Sports Bites
Mixed Martial Arts
By Joe Babinsack

The Mixed Martial Arts world is growing by leaps and bounds, but remains unpredictable.

With Brock Lesnar's debut in the UFC, the former WWE heavyweight star was impressive, but was defeated by the experienced Frank Mir after three beginner's mistakes: one being his wild punches, two being his positioning after being stood up by the ref, and three being his inability to escape a basic leg submission.

While the UFC avoids revealing PPV numbers, officials were reportedly all smiles at the event. Lesnar is a natural bad guy for UFC fans to root against, and for an influx of professional wrestling fans to cheer for. That is a dynamic that can continue to work for the six-two, 265 monster once known as the 'Next Big Thing."

With experience, he certainly still can be.

The disputed MMA heavyweight champion is Randy Couture, who is trying to escape the biggest submission hold of his career, one that the UFC holds via a contract. The biggest non-UFC money match on the horizon could still be Couture and the Russian Sambo expert Fedor Emilienko, a match that could take place if Couture's contract is voided, and may just be seen on Mark Cuban's HDNet.