Monday, January 31, 2011

TUF 13 media day: Lesnar says critics have no business ripping his credentials as a coach

Brock Lesnar has landed in Las Vegas and had plenty to say on Day 2 of taping for Season 13 of "The Ultimate Fighter." The former UFC heavyweight champion jumped at the opportunity to fire back at critics who said he's too inexperienced in mixed martial arts to be a coach on the promotion's reality show.

"I was the UFC heavyweight champion. What other qualifications do you need? You guys can sit there and discredit me, but in my mind, I’ve got just as many fights as Junior," Lesnar (5-2) said. "I’ve got a great coaching staff [Marty Morgan, Erik Paulson, Greg Nelson and Rodrigo 'Comprido' Medeiros], guys that have been coaching top fighters and wrestlers."

When Dana White announced the selection of Lesnar as a Season 13 coach, one critic asked him about the integrity of the show with such a "green" fighter serving as a one of the coaches.

"I've been competing my whole life. I've got a great coaching staff," Lesnar said. "I think we’re well capable of coaching underqualified guys to become the next Ultimate Fighter. I've got faith in my people. These guys made me a champion. Why can’t we make these young, eager kids successful? I think we can."

Lesnar left pro wrestling to pursue a career in mixed martial arts in 2007. By 2009, he was the heavyweight champ for the world's biggest MMA promotion.    

"I think they see and look at me and the short amount of time that I've been in the sport," Lesnar said. "I've got a lot of things to teach them. I'm a human sponge. Since I got into the sport, I've tried to evolve. We’re going to train the guys exactly how I would train for my training camps. That’s our goal."

The six-week stay in Las Vegas also serves as a chance for Lesnar to train and work on his own game. He said it didn't hurt that the UFC and Spike stepped up with "the benjamins" to change his mind about the stint on the show.

Lesnar is coaching against Junior dos Santos. The two heavyweights will fight at the end of the season, with the winner getting a shot at UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez. Velasquez is currently on the shelf recovering from shoulder surgery.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/TUF-13-media-day-Lesnar-says-critics-have-no-bu?urn=mma-312697

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