UFC 91: White says Lesnar's barrage on Couture 'crossed the line'

Issues raised at the post-fight news conference of UFC 91, where Brock Lesnar carried in his heavyweight championship belt four mixed martial arts fights removed from his stature as a World Wrestling Entertainment character and mused he’s still addressing inexperience issues:

“Inexperience has gotten me this far, though,” the 31-year-old former NCAA-champion wrestler said grinning.

Lesnar’s decisive right cross that landed behind the left ear of former champion Randy Couture, 45, sent the proud champion to the canvas, where Lesnar jumped on to deliver about 30 more blows.

Afterward, a German journalist asked the fighters how that scene qualified as sport, and Couture answered it was allowable under “rules of engagement” to be “eating leather,” as he put it. Lesnar dodged the issue.

Yet, earlier, UFC President Dana White said as he watched the barrage he thought, “The ref [Mario Yamasaki] was going, ‘Eh, is [Couture] OK?’ Mario was trying to give him time [to recover]. There’s a fine line between that and [allowing] too many punches. When I saw Randy go back down, I thought we had crossed that line.”

Keys to the outcome? Couture said it was Lesnar’s “go-go Gadget arms. It’s one thing to find guys who are big and heavy, another to find a guy with an 85-inch reach,” he said.

Lesnar suffered a cut over his right eyebrow seconds before scoring his winning TKO, and the blood was his own, not from a packet like those used in WWE.

“It made me a little nervous, but [upset him], I wanted first blood,” Lesnar said. “Something in my head went, ‘All right, we’ve got to pick this up,’ and we did.”

The victory was a redeeming moment for White, who took a chance with credibility by signing a WWE product but maintained Lesnar had potential beyond the failed MMA mission of YouTube-famous street-fighter Kimbo Slice with Elite XC.

“This guy’s far from Kimbo Slice,” White said.

“I don’t even know that guy [Slice],” Lesnar said.

--Lance Pugmire

Photo: Brock Lesnar delivers about 30 blows to Randy Couture. Credit: Eric Jamison / AP

Comments

[Damian McCarron]

"...not from a packet like those used in WWE."

A packet? The blood is as real in pro-wrestling as it is in MMA. It's done by a technique called blading. It's "slightly" less brutal though...

[Ben Dobson]

Good article. But something that I find really unprofessional from journalists is their ignorance of facts. Wrestlers, never in my experience, have used 'packets of blood'. Indeed the very suggestion sounds about as educated as that of a child in a playground. More often than not wrestlers will 'blade' or believe it or not actually incur an injury; such is the nature of their unique form of entertainment. My advice: report the facts and lose the anti-wrestling agenda.

[Judge Jesse]

Neither the WWE, or any other pro wrestling entity, uses "blood packets." The blood is always real.

[Burt Wright]

Well you two uninformed or maybe just too young to know people are quite mistaken. Blood packs or "splat bags" as they are called in the industry were a common practice for decades in "pro wrestling". I know this for absolute sure as Jake "Snake" Roberts has given me an assortment of bags on two occasions. He was my neighbor in Atlanta Ga. for several years. We watched tons of wrestling matches together and I was privileged to experience his break down of these events. He would explain how the choreography worked and how other nuances of the sport were performed and achieved. So, befor you go attacking someone on subject that you have not researched, you might want to get your facts right. Simply, "You don't know what you're talking about."

[Dooger]

It's too bad fighters still have to field questions about whether or not what they do is sport. There's still that holdover attitude that it's somehow dishonorable to hit a guy when he's down.
Brock performed well. He showed some solid grappling, some good striking and seemed composed throughout the fight. The only big questions about him now are in regard to his submission defence. Those will be answered soon, however.

[Bob]

Brock Lesnar = The Kimbo Slice of UFC

[lennie maxim]

this is in response to ben dobsons comment of wrestelers never using blood packs. i remembered hearing hulk hogan on the bubba the love sponge radio show and he said wrestlers quite often use blood packs, he recalled crushing the pack between his teeth during fights. thats not to say that they didnt blade also, he also mention he had swallowed more pieces of razor blade than he could remember. he says he would keep under his tongue or his cheek.

[Damian McCarron]

Maybe you're too sensitive but I don't think either comment was an attack. They were informed statements based on the pure fact that pro-wrestlers blade themselves. If you think that blood packets are used widely, you're misinformed. It's one of the most common mis-conceptions about wrestling that blood capsules are used. Personally, I'm against the practice of blading, these guys should not have to sacrifice their blood just to entertain. I guess some people want to believe that guys like Jake the Snake were "faking" everything they did.

"Jake Snake Roberts has given me an assortment of bags on two occasions"

Surely I'm not the only one who can spot why that statement is so wrong.

[Judge Jesse]

Burt,

I've been involved with wrestling for 15 years. Maybe wrestling used to use blood packets, but not anymore.

[Bradley Kerr]

All of you guys are right. Usually blood comes from cutting your forehead with a small razor wrapped in tape but sometimes there are occasions where it is not in your best interest to get another persons blood on you, especially a case like Jake "The Snake" Roberts. When you are facing off against a crackhead who likely has unknown bloodborne communicable diseases you want to be careful. Even in the 70's though 90% of the blood was real.

[CK Daimen]

Wrestling blood is real as noted. Done by blading, also noted above.

[Paul F. Villarreal]

The author of this "article" is a joke and has a clear agenda to marginalize both Brock Lesnar and MMA more generally. You're an embarrassment to the profession, Lance. If the next round of Times layoffs sees you with a pink slip, your newspaper's readership -- as small as that group may be -- would be far better served. This piece is a farce.

[Mike]

Interesting comments. I thought they had switched to real blood in pro wrestling at some point, but wasn't sure. Thanks for the explanation, Burt. I'm just glad to see so many wrestling fans taking an interest in MMA...even if it takes a freak show like Lesnar to get them to watch a real combat sport.

Lesnar obviously can throw a punch and has very good wrestling, but he isn't going to be a successful champion. He'll lose his first defense attempt to Nogeira or Mir (who already beat him) and needs to work on jiu jitsu and submission defense skills before he'll be well-rounded enough to be a respected MMA fighter.

I'll admit Lesnar impressed me by becoming the champ, even though as a UFC fan I was a bit offended at how quickly he got his title shot. But what's done is done and Lesnar has earned his place in UFC history -- we'll just have to see how the rest of his story plays out.

[Jimi Madge]

I'm so glad people have pointed out that the blood in pro-wrestling is real. And while I wouldn't dream of discrediting Burt Wright's above comment, I would suggest that things were slightly different in Jake 'the Snake' Roberts' era.

As the others mentioned, pro-wrestlers these days will 'blade' in order to draw blood. Every now and then, the fans watching at home will get to see this, especially when the cameraman fails to do his/her job properly.

[Jerry Odom]

I love how writers always create some fragment of a sentence and make it into a headline who's context is hard to understand.

Clearly it didn't cross the line. Couture was taking lightning fast shots and was moving trying to survive. Had it been called 10 punches earlier people would be calling for the refs head. The ref stopped it just in time. Kudos to Mario

[christian]

Jesse- you just called pro wrestling a "sport" COME ON if it was a sport, there would be betting lines. they don't have lines on soap operas or circuses.

[Cass]

Why is it that professional wrestling seems to take the biggest beating in Lesnar's victory? To me, regardless of whether or not blood packets are used (which is a widely known fact that they are absolutely not), the writer here took an unnecessary shot at professional wrestling. Leave WWE out of this, Lesnar ditched the title of pro-wrestler the day he tried out for the Minnesota Vikings. How about a little professionalism?

[Kenny]

This guy is clearly just ignorant. This article could hardly mask his dripping disdain for professional wrestling, but it at the same time exposed his complete lack of knowledge. He seems to be one of many clearly rooting for Lesnar to fail so that they can feel good with their vendetta against wrestling. My only question is Why?

[JimGoose]

Kimbo loses 1 fight and his career is over? He's still inexperienced and i'm sure next time he won't be that cocky to walk into a jab thinking his jaw can take it.

Anyways, what one considers sport is entirely subjective, professional gaming, poker, chess, Roman gladiators,etc.. It's all competition in the end.

[Rob]

Burt -

The truth is 99% of the time in professional wrestling - it is real blood. That is a fact. They use razor blades to cut themselves. Straight in - so it doesnt leave a scar. Perhaps Roberts did use blood packets, but the overwhelming majority of his peers use blades.

I think the two other respondants thought the author Lance was inferring that pro wrestlers do not get hurt. They do - and far too often.

[Yiannis the Greek]

I agree with Damian... People should really research Pro Wrestling before making assumptions and putting them in writing (this means you Lance Pugmire) although Damian, the proper term for the technique used in wrestling for bleeding is "GAFFING" not blading and truth be told... it can be just as brutal if not worse than getting split "the hard way" if it is not done properly. At any rate... I respect Randy Couture and his accomplishments both in and out of the octagon and hope he decides to stick around to fight again in the 205lb class (truth be told... I was cheering for Brock but was sad when Randy lost) but Brock Lesnar is an absolute MOOSE of a man and although somewhat inexperienced - deserved that win last night. He was hungry and when a man that size is hungry and you get in the way of what he wants... your going to get eaten!!! Congrats Brock... not bad for a farmer from South Dakota turned legit wrestler turned freakish WWE Superstar, etc...

[Dave Price]

lesnar should be in his own weight cat.-super heavy- you have that for other various weights- make it fair

[smokapotomous]

interesting ive never heard of a splat pack and it seems like noone else has either just google it .on the contrary you can find tons of video of wrestlers getting stitched up go figure

[Jake Leduc]

Ummmm, actually you are full of crap. I used to be a professional wrestler, and the other two guys were correct. The only ways that a pro wrestler bleeds are

1. Blading. Usually done by the wrestler to himself to assure that the blade doesn't cut too deep. Occasionally done by the opponent, Abdullah The Butcher being the only one that sticks out in my memory. Abby's fingers on one hand would be completely taped with little bits of razor sticking out each one. That way he could blade his opponents without chancing a deep cut.

2. Hard Way. Exactly as it sounds. Accidents happen.

Rest assured that these are the only ways that wrestlers bleed. If you actually did know Jake Roberts, then he was probably feeding you a line of bull.

[P Kelly]

Actually you are both right. The blood used in ring is 99% real from blading (also known as gigging), backstage skits use fake blood when and where they can for obvious reasons.
If you see someone bleeding in ring you can be sure, especially these days, that its a real cut, probably from a blade but it could be hardway.