It’s safe to say that the MMA community was holding its breath this weekend as the world watched the UFC’s centennial offering. The event on Saturday night was essentially MMA’s biggest opportunity yet to show the world what it’s all about.
How did it fair? That’s up for debate. Most look to the general media impressions, but not surprisingly they’re mixed as always. Some thought the show was outstanding, others were concerned about issues of safety and sportsmanship, others still were appalled by its “barbarism.”
The issue of barbarism and no rules, no holds barred fighting has been addressed. There’s no need to talk about it again other than to simply say that some people will never like this sport and never agree with this sport.
Aside from the odd individual stuck in 1993, the most common reaction I’ve encountered from UFC 100 is one of disappointment over the two most controversial incidents of the night: Henderson’s late shot on Bisping and Lesnar’s post-fight “antics,” as they’ve been described.
So, allow me to be the voice of reason and say yet again, there’s no need to panic.
The Henderson Shot
The Henderson shot, everyone will agree, was uncalled for; worse still, he admitted it was intentional following the fight (only to back track at the press conference). However, for as much as people might like to deny it, Henderson’s shot is grudgingly a part of the sport.
It’s a frenzy in there and sometimes an opportunity to finish a fight only comes about once – if you miss it, you may lose.
The real concern I have with the Henderson shot is that it again highlights the inadequacy of MMA’s officiating. Mario Yamasaki, one of MMA’s “best” officials, was in a terrible position during that stand-up exchange. He was a good three meters away and moving backward whilst the fighters were circling away from him; he was never in a position to do anything about a potential knockdown or knockout.
To blame the fighter, in this case Henderson, for finishing the fight is to ignore the true problem in this situation. It’s Henderson’s responsibility to fight until the bell or a stoppage. Most fighters can manage to show restraint, but sometimes it’s not possible; and that’s where the official needs to step in and do his job.
While a fighter has the duty to be respectful of his opponent, it’s not the job of a fighter to protect his opponent.
Also important is how the public will perceive the shot. In this case, it’s probably more a case of par for the course from MMA: it was a huge knockout that’s already made highlight reels across the globe. Those that were turned off by the punch were likely to be turned off by just about anything the UFC had to offer that night.
Where MMA could get into trouble is in having something like Henderson’s shot become a consistent part of the sport; which, again, places a great deal of importance on the officiating.
The Lesnar Tirade
Lesnar’s lack of respect for his opponent, the fans, the sport, its sponsors, and its biggest organization was wrong – it was a slap in the face to the integrity and respect that MMA has come to stand for, something the MMA community prides itself on.
The truth of the matter, however, is that in the grand scheme of things it was a mistake that really isn’t going to cost MMA anything. Argue all you want that Lesnar damaged the reputation of the sport on Saturday, that MMA “lost” as the result of his actions, and that the UFC will suffer – none could be further from the truth.
More correctly, this type of behaviour, occuring on a consistent basis, from anyone of MMA’s stars, could be damaging for the sport. Its combat nature and checkered past subject MMA to a more severe scrutiny than most sports, thus maintaining its sportsmanship and integrity is of a long term importance.
However, it’s equally important not to lose sight of the fact that Lesnar likely now understands what is and what is not acceptable in MMA; his gaff completed the transition of Lesnar “the entertainer” to Lesnar “the fighter”. He now has the opportunity to learn from his mistake and will likely become a better ambassador of the sport because of it.
Further, in that 30 second quip Lesnar managed to become a polarizing entity the likes which MMA has never seen. People aren’t going to stop watching Lesnar, they’re going to start watching Lesnar just so they can see him get his ass kicked.
The UFC and Bud Light might be pissed, but secretly they’ve got to be happy that an increase in exposure for both their brands is likely to result out of Lesnar’s little tirade.
The real question I have been asked – and the one I’m asking myself – is, is MMA becoming too much like pro wrestling?
I would argue no. Last time I checked, MMA is very real and nothing is contrived or scripted. It may “hype” the odd fight, but it doesn’t create a storyline to prop up fake fighting. More importantly, every sport tries to “hype” itself, not just MMA.
Sports fans are constantly inundated with “storylines” from the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL on a daily basis. Those leagues milk every non-sport related story to the maximum, because for as sad as it is to say, that’s what helps the sport sell. Why on Earth do you think they call it a human interest story? Terrell Owens and Manny Ramierez are walking storyline controversies. Kobe and Shaq is still a story ESPN leads with…five years later. Then you get into personal rivalries such as Crosby and Ovechkin or Tiger and Phil. I could go on…
The point is MMA is going to need a mix of that sport and real-life drama in order to get to the next level. Some may call it “pro wrestling flair,” I simply call it the way things work.
In terms of drama, the only true difference between MMA and other sports is that MMA is still trying to establish itself – it’s still walking that tight rope. MMA needs to be careful, and so should Brock Lesnar. He doesn’t have to change absolutely – that would dilute much of what makes him so appealing – he just has to be mindful of where that line is.
Ultimately, though, Lesnar will learn from his mistake; the MMA community will learn from his mistake; and, the outside world will slowly to come learn about MMA, as the result of Lesnar’s mistake.
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