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MMA News
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UFC
UFC NEWS: Fox Sports writes up Coleman being made Hall of Famer, then matched against Lesnar
By Wade Keller, Torch editor
Mar 4, 2008, 19:31
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Fox Sports' website features an article this afternoon beginning the mainstream hype for the Brock Lesnar vs. Mark Coleman match-up. It begins:
Mark Coleman dropped a bombshell at UFC 82 in Columbus.
After becoming the fifth inductee into the UFC Hall-of-Fame, the 43-year-old announced he will return to the Octagon for the first time in nearly a decade when he meets former World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Brock Lesnar in August.
"This is a very special night, but my main goal is to get back in that cage and fight," Coleman said. "[Lesnar's] a beast...he's an animal, but don't bet the house against me."
SOURCE LINK: Fox Sports Article
KELLER ANALYSIS: Annoyingly, Fox Sports still groups MMA articles in the "Boxing" category. One of these days, they'll either generalize the boxing category to "pro fighting" or create a separate web category for MMA. Anyway, the Coleman vs. Lesnar fight is intriguing for casual MMA fans, especially those who remember Coleman was the seemingly (and one-time) unstoppable massive, muscular, amateur wrestling force in UFC. Coleman's experience vs. Lesnar's youth creates a nice hook for this match to go along with each having strong credentials in wrestling - Lesnar as an NCAA Champion and Coleman as a 1992 Olympian. It's also a legitimate looking test for Lesnar. It's no lose for either fighter. Coleman gets to headline another UFC show. If he wins, Lesnar will be 0-2, but against stiff competition with big credentials. There will still be a big upside for him unless he's knocked out and there are doubts about his ability to absorb punches. If Lesnar wins, he beats a Hall of Famer with incredible credentials who was motivated to win and reestablish his heavyweight title contender status. Doubters will say Coleman is over the hill, and conspiracy theorists, depending on how the fight "looks" when it plays out, may see Coleman as jobbing out for a big payday and Hall of Fame status to give Lesnar the favor of a big win to boost his box office status. Lesnar will come across as a mega-star on PPV and to mainstream media with the fight taking place in his hometown. It's brilliant for UFC to put this fight in Minneapolis because it should wipe out the mixed reaction Lesnar would get anywhere else from MMA fans who see him as an outside "fake wrestler" who acts a little too cocky for their tastes.
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