Dana White introduced currently that Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos will be the coaches on this year (TUF 13) of The Best Fighter. The two fighters will carry on the tradition of concluding the time by struggling with each other in the Octagon. Only two factors were assured by Dana’s announcement. The first is that there would be quick controversy amongst keyboard warriors everywhere you go on the blogosphere. Lesnar’s authoritative coaching position relative to his inexperience as a mixed martial artist will incorporate to his by now sizeable base of critics. The 2nd promise is that TUF 13 will be scores gold! Lesnar has proven time and all over again that if practically nothing else he attracts eyeballs. Whatsoever approach you use to observe attractiveness, irrespective of whether its Google searches, or shell out-per-view buys, Lesnar is undeniably the proverbial goose that lays the golden ratings egg.
After one get previous the first awkwardness of appointing an intensely personal individual with relatively minimal knowledge in MMA as a mentor, this year gives lots of intriguing concerns. Initial and foremost, what will Brock’s perspective and individuality be? Or rather, possibly the dilemma need to be how will the UFC opt for to portray Lesnar? Lesnar has described himself as a lone wolf sort of personal right before. He hates huge metropolitan areas (alternatively of transferring to an founded gym he selected to construct his possess in rural Alexandria Minnesota) and have to dread shelling out all that time in Vegas. Lesnar was recently quoted even though describing himself:
“It is really very primary for me. When I go household, I really don’t purchase into any of the b.s. Like I reported, it really is really primary: Teach, slumber, family members, combat. It’s my lifetime. I like it. I have been in front of the cameras for 10, 12 a long time. I was a star at the College of Minnesota. I went on to Environment Wrestling Enjoyment. Wannabe NFL player. And listed here I am, the UFC heavyweight champion. I just never set myself out there to the followers and prostitute my non-public lifestyle to everyone. In modern working day and age, with the World wide web and cameras and cell telephones, I just like staying aged college and living in the woods and residing my lifetime. I came from almost nothing and at any moment, you can go back again to owning nothing at all”
What in that assertion leads any person to believe that that he wants to invest about a thirty day period in Sin Town, absent from his relatives, underneath the glare of cameras? My guess is that the UFC ought to have paid him a mint to do this ratings stunt. Clearly they failed to do it for the fighters who will all be Welterweights (by necessity that tends to make the present distinctive than this seasons’ where by GSP was a dependable training husband or wife for his workforce). There is a rumour circling on lots of world-wide-web boards that Lesnar has produced a backroom deal with White that sees him propping up The Ultimate Fighter franchise in trade for remaining authorized to do Wrestlemania this calendar year (which would very likely shell out Lesnar an even more obscene sum of dollars). Whilst this would be excellent for Spike’s ratings, it would likely convert numerous classic admirers of the sport off. The greying of the line between MMA and professional wrestling has a extended standing record that numerous followers come across disheartening. Lesnar would seem to have turn into the image for this hatred, as nicely as for the predictable backlash from ‘original’ MMA supporters towards the newer, much more mainstream group (aka ‘Ultimate Fighter Newbs’) that Lesnar is a huge crossover strike with.
But the issue stays: How will Lesnar be been given? When the cameras turn on will he revert back to the brash, controversial, WWE-bred character that he confirmed when he originally arrived into the UFC? Or will he continue to reaveal his significantly much more humble facet that we have viewed since his in the vicinity of dying expertise very last 12 months? Will he seek out to intimidate Dos Santos, or take his recent failings in the title of improvement? Will he acquire a grudging respect from MMA insiders (as Kimbo Slice did a couple of seasons ago) or will he give them further ammunition to use versus him? Lesnar has by no means even been section of a MMA team in the traditional feeling of the word just before (he hires fighters to appear in and prepare with him in Alexandria on a combat-by-struggle foundation, but to my knowledge doesn’t frequently go to other gyms) how will he adapt to camaraderie-oriented setting of TUF? At last, as I mentioned in advance of, how Lesnar functions on the present and needs himself to be portrayed might be immaterial in the finish. The serious question is very likely what Zuffa’s editing crew will do with the footage of Lesnar. Does the UFC will need a further humble fighter in the Cain Velasquez mould? Or would it rather be additional ahead to really encourage the check out of Lesnar as a controversial determine that a lot of would fork out huge bucks to see get overwhelmed? The answers to these queries will be pretty attention-grabbing to say the least.
The most important problem that the display will no doubt have to offer with is the legitimacy of Lesnar as a coach, as nicely as the workforce he will provide with him. Though JDS has expertise as a qualified boxer, and trains BJJ with the renowned Nogueira brothers at Crew Black Household (his belt rank is greatly speculated to be brown… fantastic issue I never place considerably value in belt ranks in any case) what does Lesnar really convey to the table? Perfectly, he definitely provides wrestling chops. This is no tiny make any difference in the existing local climate of MMA. In my feeling this is without the need of a doubt the most critical foundation for a fighter. Nonetheless, other than that, does he genuinely excel any place else? Can he seriously teach Welterweights to be a genetic freak like himself? With these kinds of small time with the fighters I normally imagine that the coaching of the headliners is overblown. If Lesnar can connect (such an ignored part of coaching) his wrestling knowledge and work ethic, this might basically confirm to be reasonably precious. Other than, it is the guys that you convey in that could definitely make or crack a contestant’s working experience.
On that notice, it is often enjoyable to speculate which coaches each individual fighter may well provide in. JDS would show up to have a all-natural edge in coming from one of the most knowledgeable teams in the entire world in the aforementioned team Black Home centered out of Brazil. With these noteworthy schooling associates as the Nogueira brothers, Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida, there is a bevy of choices for Dos Santos to select from. Curiously, extremely couple of the team’s customers are regarded for possessing any true wrestling background.
I would suppose Brock will carry his boy Greg Nelson alongside for the trip (this is very likely who will decide on the other coaches and in the end form the training for Team Lesnar). He is quite expert in the globe of MMA and has obviously carried out an superb work in provide Lesnar up to speed in the comparatively limited time they have been education. I feel the real wild card as far as Lesnar is anxious will be whose arm he or the UFC can twist in buy to appear on the demonstrate. With the UFC possessing these a robust desire in promoting Lesnar I wouldn’t seriously be amazed to hear any name at all thrown in. Any of the recent WWs, MWs, and/or LHWs could requested to show up by Dana and Co. As perfectly, if Nelson and Lesnar have any models on bettering his placing (which they must provided the latest outcomes) they ought to spare no price in bringing in a best flight hanging mentor (just shell out no matter what sum it can take to get Duke Roufus Brock). This would go away the doorway open up for any amount of trainers due to the fact the two Brock’s and Dana’s cheque guides and advertising pull could garner an overall look from pretty a lot any person out there.
It is a long road top up to when the two giants will move into the Octagon jointly, but the inner prognosticator in me can’t assist but speculate on the eventual end result. Early poll benefits on various websites confirmed Dos Santos’ to have a 60-40 edge in the minds of combat admirers. The fighters are fantastic opponents for just about every other. JDS’ specialized boxing acumen and total electricity have left a laundry list of destruction in his wake as he has climbed the Heavyweight ladder. When you merge this with Brock’s complete absence of kickboxing coaching, and subsequent inexperience with remaining strike, it seems like a large edge for ‘Cigano’. Even so, we have but to see Dos Santos’ ground activity tested in the UFC. He does educate with some great BJJ players, but that is no ensure of nearly anything. Lesnar was capable to entirely suffocate Frank Mir on the floor, and JDS is no Cain Velasquez in terms of takedown defence. At this place it is a total crap shoot in my view. Equally fighters have definitely improved each and every time they have fought (this is an frequently overused cliché, but I actually believe that it in the situation of these two behemoths). To believe that they will not have labored on their respective weaknesses is preposterous. I am interested to see what each male brings to the table for the clearly show.
Regardless of what else transpires through TUF 13, it will be appealing, it will be controversial, and it will make Dana White and Zuffa a great deal of revenue.
