"Millions of fans watched as Brock Lesnar refused to accord his opponent the respectful gesture of touching gloves before their match. He was even more ignominious in victory; insulting the sponsor, dismissing his opponent and giving the fans not one, but two middle fingers." - Meredith Lyons, Chicago Martial Arts Examiner

All due respect to Lyons, while the disrespect that Lesnar showed after his UFC heavyweight title defense against Frank Mir, July 11, at UFC 100 was as classless as it comes. I just have to pose the question, who cares?

I understand entirely that martial arts is more about respect for yourself, respect for your opponent and respect for the entire "art" of the "sport," but what I'm failing to grasp is why Lesnar owes anybody that respect?

When Lesnar burst onto the scene in the spring of 2006 declaring his intentions to delve into the world of Mixed Martial Arts, he was ridiculed. After all, he was a former professional wrestler and a failed NFL defensive lineman who was trying to step into a sport he had never competed in before in his life. After his first professional fight, a submission victory due to strikes just 1:08 into the very first round over Min Soo Kim, he still wasn't taken seriously.

Joining the UFC a mere six months after his first career MMA fight, did anybody buy into the hype? Nope.

His first fight as a UFC competitor ended just 1:30 into the first round, a submission loss to Frank Mir. Did people begin to take notice of the brute strength Lesnar possessed as he pummeled Mir at the onset of the fight in a shocking display of raw power? They finally did.

But, when Lesnar was awarded a heavyweight title shot against UFC hall of famer Randy "The Natural" Couture, were people thinking he deserved such an honor? No way. The overall consensus among many MMA fans and fighters alike was that he was just handed his title shot because of his past fame as a professional wrestler in the WWE and not because of what he already accomplished as a mixed martial artist. How exactly did Lesnar feel about that?

"I don't run around looking for any respect," he said. "There are going to be critics, but I don't give a damn what anybody thinks."

You know what, he shouldn't. That's the exact reason why it didn't bother me one bit that after Lesnar turned Mir's face into mincemeat on July 11, he paraded around the ring taunting his bloodied and battered opponent and amid a chorus of boos, gave the fans the ol' one fingered salute. You never respected him, why should he respect you?

However, unlike the many cynics around the world who never thought Lesnar would be worth anything as a mixed martial artist and he was nothing more than some circus side show that was built on name recognition alone, I knew he was the real deal. People just looked at his resume and saw that he was a "performer" in the World Wrestling Entertainment; fake and scripted wrestling and laughed at the thought of him being involved in a truly physical competition.

Well, big time newsflash for you people, Lesnar had a whole lot of name recognition long before he laced his boots to step into the fictional ring. The athletic prowess and competitive hunger this man has dates back to when he was a high school wrestler. In Lesnar's senior year, he boasted a record of 33 wins and 0 losses.

After high school, Lesnar enrolled in Bismark Junior College and promptly won the National Junior Wrestling Championship in 1998. From there, he dreamed big and transferred to the University of Minnesota for his junior and senior seasons, where he was a two-time Big Ten Conference Champion and the 2000 NCAA Heavyweight Champion. In his four-year college career, he compiled an overall record of 106 wins and 5 losses. Yep, you read that right, 5 losses in 4 years. Yeah, this guy definitely isn't a fighter.

After graduating college and turning down offers from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Redskins to play football, he turned his attention to pro wrestling, where he showed off his athletic abilities to the point of earning the nickname "The Next Big Thing" (remember that, we'll get back to it). Having spent just three years in the WWE as a professional "entertainer," Lesnar made the personal decision that he wanted to pursue his dream of playing in the NFL, stating that he didn't want to wake up one day at the age of 40 and wonder if he could have done it.

Lesnar played for the Minnesota Vikings, where he was known to stir up quite the heated altercations with his propensity to start fights and be exactly what he is, a natural aggressor. After proving he could hang with the biggest and toughest men in the NFL, he was offered a spot on the Vikings NFL Europe roster, but declined, having satisfied his desire to prove his worth to himself.

This brings us back to that fateful day that he woke up and decided, "hey, I want to punch guys in the face for a living and get paid to do it." Understand, Lesnar is not some paper champion. This man is a competitor in the truest sense of the word. When he finds something he wants to do, he breaks his back in setting out to accomplish it. Whether it's becoming one of the best collegiate wrestlers in the United States, becoming a phenom professional wrestler or stepping into the Octagon as an MMA competitor, Lesnar succeeds at what he does.

The term "failure" isn't in his vocabulary. This is a 6'3, 275-pound monster carved out of stone, who has fists the size of melons. His amateur wrestling background alone proves that he belongs in the discussion of being a mixed martial artist. As Lesnar said in November 2008, before his fight with Randy Couture, "I'm here to represent amateur wrestling. Would there be other pro wrestlers that could make this transition? Absolutely not, because they don't have the background that I have."

It's that very reason that Dana White has rarely referenced Brock's days in the world of pretend fighting in the WWE and instead focuses on his impressive NCAA collegiate accomplishments. Add in his size and astounding athletic ability (there is not one man in the UFC heavyweight division who can move as quickly as Lesnar.), and in reality, Lesnar is a rare breed of talent. He possesses the size and strength of some sort of mythical figure that you read about in tall tales. He also is readily equipped with the agility of a man half his size.

The two things that Lesnar can bring with him from his days as a professional wrestler are his persona and his attitude. He was dubbed 'The Next Big Thing" in the WWE and frankly, I see no reason at all why he shouldn't have that same nickname now. That is exactly what he is in the UFC. He's the next big thing.

While the persona of being the next big thing is yet to be talked about or even considered, Lesnar certainly has brought his attitude with him. The post-fight antics he exhibited as he taunted Mir's bloodied corpse and egged on the capacity crowd to keep booing him, was something straight out of a wrestling script. The bad guy persona that fit Lesnar so perfectly in the WWE is one that he is currently relishing in the UFC.

Many will say he is bad for White and the Ultimate Fighting Championship as a whole. They'll say that his attitude and behavior has no place in the sport and he's making a mockery of everything they've helped to build over the past decade. I say those individuals are wrong. And contrary to what White may be saying publicly (since he lashed out against Lesnar's behavior), he must be sitting down smiling and counting the dollar signs in his head. Lesnar is EXACTLY what White has been looking for.

With fighters such as Chuck Liddell and Couture, who brought the UFC and Mixed Martial Arts into the mainstream nearing the ends of their respective careers, the sport is looking for a new face. The next individual who can stand out and be "THE GUY". They're looking for the next big attraction. Dare I say, the next big thing?

Honestly, it almost sounds too good to be true. I should get on Twitter right now and send White a message. He should be having me do publicity and promotions for Lesnar, because I can market him to astronomical proportions. The parallels are just too great to pass up. I am imploring Lesnar to take his former nickname and run with it. He could take this sport to heights never before imagined.

The number of media outlets discussing Lesnar and the UFC as a whole has been outrageous. ESPN, CNN, NBC, MSNBC, you name it, they've talked about it. Do you think White considers that bad? He's getting publicity for his company!

Bottom line is, whether you like Lesnar or you hate him, he'll sell tickets. People will tune into any fight Lesnar has, just in the hopes of seeing him get his face pounded like an old catcher's mitt. That's all White cares about. It doesn't matter to him if you're for Brock or against Brock, but you're there to watch Lesnar.

Lesnar, on the other hand, craves the hatred. He is only satisfied if every person in the world wants to see him fail and be on the receiving end of a beating.

In the 1980s, Mike Tyson was known as the bad boy of boxing. Well, UFC fans around the world let me be the first to say we've now been ushered into a new era of entertainment. Say hello to the Maniacal Muscle of Mixed Martial Arts.

Also, to Shane Carwin, who will be facing Lesnar for his heavyweight title on November 21, be wary of not taking him seriously. This man is a fighter. Whatever he may have done in his past, is just that, in the past. He is a force to be reckoned with and there may not be a man alive who can stop him.

Frankly, I'm giddy at the thought of where Lesnar can take the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. But, a little word of advice to Carwin as he steps into the octagon on November 21, 2009 to face the champion… Just remember one thing – watch out for his devastating right hand. And if for some reason you find yourself on the ground with Lesnar's chiseled physique hovering above you with those fierce hammer fists reigning down on the bridge of your newly shattered nose. Well, I've just got four words for you:

HERE COMES THE PAIN!