Penick's Take
PENICK: Brock Lesnar vs. Junior Dos Santos after TUF 13 sets up massive Heavyweight Championship bout in late 2011
Jan 12, 2011 - 4:15:21 PM PENICK: Brock Lesnar vs. Junior Dos Santos after TUF 13 sets up massive Heavyweight Championship bout in late 2011

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The UFC's announcement on Tuesday that Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos will coach the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter was a brilliant move that sets up massive business for the UFC throughout 2011.

Lesnar is already the UFC's top pay-per-view draw, helping the UFC usher in two straight years of records on pay-per-view as a company. By setting them up with 12 weeks of coverage with the reality show heading into their fight in June, this fight can reach or surpass the record for pay-per-view buys for an event headlined by a non-title fight.

But the real brilliance of this fight is that it's a massive win-win for the UFC. Dos Santos is a new and interesting matchup for Lesnar, and represents a chance for the former Champ to overcome what he's struggled with in his last two fights: a heavy handed striker capable of finishing him by TKO. At the same time, Dos Santos has never faced a wrestler the likes of Lesnar, capable of putting him on the ground and utilizing his heavy hands for a beating there.

No matter which fighter wins this fight, the UFC sets themselves up for a massive Heavyweight Championship fight when Cain Velasquez returns. Dos Santos, with 12 weeks of exposure on Spike TV, can position himself as a new heavyweight star in the organization with a win over Lesnar in June. And if Lesnar can get past Dos Santos, he gets a win over the legitimate #1 contender for the Heavyweight Championship to head into the big-money rematch with the Champ.

This will bring massive ratings to Spike TV, likely to rival the interest brought from the 10th season and Kimbo Slice. With those ratings heading into their pay-per-view showdown, they may do near a million pay-per-view buys for a non-title fight for only the second time, and the winner positions themselves for a huge fight with a returning Velasquez in late 2011.