How Brock Lesnar Saved the UFC Heavyweight Division

On the same night that Brock Lesnar made his UFC debut, Tim Sylvia was getting a fifth shot at the heavyweight title. I remember begging to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira on the TV to not let Sylvia win out of fear that I would once again be forced to see Sylvia in another five-round title fight.

Since 2003, this would be the twelfth heavyweight title fight in the UFC, and out of those 12, Tim Sylvia was in nine of them. Basically, the division revolved around Sylvia.

If you're new to the game, then it should be noted that Sylvia has never been a fan favorite. It is not only because of his unfriendly disposition in fan interactions, but because he is awkward, obnoxious and was involved in some of the most uneventful fights I've ever seen in the UFC.

My apologies to the "Maine-iac" fan clubs out there, but I'm not alone in this assessment.

Thankfully, Sylvia did not win his ninth title fight and the UFC decided to get out of the Tim Sylvia business.

It turned out that Brock Lesnar's welcome party was also Sylvia's farewell. It was in with the new and out with the old. However, Lesnar's welcome did not go as expected.

With the introduction of one contender, along came the rebirth of another.

In his debut, Lesnar lost by submission in the first round to former champion Frank Mir.

Mir had been champion some four years earlier. Before he ever had a chance to defend his title, which he won by breaking Sylvia's arm, he was involved in a motorcycle accident, and in the process, broke his femur and tore all the ligaments in his knee

A year and a half later, Mir returned to the Octagon, but not with the look of the young champion we had seen before. In his next three fights, Mir looked like an unimpressive and overweight shell of his former self. Rumors of depression and a painkiller addiction swirled around him.

He was counted out by most.

Coming off a submission win over striker Antoni Hardonk, Mir was chosen as the first opponent for the much anticipated debut of Lesnar. While many weren't sure what to expect from Lesnar, the loss of had faith in Mir was apparent.

The betting odds reflected that by listing Lesnar as the favorite.

Mir went on to win the fight by submission, but not before taking dozens of heavy shots from Lesnar on the ground. Many weren't happy with the officiating and didn't feel that Lesnar received a fair shake from referee Steve Mazzagatti.

Either way, Lesnar looked scary even in defeat. 

Soon after, Randy Couture returned to the UFC to defend the legitimate UFC heavyweight title. Lesnar, who was coming off his first UFC win over longtime trial horse Heath Herring, was selected to greet the champion in his comeback.

Rodrigo Nogueira was the current interim champion, and soon he was matched up with Frank Mir. The UFC advertised it as a four-man tournament to determine the real champion.

Couture and Nogueira were early favorites, but this was the coming of a new heavyweight era.

After a competitive round and a half, Lesnar wobbled Couture with a knee and right hand and quickly finished him on the ground. After going 1-1 in his previous UFC fights, Lesnar was now the champion.

A month later, Mir went on to have the most impressive performance of his career in being the first person to ever stop the legendary Nogueira.

The finals were on and I could not recall a more anticipated heavyweight clash.

It was the kind of excitement that had not been seen in a heavyweight fight since Mirko Cro Cop's challenge vs. Pride champion Fedor Emelianenko, four years prior.

It had been even longer in the UFC.

At UFC 100, Lesnar steamrolled Mir and left his face a bloody mess. It was a brutal and dominant revenge.

Not only was Lesnar eye-catching in achieving his win, but he also solidified his persona as the big, bad unstoppable champion when he insulted Mir and the audience after the fight.

It was his experience in professional wrestling coming into play, and it worked perfectly. The audience booed him and Lesnar gave them a reason to care.

In fact, Lesnar gave everyone a reason to care about the UFC heavyweights.

He is regularly talked about on ESPN and sports radio. Many fans see him as too strong and brutal to be beat by any heavyweight out there, and the man has only won four times! If that isn't some impressive marketing, I don't know what is.

Since his demolition of Mir, Lesnar has sat out for the last year and let all of the heavyweight cream rise to the top. The division has never been so full of talented contenders in its history, and it has never received so much attention either.

A year from now, all of these undefeated contenders could have beaten each other, and Lesnar could have been proven to be a less stellar fighter than we envisioned him. I mean, he has only beat Mir, Couture, and Herring, and he certainly wasn't the first to stop any of those guys.

But, even if it doesn't last, Lesnar has ignited an exciting and competitive heavyweight division—a division with a champion that people care about. Whether it is a craving to see him lose, or an appreciation of what he brings to the table, people want to see Brock Lesnar fight.

And if someone is going to topple the big bad ruler of the giants, my guess is that person will steal the infamy and the notoriety that he has created. That will breathe interest and anticipation into the division formerly known as the worst in the UFC.

Because nothing is more exciting in sports than when the two most imposing fighters go at it for the heavyweight championship of the world.

Now if we can just get that Fedor guy involved.