Brock Lesnar haters are quick to point out that he got a push all the way to co-main event status before he even really fought in the sport of MMA, and those haters would be right that he did get one of the biggest initial pushes in UFC history. Whether the push is fair or not is a different question and recently Lesnar did an interview with the Baltimore Sun and addressed that question. Here’s what he said:
“Tough [expletive deleted], buddy. Get in line. That’s just the way it is. This is a business and it’s a sport, it’s entertainment and it’s all three of those words wrapped into one. [UFC president] Dana White and [co-owners] the Fertitta brothers didn’t buy this company to say, ‘Hey let’s see if we can run this thing into the ground and not make a dime.’ They bought it to make millions and make it what it is, and that’s what they are doing. I’m just trying to have fun and get a little piece of the pie. I really enjoy it. I’m proud and honored to be a part of it. And it’s not like I didn’t pay any dues either. I wrestled amateur when I was 5 years old and put more miles in airplanes and working out. I’m 31 this year and I’ve paid dues. If [other fighters] want to be mad I think they should focus on how they can become a big contributor. They are mad because they aren’t making any money.”
Lesnar’s upcoming fight with Heath Herring is important for him in a big way, as two back to back losses wouldn’t bode well for his UFC career. He’s been quoted as saying the fight is very important for Herring, but in truth it’s much more important to Lesnar, and look for him to employ the ground and pound that seemed to almost work in his first match with Frank Mir. On Herring’s side of the coin, Cheick Congo took him down several times, so he’s got to wonder at how he can stop the legit amateur wrestler Lesnar from taking him down at will. Look for the two to enter the octagon at UFC 87 on August 9th in Minneapolis, which by the way is Lesnar’s current home town.
