Curtis "Razor" Blaydes become independent from after UFC 226's main experience on Saturday nighttime. He had just watched WWE big name Brock Lesnar strut into the octagon for the primary time in two years, and interact in a shoving healthy with UFC heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier.
"bored with all of the politics," Blaydes tweeted. "Like is it even still about combating? First CM Punk now Brock Lesnar. I'll simply continue to grow as a martial artist and develop into greater dangerous and that i refuse to hotel to that WWE bs false arguing just to draw in lame ass informal fans."
Lesnar's intervention advised to many observers that marketability is now as important as combating potential in UFC. Responding to Blaydes and different blended martial artists who don't recognize melding actual combating with professional-wrestling antics, Cormier offered a simple and telling retort: "reside broke."
totally embracing UFC's "amusement era" has supposed making a choice on between manufacturing drama, the reputedly more convenient option, or enjoying up the precise aspect, which may additionally not all the time exist. certainly, Lesnar's introduction on Saturday without delay eroded UFC 226 from a wearing triumph to a debased spectacle. Miocic didn't have a chance to exit the cage before Lesnar grabbed a microphone and called him a "piece of shit."
That referred to, that you would be able to't argue with Lesnar's ability to generate activity. He has long been in the enterprise of luring in audiences with caustic language, and his skill to interact folks backyard the blended martial arts world is the reason he headlined three UFC pay-per-views, each and every of which attracted more than a million buys.
Over the last decade the UFC created fights that lovers didn't be aware of they wanted unless they had been advised otherwise. And by leaning on compelling personalities like Lesnar, Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey and Georges St-Pierre the merchandising generated giant pay-per-view revenue.
instances change, of course. Rousey is long past to the WWE. St-Pierre is all but retired. McGregor is anticipated to fight again this 12 months, notwithstanding it's difficult to assert how commonly he will seem within the octagon.
This core group mostly constructed themselves and had been aided through the UFC media desktop. It's in no way convenient to cultivate and promote massive-time combatants to the public. The greatest problem facing the UFC in recent years has revolved round discovering new stars.
below a yr ago, as an example, UFC president Dana White touted Cameroonian heavyweight Francis Ngannou because the future, a potential world big name, the heaviest hitter in a constellation of heavy hitters. On Saturday nighttime, less than a year removed from a title challenge defeat to Miocic, White berated Ngannou and his apparently massive ego following a horrific three-circular staring contest with one more record heavyweight contender, Derek Lewis.
That's why it capability nothing that Lesnar is forty-yr-old and has not officially gained a UFC combat considering the fact that 2010, which is when he relinquished the promotion's heavyweight title to Cain Velasquez. Or that he is caught up in an ongoing doping controversy following a failure in his final bout two years ago at UFC 200 (which additionally sold greater than 1,000,000 pay-per-views).
Blaydes (10-1, 1 no contest) is currently taking the less beneficial workmanlike trek to fame and fortune. He plastered veteran Alistair Overeem with a volley of elbows remaining month, placing him atop a really brief listing of the heavyweight division's chief contenders.
That's why Blaydes, a 27-yr-historic former junior college champion wrestler, reacted so strongly when Cormier used UFC 226 to call out Lesnar, who become quite seated cage-side. In Blaydes's intellect it's going to were him, however few recognize the person and the 39-yr-ancient Cormier appears fed up in giving some dangerous kid a shot. "I'm at a point now where it's very complex to battle a Curtis Blaydes," mentioned Cormier, who claims he will retire from MMA by the time he turns forty in March.
by way of any sporting measure Lesnar won't have been granted a title probability. Yet in White's estimation a contest between Lesnar and Cormier is "a fight people wish to see," which is essentially the most fundamental and yet the most significant measuring stick inside the enterprise. At this stage, UFC fans are conditioned to root for any fight that makes essentially the most cash for the business.
"I'm combating Brock Lesnar," Cormier pointed out on Saturday. "I'm getting paid. I need to combat fights that make experience." For a opt for group of UFC fighters massive-cash bouts can also be a truth. The relaxation of them are made to attend and tweet.
