WWE.com posted a story chronicling Brock Lesnar’s title win last night in their “Inside WWE” news section. The story was very positive when it came to Lesnar, but it also took an obvious pot shot at UFC PPVs:

Critics have noted that many of the fights on the UFC pay-per-view ended in the first round, leaving UFC producers scrambling to fill the three-hour event with content. The dearth of hearty competition left many viewers to watch less prestigious under-card fights and only served to bolster claims that UFC pay-per-view events can often be a “crap shoot” in regards to filling the full three hours.

They make a good point, but things actually turned out pretty well last night–since some of the main card’s fights were so short, we got to see a lot of great action from the prelims, as well. In fact, the show was on the air for three airs and was pretty action-packed, in my opinion.

I think this is pretty ironic statement coming out of the same organization that put on ECW Decemenber to Dismember 2006–if I remember correctly, that show was like 2 1/2 hours max and ranks up there as one of the biggest rip-offs in PPV history.

In conclusion: Hey pot, you’re black.

This is a great interview–Brock talks about his strategy in the fight and his weight advantage.

It’s also pretty interesting watching Frank Mir interviewing him, especially considering there could be a re-match down the line.

Tonight’s UFC 91 event features what many are calling the biggest MMA fight in history: former WWE Champion Brock Lesnar v. UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture for all the marbles.

Dana White has gone on record predicting that tonight’s UFC 91 card will garner 1.2 million buys, setting a new UFC record. Of course, with Brock Lesnar on the card, it’s a distinct possibility that WWE fans could push this card to that level.

I just found out yesterday that this PPV costs $49.95. That’s up from the $44.95 I paid for UFC: 88 featuring Rashad Evans v. Chuck Liddell. As excited as I am for tonight’s fight, I think $50 is a pretty steep price to pay for any MMA fight, especially considering that there’s always the possibility of the fight not making it out of the first round.

Ben Fowlkes, MMA writer for CNN/SI, makes a great point about tonight’s card:

But the UFC’s mistake is in pinning all its hopes on the main event, hoping fans won’t notice the lackluster undercard. It’s more like something you’d see on a boxing pay-per-view: one big fight, and the rest mostly filler. That’s simply not the UFC at its best. It’s the opposite of the strategy that got the organization to this point, one of stacking cards with compelling bouts like they’ve done with December’s UFC 92 card.

That’s why if UFC 91 doesn’t live up to White’s expectations (and it almost certainly won’t) he can’t blame Lesnar and Couture, but rather the mediocre lineup he’s backing them with.

So know this if you do buy tonight’s show: outside of the main event, this is not the UFC at its finest. Here’s tonight’s televised card:

• UFC Heavweight Championship: Brock Lesnar v. Randy “The Natural” Couture (c)
• Lightweight bout: Kenny Florian v. Joe “Daddy” Stevenson
• Heavyweight bout: Gabriel Gonzaga v. Josh Hendricks
• Middleweight bout: Demian Maia v. Nate “Rock” Quarry
• Welterweight bout: Dustin Hazelett v. Tamdan McCrory

Discuss UFC 91 here, and cast your prediction for tonight’s main event in the podcast poll:

Let’s find out how accurate all of you PWBites are in predicting an MMA match. I’ll use the results on the next edition of the podcast!

Episode number 145 of PWB’s Official Podcast is now online.

In this episode, I discuss gimmick matches run wild, the results of last week’s podcast poll featuring Sting, Christian’s potential move to WWE, Lesnar v. Couture and give you my final word on the TNA Impact! video game.

Podcast Table of Contents:

• Intro and Plugs (1:00)
• The Sorry State of Gimmick Matches (3:16)
• Podcast Poll: Should Sting Sign with the WWE in 2010? (13:22)
• How to book Christian v. Edge in the WWE (22:11)
• Brock Lesnar v. Randy Couture (29:29)
• The Final Word: My Take on the TNA Impact! Video Game (36:35)

Bobby Lashley will make his long-awaited MMA debut on December 13, according to MMA Mania.

He’ll be fighting for the Mixed Fight Alliance promotion at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. No opponent has been announced, but I’d imagine it will be someone Lashley should handle pretty easily.

Lashley is signed to a contract with the American Fight League, but that promotion has put off it’s first show until early 2009.

The MFA show sounds like the type of the smaller MMA show that might end up on HD Net Fights, so if you’ve got that channel on your HD package, stay tuned.
(more…)

Brock Lesnar was the subject of a nearly 10-minute piece with ESPN that was posted on their web site Tuesday. Everything was going smoothly until the interviewer made overtures toward Brock about past steroid use. Lesnar was upset by the question and walked off camera. ESPN continued to film him off set, and that’s when he told ESPN reporter Tom Farrey that he’d never done steroids.

This would have actually been a really great piece if it weren’t for the steroids question. In their usual “investigative” style, ESPN had their reporter ask him questions about his life, etc., before blindsiding him with the steroids question. In fact, they even set up the question by showing a clip from an interview with Bret Hart talking about the addiction in wrestling. While none of us were obvioulsy at this interview, I’m wondering if they saved the steroids question for the end of their interview, knowing that it might upset him.

I’m really tired of seeing ESPN’s “reporters” pull this kind of crap by trying to make athletes look stupid. Lesnar is no longer a wrestler–it’s in the past. Just leave it alone. Funny thing is, he was even frank about abusing alcohol and pain pills, but the reporter had to push it even further.