Brock Lesnar file photo: Sherdog.com
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One week after Fedor Emelianenko tapped and relinquished the top spot in heavyweight MMA, Brock Lesnar elicited a tap of his own that cemented him in the spot and drew the attention of the sports world.
In a memorable clash of two of the biggest heavyweights of the modern era at UFC 116, Lesnar used an arm-triangle choke to tap Shane Carwin out in the second round of a dramatic crowd-pleaser. Lesnar survived an onslaught of first-round Carwin power punches -- 100 thrown and 57 landed according to CompuStrike -- in a frame most gave 10-8 to the Coloradan. Then, Carwin experienced what he described as a full body cramp between rounds, allowing the fresher 2000 NCAA national wrestling champion to take the fight to the ground, get mount and apply the finishing hold.
Carwin said post-fight that he felt Lesnar go out a few times during the early barrage, but Lesnar said he could feel Carwin’s punches losing power as they rained down. Referee Josh Rosenthal said he saw signs of life in Lesnar throughout, telling ESPN’s “MMA Live” that the key was Lesnar responding to his commands to defend himself. Carwin tweeted afterward that he came out for the second in the throes of a condition called “lactic acidosis,” when lactic acid builds in the muscles to the point that limbs become stiff and difficult to move. His manager told MMAWeekly.com that the issue can and will be fixed by more regulated breathing as well as diet and supplement adjustments.
The fight received extensive mainstream sports media coverage, far more than Emelianenko’s historic June 26 loss. ESPN talk shows from “Pardon The Interruption” to “Rome is Burning” broke down the fight and Lesnar appeared in a phone interview the next day on Sportscenter. The show was boosted by a new UFC website feature created by social media partner RED Interactive Agency, which allowed fans to make predictions that posted directly to Twitter and Facebook, eliciting back-and-forth discussions and plugging the event virally.
With the July 3 win, Lesnar solidified his top spot in heavyweight rankings, the first American to do so since Mark Coleman in 2001.
With his former pro wrestling brethren “The Rock,” Steve Austin and Bill Goldberg cheering cageside, Lesnar offered a humble speech after the victory, though still showed some swagger. The Minnesotan was pleasant but mostly closed to the media leading up to the fight, holed up with his camp in a Las Vegas hotel room and only emerging for promotional obligations. Lesnar took home $400,000 in disclosed pay for the win, plus a $75,000 bonus for best submission. Carwin took home $40,000 for the loss.
Early data indicates UFC 116, which drew some 16,000 fans to MGM Grand, could have been the second most-bought pay-per-view in UFC history. The Wrestling Observer reported that trending patterns put the show reportedly between 1.15 and 1.25 million buys, second only to UFC 100’s 1.6 million. The show appeared to do well in markets where pro wrestling is popular but not especially well in West Coast markets that are typically hotbeds for MMA, The Observer reported.
The event’s preliminary fight special on Spike TV drew a 0.9 rating and an average of 1.3 million viewers, not an especially high number. But weigh-ins broadcasted live on Spike TV drew 645,000 viewers, more than the audience for the premiere episode of a “Countdown” special hyping the pay-per-view.
UFC 116 was a classic event with eventful scraps at every turn. White was ecstatic about the card and promised to reflect it in undisclosed bonus checks he promised to hand out, saying, “We’re writing some f------ checks here tonight.”
The event also saw Chris Leben make the most of his late replacement status against Yoshihiro Akiyama. Leben, who’d defeated Aaron Simpson 14 days earlier and made one of the quickest UFC turnarounds in recent memory, conceivably dropped the first two rounds to the judo gold medalist before taking advantage of a fatigued Akiyama, locking a triangle choke for the third-round tapout. Leben and Akiyama earned $75,000 best fight bonuses, as did Stephan Bonnar and Krzysztof Soszynski, whose two-round standup battle ended when Bonnar scored with a knee and follow-up shots for the TKO. Akiyama is expected to face Michael Bisping in the main event of UFC 120 in October in London, Fighters Only reported.
George Sotiropoulos entered the lightweight title picture with a decision victory over Kurt Pellegrino, staying active in the guard and working solid punch combinations to take the first two rounds. A resurgent Pellegrino threatened with takedowns and strikes in the third. It was Sotiropoulos’ sixth straight win. Pellegrino re-tore the meniscus in his left knee as Sotriopoulos descended on him after a first-round knockdown, an injury he first suffered against Fabricio Camoes at UFC 111. Pellegrino was eyeing a December return.
Also picking up wins at UFC 116 were Chris Lytle (second-round straight armbar submission over Matt Brown); Brendan Schaub (first-round TKO over Chris Tuchscherer); Ricardo Romero (second-round straight armbar submission over Seth Petruzelli); Kendall Grove (split decision over Goran Reljic); Gerald Harris (third-round TKO slam over Dave Branch); Daniel Roberts (split decision over Forrest Petz); and Jon Madsen (unanimous decision over Karlos Vemola).
Harris, whose win made the Spike TV broadcast, earned the night’s best knockout bonus for positioning his forearm across the jaw of Branch, who’d jumped guard, and driving down for the TKO. The clip, as well as Lesnar’s submission win, was featured on ESPN Sportscenter’s “Top Plays.”