/Mir, 1,700,000+ buys
UFC 102, Couture/Nog, 435,000 buys”
This piece absolutely should not have ended there. Lesnar himself does not draw those kind of numbers.
Hey Machiel, don’t forget to breathe.
[...] Payout: Why Dana White LOVES Brock Lesnar Why Brock Lesnar is Gold and Respect is Worth (About) 1/4 That : MMAPayout.com: The Business of MMA Article Below: UFC 100, Lesnar/Mir, 1,700,000+ buys UFC 102, Couture/Nog, 435,000 buys (initial [...]
[...] Posted by MatParker116 Why Brock Lesnar is Gold and Respect is Worth (About) 1/4 That : MMAPayout.com: The Business of MMA Article Below: UFC 100, Lesnar/Mir, 1,700,000+ buys UFC 102, Couture/Nog, 435,000 buys (initial [...]
[...] Posted by MatParker116 Why Brock Lesnar is Gold and Respect is Worth (About) 1/4 That : MMAPayout.com: The Business of MMA Article Below: UFC 100, Lesnar/Mir, 1,700,000+ buys UFC 102, Couture/Nog, 435,000 buys (initial [...]
There was a lot more to UFC 100 than Lesnar. He for sure does his part when it comes to selling pay per views, but the card was hyped just a tad more than UFC 102.
Lesnar deserves credit for being a monstrous and brutal fighter who knows how to get people fired up. But part of his early PPV success came from the fact that he had a following from his pro wrestling days.
Being disrespectful is not a prerequisite for success in MMA. Randy and Nog maybe didn’t sell as many PPV’s this time around, but they’ve done alright for themselves.
Any of you guys watch the NBA? The same line of arguments, “all he has is size”, have been made about Shaq for years, especially because he is such a shitty free throw shooter. Yet, the guy dominates in the low post due to not only size but athleticism and he wins championships.
Lesnar is a similar beast. He of course has a massive advantage in size and strength, and his fighting style leverages those gifts.
When your size/strength/heart are equal, the advantage goes to the more technically sound fighter. But a black belt heavy weight fighter still doesn’t stand a chance against a bear or a gorilla.
[...] visit Sherdog or something? He speaks the undeniable truth. What can you really even say to that? Why Brock Lesnar is Gold and Respect is Worth (About) 1/4 That : MMAPayout.com: The Business of MMA "I love Lesnar, particularly because such a large segment of hardcore fans hold a perplexi [...]
The length Machiel Van tries to go through to rationalize his hate towards Lesnar pretty much proves your article, Wolf. Haters go through such roundabout arguments that it’s laughable. You’ll see someone point out how Lesnar gets on by size alone, then another guy points out his athletic stats, the hater responds with something like “What if he wasn’t that strong?” and eventually the whole thing goes into a fantasy land where Lesnar couldn’t win if he was 230lbs and a kickboxer.
Oh well, the one thing that stands out to me most is this:
“I love Lesnar, particularly because such a large segment of hardcore fans hold a perplexing visceral hatred for this incredible athlete.”
I agree 100% and you know what? I think that’s why a LOT of people cheered Lesnar in their homes and at the bar when he got in Mir’s face. “Hardcore fans” have such a snobby attitude towards the guy, I love seeing Lesnar piss them off. A guy who’s pouring his wallet into top-notch trainers focusing solely on him gets on by size alone. Yeah. Whatever. Here’s to looking forward to Carwin being called overrated after he loses and Nog being the next hero who will certainly defeat him.
[...] or something? He speaks the undeniable truth. What can you even really even say to this? Why Brock Lesnar is Gold and Respect is Worth (About) 1/4 That : MMAPayout.com: The Business of MMA "I love Lesnar, particularly because such a large segment of hardcore fans hold a perplexi ng [...]
anon. i agree with the fact that it is mostly hardcore’s (but not all of them including myself) that hate on brock. he was booed in vegas, mir’s hometown, after he flipped them off. anywhere else he fights i gurantee he will not be the “heel” and will be cheered lustfully throughout the rest of the country, especially in the midwest. and you don’t have to love or even like a fighter to have repect for him, something mr. van can’t deal with. gotta be a fedorian.
Brock impressed me in his first fight I saw (the loss to Mir), as his size and speed were simply terrifying. But as I learned more about him (proudly homophobic, clearly in it for the money first), my respect for his athletic prowess was overshadowed by Lesnar’s obvious lack of respect for anything else.
[...] Even if Henderson were to be given a share of ppv revenue, he’s never proven to be a huge draw, and I’d say it’s impossible that, if granted, his demands would make him UFC’s highest paid fighter. I’m not even going to research this one, I’ll tell you who it is in 2009 (and probably going forward into the future): Brock Lesnar. [...]
The lack of respect that most people have for Brock Lesnar is unreal to me. Here is a man who absolutely dominated the heavy weight division in NCAA wrestling. Then saw an oppurtunity to make him self wealthy and took it. Then for whatever reasons just decided to quit. Then having never in his life played football tried out for the NFL Minnesota Vikings and almost made the team, with no prior experience! Sound familiar? How many MMA fights had he been before he became the UFC champion? What we have here is an incredible athlete with the will to excell at anything he does, and the work ethic to make it happen. No that doesnt deserve any respect at all! Wow!