In a spectacular column entitled LESNAR A PERFECT VILLAIN FOR UFC (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/arash_markazi/07/12/lesnar.wins.title/), reporter Arash Markazi

revealed that UFC President Dana White chewed out Brock Lesnar in the locker room for dissing beer sponsor Budweiser.

 

Key excerpt:

 

Lesnar was made for this "heel" role in the UFC. He relishes it and feeds off it unlike anyone else the sport has ever seen. As he hugged his wife Rena (wrestling fans will remember her by her stage name, "Sable"), he smiled and turned to the camera and pointed at a nonexistent dimple as exited the Octagon and encouraged the crowd to continue to boo him. "I love it," he said. "Keep going."

While Lesnar may have looked like an uncontrollable loose cannon after the fight, he was a changed man when he walked into the press room soon after. Wearing a wide smile and holding a Bud Light, he took a big swig as he looked at White and said, "I love Bud Light! I must have caught a hard knee to the head."

After the fight White had pulled Lesnar out of the locker room and chewed him out before Lesnar nodded his head and said that he was embarrassed and sorry. For as entertaining as Lesnar's act might have been to some, White has worked hard to attract mainstream advertisers like Bud Light and Burger King as wasn't about to let Lesnar ruin those relationships in an effort to momentarily incite the crowd.

"I was blown away. I don't think in the history of the UFC we've ever had someone do something like that," said White. "It's not who we are and it's not who he is. I've spent time with the guy. He gets in there and the adrenaline starts kicking and the mouth starts moving, but the brain isn't sending anything to his mouth. If he was a [bad guy], I would tell you, but he's not. He's a smart guy. He's been in the WWE so long that he thinks he has to jump in there and be the heel."

As much as White and Lesnar were able to save face with their mainstream sponsors, the fact is White and the UFC have created their growing niche by having a certain renegade persona that goes in the opposite direction of the mainstream. The next time White has an interview or press conference not laced with a dozen expletives while calling out rival promoters or fighters will be the first.

Lesnar might be a "good guy" out of the Octagon but the fact is, the guy is a perfect "bad guy" in the cage and no different than Dennis Rodman and Mike Tyson, who attracted attention and put on a show when the spotlight shone. Lesnar might apologize now, but I would be shocked if we don't see a repeat performance after his next act. And as much as White might act agitated, he should be comforted by the growing pay-per-view numbers and ticket sales.

"I was in the entertainment business for a while and I guess there's still a little bit of that in me," said Lesnar. "I get asked if there's anything I could drag over from the WWE and I guess you saw a little bit tonight. I'm used to selling pay-per-views and tickets."