How Brock Lesnar's Absence Will Both Help and Hurt MMA

Brock Lesnar is one of the most polarizing fighters in mixed martial arts (MMA), so his extended absence for a repeat case of diverticulitis is sure to have a noticeable impact on the sport in the coming months.

While the droves of Lesnar's haters are sure to see his absence as only a good thing for MMA, there are definitely some negative side effects to be felt as well.

As we adjust to MMA life without Lesnar, here are a couple reasons why Lesnar's illness will both help and hurt MMA.

Help: Diverting the Spotlight

With Brock Lesnar out of the picture temporarily, MMA media can now turn their focus (I say this as I am writing an article specifically about Lesnar) to other things, such as the potential rising stars in the heavyweight division.

As Lesnar was preparing for his fight with Junior Dos Santos, not enough attention was being paid to heavyweights like Brendan Schaub, Mike Russow, Travis Browne and Matt Mitrione. With Lesnar out of the picture for now, we can begin to talk about where these fighters might fit in with the heavyweight division's elite with a few more wins.

Hurt: Mainstream Interest

Love him or hate him, there is no doubt that Brock Lesnar has the ability to draw massive amounts of attention to the sport.

Prior to the debut episode of Season 13 of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), Lesnar appeared on ESPN and several late-night network television shows.

The magnitude of which is debatable, but mainstream interest in MMA is sure to take at least some type of noticeable hit with the loss of Lesnar.

Help: Brock Lesnar's Loss Is Shane Carwin's Gain

With Brock Lesnar out of his fight with Junior Dos Santos, Shane Carwin has been given the opportunity to fight Dos Santos for the opportunity to become the top heavyweight contender.

How does this help MMA, you ask?

Carwin is going to be much more willing to stand with Dos Santos than Lesnar would have been, and who wouldn't want to see Carwin's power matched against Dos Santos' speed and technique?

Hurt: Another Letdown for The Ultimate Fighter Series

The UFC brought Brock Lesnar in as a coach for Season 13 of TUF in an effort to reinvigorate the slowly fading interest in the series.

Not only did Lesnar's appearance on the program fail to boost ratings, which finished even lower than the average ratings for Season 12, but due to Lesnar's illness the fight between TUF coaches was forced to be cancelled or delayed for the third time in the last four seasons.

Help: No More Possibility of Rematch with Cain Velasquez Any Time Soon

Had Brock Lesnar won his previously scheduled bout against Junior Dos Santos, he would have become the top contender in the heavyweight division and earned a rematch with UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez.

Thankfully, this scenario is no longer a possibility. It would have been extremely difficult for fans to get excited about a rematch of a bout that Velasquez had won so decisively not long ago.

Hurt: Even Weaker UFC Heavyweight Division

When a fighter with a physique like Roy Nelson's is in the mix for a title shot just one fight after brawling his way into the organization through a reality show, that is a pretty solid indication that a division is pretty shallow in terms of talent.

Losing a mammoth like Lesnar makes the heavyweight situation in the UFC even worse.

On the other hand, the loss of Lesnar could force the UFC to bring heavyweight talent into the organization from Strikeforce, which would actually help MMA.

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