The Lesnar Show

If you may not know it yet, I have been a fan of the UFC ever since I've seen the first season of the Ultimate Fighter, where they had Diego Sanchez and Kenny Florian. And since then, I never missed a single episode, especially if there's an event.

So Brock Lesnar, in the parlance of pro wrestling, had gone straight heel.

After bludgeoning Frank Mir to retain the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight championship at the hyped UFC 100, the former pro wrestling star decided to put on a real show. (as seen in right photo)

Lesnar ran around the octagon flipping off the Mandalay Bay Events Center crowd with both middle fingers. He shouted at Mir as the challenger sat on a stool trying to regain his equilibrium. Mir stood up and they went sort of nose-to-broken nose before Lesnar cackled with laughter.

In the post-fight interview, Lesnar encouraged the booing fans to “keep going” before continuing to taunt Mir.

No one and nothing was spared. Lesnar even turned his attention to the UFC itself, which paid him an estimated $3 million for the fight, pointing at the giant Bud Light advertisement in the middle of the octagon.

“I’m drinking a cooler full of Coors Light, Coors Light because Bud Light won’t pay me anything.”

Anything for the children at home, big guy?

“Hell, I might even get on top of my wife tonight.”

With his clown-show antics, Brock Lesnar just became the greatest villain in modern fighting. From refusing to tap gloves prefight in a sportsmanlike ritual to this over-the-top rant that came right out of the silly wrestling circus.

“Straight WWE,” said a stunned Dana White, the president of the UFC. “Brock went so far over the top tonight I can’t even describe it. I don’t think in the history of the UFC we’ve ever done anything like that.”

Postfight, White pushed his way into Lesnar’s crowded locker room and took the big guy into the bathroom for a private “discussion.” Lesnar himself described it as “a whip-the-dog session.”

“With women in here you don’t want to know what I said,” White said. It worked, Brock showed up at the press conference smiling, supposedly contrite and even drinking a Bud Light.

“First and foremost I want to apologize,” Lesnar said. “I acted very unprofessionally after the fight. I screwed up and I apologize. I apologize to Bud Light. I’m not biased, I drink any beer.”

It was mostly a chance for laugh lines, but it was still an apology. Lesnar said the pent-up energy of avenging a loss to Mir caused him to go crazy. “I’m a sore loser,” he said. “I don’t like to get beat. I believe I gave that fight to him. So there was a lot of emotion in this fight for me.

“Man, I was so jacked up. I’m used to selling pay-per-view tickets. I come from a business that is purely the entertainment business.”

And so that was the excuse. Lesnar didn’t flip, he just flipped the switch back into Vince McMahon’s operation where nothing is too over the top. The UFC, however, is real and it has tried to position itself not as a blood sport but one based on sportsmanship and mutual respect.

Lesnar did the UFC no favors in that regard. And neither did veteran Dan Henderson, who dropped a vicious forearm smash on an already knocked out and prone Michael Bisping on the undercard. Henderson then admitted he did it on purpose to avenge prefight trash talk. The UFC even went on to award him its $100,000 “knockout of the night” bonus. White also gave Henderson a talking to, but Henderson still said it “felt good.”

The damage done to the UFC’s mainstream momentum remains to be seen. While some will be repulsed, others will be drawn in. It’s cage fighting, after all. Things get out of hand.

That this occurred on the promotion’s biggest night, when the numerical significance of the card was expected to bring in a large first-time audience, wasn’t appreciated by the UFC. The night was electric and highly entertaining. And while it is likely to most offend people who weren’t disposed to giving mixed martial arts a chance in the first place, White was aghast at Lesnar’s act. This isn’t what he built. This isn’t what he wanted.

“What he’s doing out there tonight is not real,” White said. “You don’t have to act like something you’re not. This isn’t the WWE. I don’t ask these guys to act crazy so we get more pay per views. That’s not the business I’m in.”

In the meantime, the cementing of Lesnar’s reputation as the promotion’s most hated man is done.

“Brock hasn’t made himself very loveable,” White said. “They hate Brock.” For the UFC, a classic villain is business gold. He’s the ultimate leading man for the organization. Some loathe him. Some love him. No one can ignore him. For those seeking his comeuppance however, there isn’t a WWE storyline that can be written to stop him.

Lost in the antics was Lesnar’s performance, a brilliant effort that showed both his growth as a mixed martial artist and the immense potential. The question becomes, who the heck can tame this mountain of a man from the Minnesota woods?

Shane Carwin? Cain Velasquez? Mir in a final chapter of a trilogy of fights? No doubt they’ll get a chance, and no doubt they stand a chance.

The greatest beneficiary of each Lesnar snarl, however, lives in Stary Oskol, Russia, a man named Fedor Emelianenko who is considered the No. 1 heavyweight (if not pound-for-pound fighter) in the world. If anyone has the knockout power to stop the 6-3, 265-pound Lesnar, it’s Emelianenko.

Fedor doesn’t fight in the UFC though. He’s with its rival promotion, Affliction. He’ll fight Aug. 1 in Anaheim, Calif., in what is the last match of his contract. Affliction is hoping to re-sign him until 2012, but the UFC will come hard after him. More now then ever. And that means money, big money.

“Eventually Fedor is going to be here,” White said. “I want Fedor. We’ll end up getting that deal done and then we’ll do Brock vs. Fedor and we’ll do a huge fight.”

Time will tell, but the pressure to sign the elusive Russian has been ratcheted up. A villain was born and there isn’t an obvious superhero in sight. The UFC brought Brock Lesnar over from the WWE for just this kind of a sensation. And the big man has delivered – the good, the bad and the embarrassing.

Only Dana White has no scriptwriters that can contain him.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Dan Wetzel is Yahoo! Sports' national columnist and author of "Resilience: Faith, Focus, Triumph"

Freedom

I have really been touched by the news this past month of the political turmoil in Iran. The protests and demands for freedom by the Iranian people have both moved and inspired me, probably in the same way that many have been inspired by the labors of those who became the founding fathers of the United States. There are many countries that still fight for even the smallest liberties that many of us of take for granted. Did you know, that out of 103 countries of the world, 43 are still not free? And that actually equals over a third of our world population!

In some of these countries, the population is kept in the dark, denied education and health care, and often left in a constant state of fear for life and limb. In others, women are denied education and live an extremely oppressed existence. And in still others, entire tribes or races are the victims of genocide. If what I am writing seems too terrible to think about, well it is terrible! I have to admit that, when I compare my life to the lives of people in countries who still struggle under the yoke of oppression, all of my personal cares and concerns seem very small indeed.

I certainly don't want to imply, that we should feel guilty about the freedoms we benefit from. On the contrary, we should be joyful and grateful for the many liberties we enjoy each and every day, because any of us could have been born in a country where we might never experience the independence and free will we have now.

We enjoy a number of very precious liberties, including the right to speak freely without fear of being arrested, the right to a free press, the right to practice the religion of your choice, the right to a full education, and the right to vote for your candidate of choice. And because these freedoms have been practiced for a long time, it has become an accepted and expected way of living. I just wanted to take this opportunity in lieu of the turmoil going on in our world to say how fortunate those of us who do benefit from such freedoms actually are.

"Freedom" may be a small word, but it carries a huge significance, especially for those who are still fighting for it and for those to whom it is nothing more than a dim hope. I am sure you will agree that we should greet each new day with a sense of humility and gratitude for the privileges and liberties we continue to enjoy, and that we should never take our freedom for granted.

Feed your mind

Did you know that keeping your mind active is one way to live longer and healthier? Studies have shown that when you "feed" your mind with new information, you are actually building brain cells that can benefit you, both physically and mentally.

And there are plenty of ways to do that. It can be as simple as thinking of a topic that interests you and then researching it. When you research, you expose yourself to a wealth of information. And with today's sophisticated online search engines, researching is much easier than it used to be. That makes it easy to keep your mind active without even leaving home.

And there are other means to find mental stimulation. If you are fond of formal classes, you could look into the curriculum offered at a local learning center, community college, or even a major university. Many universities now offer online classes, which really broadens your learning options. Whether it's a cooking class or a university course in psychology, you'll benefit from learning something new. You can also stimulate your "little grey cells" by visiting a local museum or watching historical, scientific, and other educational programs on television.

And don't forget the easiest and simplest lifelong learning pursuit, reading. A powerful activity for keeping the mind honed and sharp, reading is an inexpensive and pleasant pastime. Studies show that teachers and professors tend to keep their mental faculties longer, and this is attributed to their regular reading habits. So, settling in with a book is good for your health!

Summer Sunshine

For those of you in the northern hemisphere, they are currently in the lightest time of the year. June 21st marked the Summer Solstice, the time when the sunlight is at its peak. From this point on, the Sun will lessen in its strength, but more than ever we need to protect ourselves from it. Oddly enough, regardless of the season, dermatologists recommend our putting on sunscreen when we are out in the sunshine. But it is beneficial and advised by dermatologists to get at least 15 minutes of natural light every single day.

That's right. While we do need to watch our sun exposure and protect ourselves when we are in the sun for long periods of time, our bodies also need full-spectrum natural light on a daily basis. Incandescent lights and fluorescent lights don't produce a sufficient amount of lux (a measurement of light) to provide us with positive health benefits. The most efficient way to reap these benefits is to go outdoors.

Those 15 minutes a day out in the sunlight can do a lot for your body, including positively affecting your endocrine system, reproductive system, and your circadian rhythms or internal biological clock. Light exposure also boosts your serotonin levels to help you to stay awake and alert.

Plus, natural light helps your skin to produce vitamin D, which helps your body absorb the calcium needed for strong bones. Daily exposure to sunlight also helps reduce stress and improve your mood.

How can you be sure to get those valuable 15 minutes of sunlight on a regular basis? Go outside whenever you can. Enjoy your lunch break out of doors, or take a short morning or afternoon walk. All of these are excellent ways to safely get the amount of light your body requires.

So, I hope you will think about your daily dose of sunshine. And now I hope you will take some time to go over your forecast. May it shed light and brighten your path. Have a lovely sunny summer week!

Until next week.

Some ways to keep our body healthy

This morning, I read an article in the newspaper about the negative effect the economic crisis is having on our health. Some people are compromising their health by working more than one job and burning the midnight oil. Others are experiencing anxiety and stress as a result of the financial instability they are experiencing, and still others are choosing to cut back on important health benefits, such as exercise or the quality of food they are eating.

There is no doubt that tough times take a bite out of everything, and it's certainly important to be conservative during periods of financial downturn. However, we need to think seriously about what we cut from our budget, and healthy food choices and a regular exercise routine should not go easily. More practical expenses to cut back on include entertainment costs, such as movies and shows, perks like cable television, and nights out at restaurants and clubs. Now is the time to consider spending more time at home and economizing on gas, electricity, and water consumption.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to keep your body healthy and fit even when your wallet isn't. With just a few simple shifts, you can continue to eat right and get plenty of exercise while sticking to a tighter budget.

For starters, do things to nip your stress in the bud. Make a point of getting as much rest as you can. This is especially necessary if you have had to take on a second job. Rearrange your schedule so that you can get at least 7 hours of sleep daily. Also, drink lots of water to keep your system flushed. Save money by avoiding bottled waters and purchase a water filter for your kitchen tap instead.

If you can't afford to go to the gym, find new ways to get exercise. Get outside and take advantage of the changing seasons by walking, skating, biking, playing softball, basketball or Frisbee, and swimming or doing some outdoor gardening. If you have to be indoors, you can always plug in an exercise video or put on your favorite CD and dance until you start feeling sweaty. These activities require a relatively small investment, if any at all.

When it comes to groceries, there are a few things you can do to save money without compromising nutrition. Buying fresh produce is great but can be expensive, and it begins to lose its nutritional value within just a couple of days. So buy foods that you must eat fresh, like apples, plums, lettuce, tomatoes, and avocados, and opt to go to the frozen food section for the rest. While some people feel that frozen food is less nutritious than fresh, both types tend to have the same levels of nutrients. That's because frozen fruits and vegetables are frozen at the peak of their ripeness, which actually locks and holds in their nutrients. So, all you have to do is to allow for thawing time when planning meals.

Even though money is tight right now, you can still maintain a healthy lifestyle on a lean budget. It just takes a little planning and adjustment to doing a few things differently. Before you know it, your new routines could become habits that help you save money in the long run.

Until next week... have a great Father's Day weekend!

A weekend walk in the park...

I just returned from a pleasant visit to the park, in Salcedo Village, where I sat on a bench and people-watched. The park is a perfect place for this activity as there are so many people to see: nannies pushing prams, young mothers watching children on the playground, people strolling leisurely along the walks, and professionals taking a break from their office, enjoying their lunch outdoors.

However, in addition to just looking at the passersby, I also was also reading about human behavior. An elderly couple strolled past me, arm in arm, talking, giggling, and seeming to enjoy each other's company. Their giggling was a bit unexpected, but certainly pleasant. At one point, they stopped and he kissed her on her forehead before the giggling began again and they walked on.

Near the playground, a young boy and an older woman were crouched on the ground, looking at something in the grass. The woman, possibly a grandmother, seemed to be explaining something to the child. Other children joined them and, suddenly, a small group was receiving what I imagined was a nature lesson. Then, a teenage girl glided past me on roller blades, grinning wickedly, her long brown hair flowing behind her. Behind her a young woman who was also on skates, but seemed to be having difficulty keeping up, called out, "Wait up!"

As you know, my attention focuses on what makes people tick and how they act with others. I have long been interested in how people behave and interact. I guess you could say that people-watching is one of my hobbies. The best thing is that you can people-watch almost anywhere -- in the park, the local bookstore, a tea or coffee shop, or even a shopping mall. It is a very inexpensive hobby, which costs no more than the price of a cup of tea or coffee.

It can be fascinating watching our fellow human beings. If you aren't already a people-watcher, I invite you to give it a try. You may find that it opens your mind to human nature. And you may even see aspects of yourself in others, as I sometimes do. Regardless, you won't be bored.

The fountain of youth

Are you familiar with the legend of Ponce de Leon, the Spanish explorer who was supposedly looking for the fountain of youth and discovered Florida instead? Well, he certainly wasn't the first person to be lured by a dream of eternal youth. There are numerous stories about powerful figures in history such as Alexander the Great and Cleopatra who also sought to hold onto their beauty and vitality.

And the search for youth continues. All you have to do is to turn on the television or open a beauty magazine to find advertisements for miracle hair tonics, wrinkle cures, stomach flatteners, etc. It seems we are still looking for a fountain of youth, but this time it is through creams or supplements or health regimens that make extravagant, unproven claims. However, I don't think that is the way to stay young.

It seems that studies done on centenarians – those who've live 100 years or more -- show that they have certain things in common. And that's staying active, having interests, and keeping connected with their loved ones. So it seems that the mind-body connection is what is most important.

Staying physically fit is important, but so also is keeping mentally and emotionally fit. Centenarians who were studied showed they handled stress well and were the type of people who could let go of their worries at the end of each day. Like anyone else, they had their difficult or challenging experiences, but it was their positive response to those difficulties and challenges that enabled them to carry on.

So there may be a fountain of youth after all, but not exactly as we envisioned it. As the "ageless" Sophia Loren has said, "There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age."