UFC 91 is set go off LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on pay-per-view (PPV) on November 15 starting at 10 p.m. ET with the main event between Randy "The Natural" Couture and Brock Lesnar being billed as the "biggest fight in UFC history."
Some fans and even fellow fighters have been vocal about whether or not the former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) star deserved such a quick title shot with a UFC record of 1-1 (2-1 overall).
Brock says the decision was more about money than about pecking order.
"I don't look at myself any differently than any of these other guys in the heavyweight division other than I've got a lot more visibility than the other guys do. I'm a household name, not only in the US, but around the world. The [UFC] wouldn't be doing this if they weren't making any revenue, I guarantee you that."
His opponent, five-time UFC champion and UFC Hall-of Famer Randy Couture, has also been known to snag a few headlines of his own. "The Natural" has made a career out of defying the odds and finding ways to reinvent himself.
Lesnar calls Randy "A threat" and "A little slicker inside with the dirty boxing," but overall believes that sooner or later you can't escape the laws of nature.
"I expect to walk in [to the Octagon] about 275, 280. That's one of the things we took into consideration when we took this fight. We're younger, we're stronger, we're faster and this guy's on his way out and we're going to make sure that happens."
Still, Lesnar isn't taking anything for granted. He knows that Couture's experience is a factor, but dismisses his second run at heavyweight as more or less a free ride, against comeptition that favored his strengths.
"We've watched every single one of Randy's fights a number of different times...there really are no comparables to me and the rest of the guys he's fought because none of them have the wrestling credentials that I have. He has trouble with bigger guys, guys [like Barnett and Rodriguez] who knew how to control him. Tim Sylvia and Gabriel Gonzaga didn't know how to control him."
Brock may not have the experience of going deep into a fight, a place that many experts give Couture the advantage, but that hasn't stopped Lesnar from putting Couture at a disadvantage due to the marked difference in size.
"I'm not scared to go twenty-five minutes. As the rounds go longer I have a much bigger advantage because for Randy to have to push around 275 lbs for five rounds and me to push around a guy who if he's lucky is 230 lbs - I know how to wrestle. These other heavyweights that he pushed around the Octagon were guys that had no clue how to wrestle and how to keep position."
Despite all the negative talk about Couture and his date with destiny on November 15, Lesnar insists that it's just business and nothing personal.
"I've always heard good things about Randy and we have some mutual friends. I don't have any riff with him at all - other than he's got my belt."
Lesnar doesn't appear to have ill will towards anyone in the UFC - save for the man behind the moustache, UFC referee Steve Mazzagatti.
Mazzagatti officiated Lesnar’s Octagon debut against Frank Mir at UFC 81: "Breaking Point" earlier this year. In the opening seconds of the heavyweight bout, Lesnar stormed the former champion and began to maul him with a flurry of strikes.
It appeared that Lesnar was on his way to an impressive technical knockout victory; however, the pasty-faced goliath landed several questionable — and according to Mazzagatti — illegal blows to the back of the head.
As a result, the action was stopped and Lesnar was docked one point. And when the action restarted Mir survived another blitzkrieg and locked in a fight-ending submission (kneebar) just 91 seconds into the match.
The legal team that represents Brock Lesnar recently filed paperwork with the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), requesting that Mazzagatti be removed from consideration as the man who will be in charge of the action during the main event.
"From that night forward we said that we weren't going to use Mazzagatti again. Between myself and my management we just decided that we disliked the guy and that we don't want to use him as a referee. He failed to do his job that night and we're not going to let that happen again. He won't ref any of my fights in the future."
The NSAC obliged and has since assigned Mario Yamasaki to call the shots at UFC 91.
The road to UFC 91 has been wrought with multiple interviews and media coverage, including an infamous spot on ESPN E:60 that saw Lesnar dismiss his interviewer after being broached about the possible use of steroids in his career.
Lesnar blames the reptitiveness of the question, not ESPN for the dissolution of the interview.
"I thought it was a good piece, I thought ESPN did a really good job of putting it together, it was just time for me to exit the building. They had been here a number of days. I have better questions to answer other than for the 300-millionth time have I ever used steroids. I was just tired of the interview and tired of them asking me questions."
Just as annoying for Brock is the oft-mentioned topic of a future superfight between Randy Couture and WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko - a fight that to this day makes no sense for Lesnar.
"I just find it funny how stupid people can be. It's hilarious how people can ask questions and they just don't get it. It just goes to show you that there's a lot of stupid people out there. Hey listen, the Randy Couture and Fedor fight probably will never happen because why the hell would Fedor ever even want to fight Randy Couture after I beat Randy Couture?"
One fight that will happen is the winner of Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar versus the winner of Frank Mir vs. Antonio Nogueira, who are set to clash at UFC 92 on December 27. Lesnar, who expects to "dominate" at UFC 91, is happy to board the Mir War Wagon.
"I hope Mir wins, because I want a rematch against Frank."
For more on Brock Lesnar, check out the replay of MMAmania.com’s exclusive presentation of Pro MMA Radio by clicking here.
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