Randy Couture, left, takes a punch from Brock Lesnar during the first round of their UFC World Heavyweight MMA championship match on Saturday in Las Vegas. Lesnar won by TKO in the second round. (Eric Jamison/Associated Press)

Did Saturday night's second-round TKO of Randy Couture by Brock Lesnar signal a changing, or passing, of the guard in heavyweight Mixed Martial Arts?

That seems to be the question being bandied about in MMA circles and online forums and it sure appears that way.

In taking the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight crown from around the waist of the most-storied champion in the sport's history, Lesnar sure has made things interesting again.

Lesnar was never in trouble in the Couture fight and dominated in terms of body positioning, wrestling and striking.

And the scary thing is, there is still lots of room for improvement in Lesnar. Anyone who has watched his fights can see there is still plenty of "rawness" in his game that more high-level training is continuing to correct and his awesome strength still covers up his weak spots.

The future is bright for Lesnar with big paydays and huge fights ahead of him next year.

On the other side of the equation, I think we can safely say that Couture's days in the heavyweight division are in his rearview mirror. Not to say that he won't fight again (we all strongly suspect he will), just don't expect it to be in the sport's top weight class.

Reaction on Saturday was swift and indicting. Hardcore MMA fans can't stand Lesnar due mainly to his time spent with World Wrestling Entertainment. They feel he didn't deserve to be in the Octagon in a championship fight just one match removed from a submission loss at the hands of Frank Mir.

It's a blemish on the sport, they say. He was elevated to a title shot too quickly. A win over Heath Herring earns a match with Randy Couture?

Those fans, don't get it.

Plain and simple.

It was the best thing for the company and if you expect the word "fair" to mean anything in sports — especially MMA and boxing — you better look somewhere else.

This was a perfectly booked fight by UFC match-maker Joe Silva. It capitalized on the return of the legend coupled with the spectacle that is Lesnar. How many different storylines and questions did we all have about this fight? From the hardcore to the casual fan there was a little bit of something for everyone.

Plus, the other two obvious contenders, Frank Mir and Antonio Nogueira, were tied up with Ultimate Fighter obligations.

So the question burns: Has Lesnar's win rejuvenated the much-disparaged heavyweight division in UFC?

It sure looks that way.

We haven't heard this much buzz about the big boys in years. Potential fights down the road include the obvious rematch with Mir (provided he gets past Nogueira in December, which is no sure thing at all or a match against said interim champ). Even matches against Shane Carwin, Cain Velasquez and Gabriel Gonzaga (who brutalized an over-matched John Hendricks Saturday night) could be intriguing.

What's next for Lesnar? Long term, if he stays on top of the division, the UFC should and probably will do everything in its power to make a dream fight of Lesnar versus Fedor Emelianenko (considered the top heavyweight fighter in the sport). For now, wait for the winner of the Mir/Nogueira fight and set up a unification bout.

What's next for Couture? Losing at the heavyweight level is not virgin territory for Couture, who, after significant losses to Josh Barnett and Ricco Rodriguez, both much bigger men, moved down to light heavyweight and re-invented himself in fights against Chuck Liddell, Vitor Belfort and Tito Ortiz. Expect the same to happen this time around and perhaps even a Couture versus Liddell 4 fight in the New Year.

MMA news and notes: UFC president Dana White said Saturday's show was a near sellout (14,272), worth $4.8 million US in gate receipts making it the fourth-highest grossing event in UFC history … Maybe the smartest thing we saw Saturday night was Kenny Florian calling out B.J. Penn to drum up interest in a lightweight title fight saying it's time "to kill the master." An even smarter thing would have been for Penn (who was at MGM Grand Garden Arena) to hit the ring and accept the challenge … White indicated this weekend that UFC is still not close to a network deal, saying that UFC will only strike a pact when the deal is right for the company. He noted that network deals have helped kill off other MMA companies in the past. A not-so-thinly-veiled shot at IFL and EliteXC.