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Fri Jul 17, 2009 11:40 am EDT

White interview: Lesnar is the UFC's Tyson

By Steve Cofield

Dana White is still has mixed feeling out what happened at UFC 100. In spite of all the buzz, excellent media coverage and pay-per-view numbers off the charts, the UFC president still sounded pre-occupied by Brock Lesnar sponsor rip during an interview ESPNRadio1100.  

He also had a problem with Lesnar getting in Frank Mir's face after the win. Although he did admit seconds later that he's got a similar personality and may have done the same thing.

White was pleased to see bigger television outlets finally arguing about the potential of the sport and not the legitimacy. He also said one radio show was calling Lesnar the Mike Tyson of MMA. People are going to tune into fight to see what the guy does next.

Want to do a radio show with Dana White? Today is your final chance to bid on a chance to co-host an hour of radio with the UFC president as part of ESPNRadio1100's 24-hour radiothon at The Palms to benefit The Caring Place of Nevada on July 24-25. Readers can bid on White and several other stars of the UFC. White's time slot is 6 p.m. PT on Friday. Mike Swick, Randy Couture, Forrest Griffin, Amir Sadollah, Matt Serra, Rashad Evans, Chuck Liddell, Stephan Bonnar and Octagon Girl Arianny are also up for bids. The bidding closes tonight at ESPN1100.com at 5 p.m. PT.

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133 Comments

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  1. wave
    1. Posted by wave Fri Jul 17, 2009 12:15 pm EDT

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    I hope that Brocks career is as short lived as Tysons was.. I also hope that he ends up broke in the end just like Mike did. You are an embarrasment to MMA Brock. I respect Kimbo more than you.
  2. Cactus
    2. Posted by Cactus Fri Jul 17, 2009 12:38 pm EDT

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    Brock rulz everyone else drulz. No one can beat him except maybe Fedor. Make that fight happen Dummy Dana!
  3. Will
    3. Posted by Will Fri Jul 17, 2009 12:39 pm EDT

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    lay off Brock. Hes just doing what he was taught in the WWF, selling tickets.
  4. Mangler
    4. Posted by Mangler Fri Jul 17, 2009 12:47 pm EDT

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    Brock is no Tyson. He may be similar in the fact he showed little class after the fight, but Brock is way inferior of a fighter than Tyson was in his prime. He also isn't as big as a [profane] that Tyson was outside the ring. I don't see Bronk biting off ears, assaulting women, etc. Brock was doing his WWE thing, so i will give him the benifit of the doubt for now. Mangler Out
  5. DaveC
    5. Posted by DaveC Fri Jul 17, 2009 1:03 pm EDT

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    Cofield: You think it was the "greatest fight you have ever seen" and everything he did was "great"?
    You are losing my respect fast and I am wondering why I thought you had an understanding of the sport. This "any publicity is good publicity" is short sighted. You just dont get it. We dont want negative "publicity".
    Dana hated it. Swick hated it. Couture hated it. (Every fighter hated it).
    Cofield. You are dead wrong.
  6. DaveC
    6. Posted by DaveC Fri Jul 17, 2009 1:07 pm EDT

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    Who cares about "main stream media attention" when its for ALL THE WRONG REASONS.
  7. DaveC
    7. Posted by DaveC Fri Jul 17, 2009 1:07 pm EDT

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    Who cares about "main stream media attention" when its for ALL THE WRONG REASONS.
  8. Rob R
    8. Posted by Rob R Fri Jul 17, 2009 1:09 pm EDT

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    Hey Wavesused B:
    Mike Tyson got started in 1985. In 1986, he won a world championship. By 1987, he had unified the title. He did not lose it until 1990. Then he won 4 more fights before going to prison in 1991. Came back in 1995 (10 years after his debut) and won 4 more fights, including two title fights. Then the Holyfield losses in 1996...then he kept winning until Lewis in 2002. He rebounded in 2003 with a win before two losses ended his career in 2005.
    So...Mike Tyson's career lasted 20 years with 50 wins and 6 losses. His first title reign lasted more than 3 years. He won world titles (2 of them) 10 years after he started.
    For someone who respects Kimbo more than Brock, you sure do wish him a lot of success in the cage.
  9. DaveC
    9. Posted by DaveC Fri Jul 17, 2009 1:11 pm EDT

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    Maybe Cofield just wants to be one of the big journalists in "something thats big" to mainstream America and this is the fastest way to it.
    Maybe the slow methodical approach used by the UFC to promote the positives isnt fast enought for him. Maybe instead of kids joining jiu jitsu schools in ever increasing numbers, we should hope for kids that start shooting up steroids and screaming at their wrestling opponents like its the WWE.
    You really need to re-think your position on this Steve.
  10. Your M.M.A. Social Network - CageCraze.com
    10. Posted by Your M.M.A. Social Network - CageCraze.com Fri Jul 17, 2009 1:12 pm EDT

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    Brock Lesnar is and never will be a Mixed Martial Arts fighter!! The only reason I watch his fights is because I can't wait until the day he gets what Bisping got!!
    btw Thanks Dan Henderson!! From the United States of America
  11. burnpittsburgh
    11. Posted by burnpittsburgh Fri Jul 17, 2009 1:15 pm EDT

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    Steve, Dude. You gotta do something about that arrangement before your videos start.
  12. Rob R
    12. Posted by Rob R Fri Jul 17, 2009 1:24 pm EDT

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    Got proof that Lesnar did steroids? OK.
    I mean...cops tried to catch him with steroids and even arrested him...then the lab tests came back. Not steroids. Whoops. But a quick google search for "Brock Lesnar steroids" doesn't have any hits at all.
    Can't say the same for Sean Sherk, Chris Leben, Hermes Franca or...wait for it...Josh Barnett. But that's cool...because they've been doing MMA from the start instead of finding a high-paying job in WWE out of college so he could support his family when UFC shows were doing little to no business. Oh wait...Josh Barnett dabbles in pro wrestling too. But that's cool...cause he's friends with Fedor.
    As far as screaming at his opponents: Did he scream at the guy he fought in Japan? Did he scream at Randy Couture? No. He got frisky with Herring and Mir because they went over the top in their pre-fight interviews and because adrenaline makes you do weird things.
  13. Gee
    13. Posted by Gee Fri Jul 17, 2009 1:25 pm EDT

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    Brock Lesnar IS a mixed martial arts fighter and for the idiots that don't think he is, just look around his waste, he is wearing the proof.......frickin' morons!
  14. Gee
    14. Posted by Gee Fri Jul 17, 2009 1:25 pm EDT

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    I meant "waist" not "waste"....LOL
  15. Gee
    15. Posted by Gee Fri Jul 17, 2009 1:28 pm EDT

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    What did Alves and Bonner get caught with? And didn't Karo Paryisian (sp) get suspended for something? Was it steriods or some other drug that cheaters use? Funny how everyone forgets the MMA fighters that Rob R and myself bring up but Brock who has never tested positive gets the guilty until proven innocent verdict.
  16. Rob R
    16. Posted by Rob R Fri Jul 17, 2009 1:33 pm EDT

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    Karo got caught with painkillers. Alves, I believe, was a diuretic so his fat ass could make weight and he could pummel someone half his size. (I like Alves...but dude...just fight at middleweight.)
    Bonnar was a steroid...that's correct. But he was in the TUF1 finale, so he can do no wrong.
    Not only has Lesnar not been caught with steroids...but he's been caught with supplements that are NOT steroids or growth hormones.
    Face it, people...some guys are genetically special and put a ton of work into their bodies.
  17. Robert C
    17. Posted by Robert C Fri Jul 17, 2009 1:45 pm EDT

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    Brock can fight, no doubt. And I don't condone his behavior, but I understand it. He has not been overall accepted and pretty much everyone, including myself, thought he would get submitted again. He proved a lot of us wrong and wanted to remind us about it.
    Dude is so big, I am not sure even Fedor could handle him. It will take some other BIG dude to do it. Maybe Carwin...maybe nobody.
  18. Rob R
    18. Posted by Rob R Fri Jul 17, 2009 2:04 pm EDT

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    MJ...
    Dana does NOT hate all things boxing. He just hates it when people connected with boxing mock MMA (e.g. Floyd) or make a mockery of MMA (e.g. Gary and Jared Shaw).
    I disagree with your statement that "NO ONE will EVER capture the interest of the sports fan the way that Tyson did in his day." Tiger Woods.
    Also...from 1985-1990, boxing was the only "combat sport" out there. So the people that were 18-34 (the key demographic) then are still alive today as 40-65 year-olds...that means the people with all the money.
    It's pretty clear right now that MMA has captured the 18-34 demographic. If it remains popular like it is, and if a guy like Lesnar comes along 10-20 years from now, he's just as likely to capture the interest of the sports fan.
    Also...It's not like Dana said Brock=Tyson. He just said Brock is the UFC's Tyson. Just like GSP is the UFC's Jeter/Federer.
  19. JJ
    19. Posted by JJ Fri Jul 17, 2009 2:20 pm EDT

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    I'm an MMA fan and Brock has brought a lot of interest into the hw division. I think he acted stupid, did some stupid things and said some stupid things at the end of his fight, but that's my opinion. Some that comment on MMA blogs (NUTCRACKER) constantly spew the same comments all of the time on different blogs, ripping Brock for laying on fighters and pounding them like a gorilla and how Brock couldn't teach anyone any of the other disciplines involved with MMA....blah, blah, blah....Bottom line is Brock pummeled Mir due to his size and strength and call him what you want and accuse him of using steriods, but he is a monster that will have to be dealt with. I think he's an idiot but I like MMA and if that is what it takes to win a fight (laying and pounding) then MMA fans will wait to see who can deal with that style and win a fight against Brock. And I'm not a UFC fanboy, I'm a fan of MMA just like some are fans of boxing. And I definitely have enough going on in my life to where I don't have the time nor the desire to go on boxing blogs and trash boxing and the boxers just to get boxing fans riled up....
  20. Matthew T
    20. Posted by Matthew T Fri Jul 17, 2009 2:41 pm EDT

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    Tito Ortiz is back with the UFC!!!!! Who cares? Not me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Frankling vs Ortiz at UFC 103 in Dallas!!!
  21. Rob R
    21. Posted by Rob R Fri Jul 17, 2009 2:43 pm EDT

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    MJ...
    First of all, I am unaware of anything important that goes on outside the US, so when I say the 18-to-34 demographic, I'm talking about over here.
    I get your point about how Tyson's name resonated among non-fight fans as well...but again, we have to consider the history.
    When Tyson was popular 1985-1990, that was 10-15 years after Ali was beating Frazier and Foreman. Boxing had a foothold A) globally and B) among non-fight fans in the 1980s.
    What I'm saying is that, 15-20 years from now, MMA might have a similar global and universal (including non-fight fan) appeal, such that a guy like Lesnar can be just as captivating and polarizing as Tyson was from 1985-1990.
    I agree that Lesnar will never capture the worldwide sport fan like Tyson did. But that's just because of timing, as MMA...though extremely popular among the most important demo in the US...is still a fledgling sport which only really hit its stride in 2005.
    Today's college students and yuppies will be 2025's executives and moguls. Where the money is, so goes the media exposure. If UFC can maintain its profitability and current level of popularity in the 18-34 and expand globally as it has already begun doing, a Brock Lesnar type could be every bit as well-known as Tyson.
  22. Rob R
    22. Posted by Rob R Fri Jul 17, 2009 2:45 pm EDT

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    Get outta here, Matthew...Really? I could check the news section before I post this...but I don't feel like it. I'm going to check after.
  23. Rob R
    23. Posted by Rob R Fri Jul 17, 2009 2:48 pm EDT

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    Bahhh!!!...You tricked me, Matthew!...sort of. You at least made me look.
  24. U-Mahoo
    24. Posted by U-Mahoo Fri Jul 17, 2009 2:54 pm EDT

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    I would have to agree with MJ on his assessment of Iron Mike. There hasn't been anyone in MMA who has captured the minds of not just sports fans, but the world, more than Tyson. If there was anyone who could've had a chance to come close to that is Fedor, but unfortunately for him and us, he was fighting for Pride and didn't have the UFC "Marketing Machine" behind him. He's not getting any younger and unless he goes to the UFC, hardcore fans will always remember how great he was, while casual fans will remember him as the guy who wasn't in the UFC so he must suck, which is very far from the truth. UFC and MMA in general still have a ways to go to become mainstream, but if they continue their rise they'll really find their "Tyson." Personally I like Brock, I think he is the start of the new breed of athletes in the UFC. As much MMA purists want to say that these fighters are the best athletes in the world, deep down they know that isn't true. Brock is a classic example, he came in and beat Couture, Herring, and "Lifelong Martial Artist" Mir, fairly easily with his size and athleticism alone. Imagine if Brock had been training only half the time the other guys have been, he would be 100x more dominant than he is today...sorry that took so long.
  25. Rob R
    25. Posted by Rob R Fri Jul 17, 2009 2:55 pm EDT

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    BILL BRASKY!
    Bill Brasky is 8 foot 7 and 600 pounds!
    BILL BRASKY!!!

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