Brock Lesnar calls Ronda Rousey 'a man amongst women' in UFC

While John Cena hosts The Today Show, former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar is Vince McMahon's point person to "real" sports media this week in the build to SummerSlam.

The Beast Incarnate opens a lot of door to outlets like ESPN and, in a story published today about his interviews in Bristol yesterday, Fox Sports. Of course, part of the draw of talking to Lesnar is asking him about mixed martial arts - whether it's to compare pro wrestling and his previous gig, or talk about the biggest stars of the Octagon today, like Ronda Rousey.

Brock is a big fan of the women's bantamweight titleholder and WWE dream WrestleMania attraction. But the way in which he expresses his admiration is going to draw some attention in its own right.

I think she's a super athlete in a weak division. I really do. She is a man amongst women in the women's division.

Debates about whether or not the woman who shares a nickname with Roddy Piper belongs in pound-for-pound best fighter discussions always come back to the questions about the caliber of her competition in the still young sport of women's MMA. So in that regard, Lesnar is just picking a side in the debate by saying Ronda's faced weak competition.

Using the analogy that Rousey is man while that lesser competition are women...

This, more than awkward, homoerotic ab libbed taunts, is why he has a mouthpiece on WWE television.

Does this comment in the midst of a long interview reveal deep-seated sexism on the part of the former WWE champion? I have no idea.

Is it the soundbite WWE public relations wants out there when they're courting an athlete that markets and views herself as a role model for female athletes, including not having to apologize for being attractive in ways that aren't stereotypically "girly"? Absolutely not.

But then, WWE isn't above sending a babyface out to use similar reasoning as an insult against an opponent, so maybe they don't think it's that big a deal.

They better hope Rousey agrees with them.