Brock Lesnar: 7 Reasons the UFC Needs Him as Their Poster Boy

After a great year of fights, 2011 will end with one of the most anticipated matchups of the year, Brock Lesnar-Alistair Overeem. Questions surround the bout and the fight should really show if either of these guys can truly contend in the heavyweight division.

With Lesnar's health concerns and questionable chin and Overeem's organizational debut, each of these guys certainly come into the fight with many questions to answer.

While it is hard to tell what will happen in this fight it is very clear who the UFC should be rooting for: Brock Lesnar.

As 2012 begins, the UFC is in a better position than ever to break into the mainstream.

With the new partnership between FOX and the UFC the organization will have more exposure than ever before. Along with that exposure is the need for marketable stars who can become household names.

For many reasons Brock Lesnar is the perfect candidate to be the UFC's poster boy.

He's a Heavyweight

Be it right or wrong, America loves a heavyweight.

Even since the beginning of America's original favorite combat sport, boxing, the heavyweight division has always captivated the general public moreso than any other division.

Anytime boxing has thrived in America it has been because there are big-name fighters at heavyweight.

Call it the King Kong factor but there is something about large fighters that really intrigues America and sparks interest. As far as sheer size goes in the heavyweight division, it doesn't get much bigger than Lesnar.

The 6'3" hulk has to cut weight just to get down to the 265-pound weight limit and has an incredible physique to go with his size. Such a rare combination of bulk and build is enough to make even the most casual fans sit up and take notice when Lesnar fights.

As long as Lesnar remains a highly-visible contender in the heavyweight division he will remain a good candidate to be the organization's poster boy.

Brock Lesnar Sells Pay-Per-Views

Dana White and company have turned the UFC into quite the profitable organization.

The lifeblood of that turnaround has been selling pay-per-views. While the new network television deal is nice and the UFC is offering more and more "free" fights, being a huge pay-per-view draw still is a major factor in the poster boy equation.

No one attracts more pay-per-view buys than Brock Lesnar.

If you look up the top five highest-selling UFC pay-per-views of all time, Lesnar headlined the top two cards and three of the top five.

Love him or hate him, everyone tunes in to watch when he fights and since his arrival into the UFC he has become one of the organization's greatest cash cows—a trend that should continue at UFC 141 and the organization would like to see beyond that.

WWE Background

Much has been made of Brock Lesnar's days as a professional wrestler for the WWE and for many, that is why his career in MMA hasn't been taken seriously.

While many hardcore fans of MMA have had a hard time accepting Lesnar's non-traditional path to the sport, in terms of popularity the benefits far outweigh the negatives.

Fact of the matter is professional wrestling has a large and, more importantly, loyal audience. Wrestling fans have gotten behind Lesnar's transition to MMA and could very well be part of the reason that Lesnar's pay-per-views sell so well.

Professional wrestling fans are used to spending money on pay-per-views and while they may just buy them for Brock, they will end up watching a full night of fights, perhaps earning the sport more fans along the way.

Lesnar's day as a "sports entertainer" has also prepared him to be in the spotlight, something Lesnar has to deal with in his role as UFC poster boy.

Name Recognition

Ask anyone that knows very little about MMA to name three fighters. The likely answer? Chuck Liddell, Anderson Silva and Brock Lesnar.

Whether it is his background as a WWE superstar or just the fact that he's a hulking individual with a knack for drawing attention to himself it seems like the most casual of observers already know his name.

Along with the power of name recognition is the fact that Lesnar has a very distinct look. The flat top, the chest tattoo, the freakish size of Lesnar is instantly recognizable.

Comeback Story

Nothing sells quite like a comeback story.

Many a sports movie has been based on this concept and Lesnar is on track to write his own comeback story after his second bout with diverticulitis.

Lesnar's heavily publicized bout with the disease brought him near death and lead to nearly a one-year layoff before he came back to defend his title against Shane Carwin at UFC 116. Just when it appeared Lesnar was back to the top of the heap of the heavyweight division he ran into a much quicker and younger challenger in Cain Velasquez, who took his title in convincing fashion.

To make matters worse, Lesnar's diverticulitis came back. This time sidelining him for more than a year leading up to his UFC 141 match with Alistair Overeem. 

If Lesnar is able to defeat Overeem, earn himself a title shot and successfully regain his title, that's a comeback story worthy of its own movie and a great marketing tool for the UFC.

Down-to-Earth Personality

When self-promotion and selling a feud is part of the game, personality plays a huge role in being the face of the organization.

The sport is full of shameless self-promoters and guys "playing a character" but with Lesnar it appears that his personality is completely genuine. Aside from the fact that he is an elite fighter that moves like a man three weight classes below him, he truly seems like a regular guy.

Lesnar is known as a man that likes to keep to himself and enjoys spending time with his family and focusing on his training rather than grab the spotlight any chance he can get.

While Lesnar has definitely played the role of heel during his career and has been known to say a crazy thing every now and then, his comeback from diverticulitis has made him more humble. He even attested to that after his victory over Carwin.

Lesnar's regular Joe background and down-to-earth personality make him one of the more relatable fighters in the UFC.

He Is the UFC's Largest Investment

When it all comes down to it the UFC has to get the most return out of their biggest investments to be a successful organization. Overpaying superstars can be the death of an organization.

There is no bigger investment than Brock Lesnar. From the very start of his time in the UFC it was evident that he was on the fast track to becoming one of the organization's most well-known figures.

According to the May issue of ESPN the Magazine, Lesnar is the highest paid athlete in the UFC, making an incredible $5.3 million. This is the kind of investment that the UFC can not lose out on.

The UFC continually pours money into Lesnar and promoting him so the UFC has to make Lesnar its poster boy to maximize the profit on his massive salary.