Do or Die for Lesnar

To be honest, Brock Lesnar is a far bigger name in mixed martial arts then he should be.

As a former World Wrestling Entertainment champion, Lesnar garnered world wide fame thanks to Vince McMahon's promotional juggernaut.

To fully understand Lesnar's appeal, you must realize the WWE television network spans more than 130 countries around the world and is broadcast in 23 different languages. Whether its New York, Toronto, Mexico City, Paris, Tokyo, London or Melbourne -- people know Brock Lesnar.

And that's why UFC president Dana White snatched the former NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion up when he tired of the pro wrestling lifestyle. Hoping to acquire new fans, White inked the unproven Lesnar to a $250,000 guarantee per match plus pay-per-view bonuses, making him one of the highest paid fighters in the world.

"I don't think there are any other pro wrestlers that can make the transition to MMA, except for Brock Lesnar," White said after inking Lesnar. "And if you look at his amateur wrestling credentials, his size, and what he's done, this guy can end up being a force in the heavyweight division of the UFC."

White was right about Lesnar's pedigree. A native of Webster, S.D. who now makes his home in the suburbs of Minneapolis, the 6-foot-4 , 265-pound Lesnar first made a name for himself as a wrestler at Webster High School, compiling a 33-0 record in his senior year.

That success eventually led him to Bismarck State College and the University of Minnesota, where he was a four-time All American, two-time Big Ten Champion, a second place finisher in the 1999 NCAA Championships, and the 2000 NCAA national champion.

After finishing his college career with an astounding 106-5 record, Lesnar became a household name with the WWE, and even had a short stint in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings.

Now over six months have passed since Lesnar (1-1) was dismissed in his UFC debut against the crafty Frank Mir and the former Golden Gopher is itching to get back into the octagon and prove himself. He will finally get his chance this Saturday when he faces veteran Heath Herring (28-13) at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

The powerful Lesnar was en route to destroying Mir on February 2 in Las Vegas when referee Steve Mazzagatti halted the action due to an inadvertent blow to the back of the head. The delay stopped Lesnar's momentum and he was eventually caught in a kneebar and forced to tap.

The entire fight lasted just 80 seconds and Lesnar dominated for 70 of them.

"I'm still disgusted with myself," Lesnar recently told UFC.com . "I got so excited, then for Mazzagatti to stop the fight kinda threw a monkey wrench into my rhythm a little bit, and then you can chalk it up to a little bit of inexperience.

"I had Frank on the mat and then I stood up, which was pretty foolish of me. I think Frank will be the first one to admit that I had him up against the ropes and I think he was scared s**tless."

Despite the loss, Lesnar showed his value to UFC. His debut drew an estimated 600,000 pay-per-view buys, the most of any boxing or MMA card this year, and among the biggest in MMA history. Perhaps more impressively, UFC sources believe nearly half of the homes that purchased the event had never sampled an MMA event before.

So, if you are asking why a guy who has had two professional MMA fights and is coming off a loss will be billed second from the top in his hometown, now you know.

Lesnar, like EliteXC's Kimbo Slice, is the rarest of breeds in the fighting world -- a true drawing card.

The listed main event from the Target Center will be UFC welterweight champion George St. Pierre, one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, defending against Jon Fitch. But, make no mistake, Lesnar is the one fueling the interest in what is expected to be the company's biggest pay-per-view since his last fight.

Of course at some point, Lesnar has to back up his popularity with results.

Another loss will force White and the UFC to pull the plug on Lesnar's promotional push and leave the future of the UFC heavyweight division in the hands of prospects Cain Velasquez and Shane Carwin, fighters with great potential but limited box office appeal.