A MESSAGE TO THE MMA SNOBS

MMA Expert Don Abato is back this week with a scathing commentary aimed at all you MMA snobs. Look for “The MMA Ten” to return next week.

Brock Lesnar’s heavyweight title is not the end of the sport of mixed martial arts.  My message to all the fans who think the MMA Apocalypse has come I have one thing to say:  Quit suckling from Ms. Incorrect’s teet because all that juice is turning you into an moron.  Yeah, I’m talking directly to you!

Brock Lesnar is not Kimbo, nor does he bring the same set of problems being a major figure of the marketing campaign.

If you want to be mad, point your anger at Greg Nelson and Erik Paulson.  It’s their fault Lesnar is adding to his already strong wrestling skillset.  Through Coach Nelson, Lesnar has tapped deceiving power behind his right hand.  Erik Paulson, the leg-lock encyclopedia, is likely improving Brock’s sub defense.  The former WWE star may not be impervious to future submission attempts, but his ability to escape the potential armbars and traiangle chokes that Minotauro Noguiera may slap on is a priority on the Lesnar/Nelson/Paulson lesson planner.

Heck, blame Dana White for having good business sense at pushing the hulking 280-pounder as a main event.  I won’t deny your argument Lesnar didn’t deserve a title shot after a lay-and-pray win over Heath Herring. But guess what–popularity figures into a title contender as much as ring performance.  It’s a fact of the game, and the successful promoters understand this.

You see, unlike Kimbo, Lesnar has truly shown the desire to learn the MMA game and displayed the heart to face legit opponents.  There’s no one to blame but Lesnar for sincerely training and taking advantage of opportunities provided.  A win is a win, and Brock certainly earned his victory over Couture.

Tell me if you’ve seen this before: successful NCAA wrestler decides to pursue fighting career.

If your head was working properly you’d realize what you just saw was really nothing new.  We saw this when Mark Kerr worked with Bas Rutten to ditch the one-dimensional tag, when Mark Coleman hooked up with Pat Miletich to add some tools to his toolbox and win the Pride Grand Prix 2000, and when Josh Koshcheck moved out West so Bob Cook could help him improve his anemic striking skills and stand confidently with heavy hitters Chris Lytle and Thiago Alves.  In fact, the world-class wrestler turned MMAer is almost becoming cliche. The big difference this time is we are watching someone who was also involved with staged fighting several years ago.  Last I checked, the former WWE star is, umm, a former WWE star.

Point blank, I’m witnessing a case of MMA snobbery.  You are all so threatened by an outsider coming in and tainting your “holy” sport.  Because of this tainted point of view you’re missing the real picture.  This isn’t the beginning of the end for MMA, but instead could be the start of something epic. Lesnar’s combination of genetics and work ethic could produce a fighter for the ages.