The hardcore MMA fan was not surprised that the more polished Velasquez – who remained undefeated – was able to figure out what everyone else knew but have been unable to execute, that Lesnar was beatable if you kept him on his feet. He may have outweighed Velasquez by 20 pounds but Lesnar’s boxing skills are not quite up to his wrestling capabilities. Velasquez was able to get back up after Lesnar took him down and basically have his way with the Minnesota native.

For all intents and purposes, Velasquez beat the shit out of Lesnar, plain and simple. The main event at UFC 121 ended in the first round when the referee stopped the fight and a new heavyweight champion was crowned. But was more lost that night other than a belt on a fighter with only six previous bouts?

It is tough to admit, but the UFC is better off with a champion like Lesnar. He was a very well-known name and one that the casual or mainstream sports fan was familiar with. Now, if you ask the MMA crowd what they think, they will tell the fringe fan to go fuck him or herself and leave the cage to the real followers of the sport. But in this era, money talks and there will be less Pay-Per-View orders without Lesnar topping the card. A guy like Velasquez will be loved by the loyal UFC fans, but the guy watching Monday Night Football who catches a UFC show now and then will forget his name the day after the fight.

The regular UFC fan will order the Pay-Per-View time in and time out, so that is really not the target audience if you are thinking outside of the box. What the UFC’s goal needs to be is to broaden that number and having someone like Lesnar to sell tickets and orders was a gold mine for them. Velasquez may be the better fighter and a more deserving champion, but his name and face will not have the same effect as Lesnar’s. There’s no argument there.

Perhaps a quick rematch makes sense for sales purposes, but it is not the best move for the long term. One has to figure that Velasquez would defat Lesnar again, so the gain would be minimal. Lesnar needs to be used to the best of his abilities and build his record – and reputation – back up. Down the road, Lesnar getting more experience to broaden his game will only help his chances of regaining the title.

And that will be a huge payday for him and the UFC.

While they may have went as mainstream as they could by making the well-known Brock Lesnar the subject of the story, it was a quality segment with a live interview of the injured UFC heavyweight champion and league president Dana White.

“Let’s make it clear. I’m still the UFC heavyweight champion,” Lesnar said emphatically. The 32-year-old has been out since October with ended up being diagnosed as diverticulosis, a severe case of diverticulitis. He narrowly avoided surgery that would have resulted in his colon being removed, necessitating a colostomy bag and the end of his career and a completely different quality of life.

Since then, Lesnar has put back 30 of the 40 pounds that he lost in the hospital and has dumbfounded doctors by his recovery. “Basically the doctors said he got a lottery ticket,” White added. “It’s a miracle.”

So when will we see Lesnar back in the Octagon now that he has medical clearance? Well, before that happens, an interim heavyweight champ will be named at March’s UFC 111 in New Jersey. Shane Carwin, who Lesnar was scheduled to defend the belt against in November, will face Frank Mir. The winner will then take their shot against Lesnar (4-1), most likely in Australia this August.

To the average sports fan, they may have made a trip to the bathroom during this interview. But for the rest of us, not many stories are bigger than the champ – who was cut down before his prime by a freak medical condition – coming back to kick some ass. The outspoken Lesnar may be MMA’s most recognizable face right now and his return can only be good for the growth of the sport – at least on ESPN.