Could Brock Lesnar be UFC bound again?

[Navi]

It's being widely reported that Brock Lesnar has entered the USDA drug testing pool. This is leading to reports from sources within MMA that Lesnar is expecting to return to UFC for another fight.

The rumour mill is also saying that Lesnar has made it clear he will not re-sign with the WWE, his contract ends just after Wrestlemania 34. Now this brings up speculation that Lesnar will drop the Universal title to either Joe or Reigns at Summerslam. That will free him up to start training for the Octagon when his suspension is over, apparently sometime this December. We all remember that he failed at least two drug tests and was not only suspended for a year, but had the result of his last fight overturned. Lesnar was also fined, but it was a drop in the bucket considering how much he made off that fight with Mark Hunt.

In a way I'm glad if this is true. Lesnar while he was a huge draw, doesn't hold the same star power he once did. Maybe because we're all so used to seeing him now, or could it be the fact that Goldberg managed to squash him on more than one occasion. Since he won the title off Goldberg at the last Mania, he's hardly been seen and only had one title defense.

I for one welcome the title back on TV each week and whether it's Joe or Reigns who wins it, it will be around and give the main event guys something to fight for.

Never really thought Lesnar's heart was with the WWE to begin with. He's out to make as much money as he can with as little effort as possible put into it. The WWE has made him a very rich man, not that he wasn't before.

I like Lesnar but I'm sorry he has done more damage to the sport of wrestling than he has benefited it.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Not sure how anyone can say Lesnar hurt wrestling. That makes absolutely zero sense. This sounds like internet nonsense.

Brock isn't going to wrestle forever. I could easily see WM34 being his last and never seeing him again on WWE programming. It sucks because Brock is definitely a draw and (general) fans buy into the guy and the prize fight aspect.

 

[Da Prophet]

Lesnar will get near a million buys for his UFC fights as he usually does. He's still a massive draw and the biggest WWE has at this point.

UFC was purchased for $4 billion. They need to make money and lots of it which is why these super fights are being pushed. Lesnar will get huge money for a return since the return on investment for the new owners with Lesnar will be a positive. He is worth every dollar they put into him and they need Lesnar.

 

[sikkbones]

Why can't he do both?

I thought his last wwe contract allowed for that?

Or is he thinking a full time ufc return?

 

[L@RISANO]

This could also just be a negotiating tactic by Lesnar to get more money on a new contract. At the end of the day, Brock does what's best for Brock.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

The UFC denies it's happening, but that in and of itself doesn't necessarily mean anything.

Whether he returns to MMA or not, his legacy is already tarnished due to the drug tests he failed. Even though Lesnar initially won the fight by unanimous decision, it's obvious that Lesnar's well past his prime since he couldn't put Hunt away by KO or submission. At the time of their fight, Hunt was a 42 year old nobody with a lousy 12-10-1 MMA win-loss record. So the odds of Lesnar going back up against a marquee opponent are pretty slim. Still, if he does go back, it'll be a significant draw because of the controversy surrounding Lesnar and as there are no shortage of purist MMA fans who want to see him get beaten up who'll pay to see it.

According to reports, Lesnar's current deal with WWE will automatically renew just shortly after WrestleMania next year unless either Lesnar or WWE informs the other that they're no longer interested in doing business together. If all of this is a tactic to bleed WWE for more money, I don't think it'll work; if reports are accurate, then Lesnar makes somewhere in the neighborhood of $12 million in WWE and I don't see WWE being willing to pony up more than that and, in my opinion, it'd be ridiculous for Lesnar to expect them to.

 

[The Perfect Max]

I still believe that Brock Lesnar is good for wrestling and good for WWE. No, I don't think what they are doing right now with the Universal Championship is a good thing, but that isn't his fault. That's bookings fault. I honestly don't think he cares about being champion again. He's tasted glory in a sport that does not have a scripted nature to it, so I would like to think that he has that perspective. But regardless of all of that, Lesnar and Paul Heyman were a welcome breath of fresh air back in 2012 upon their return, and to even now, I still enjoy their appearances. I don't think the angle with Goldberg hurt Lesnar, nor do I think it matters whether or not 'his heart is in it' because Lesnar has done some pretty cool stuff since his return whether he really wanted to or not. So I'll take it for what this five year run has been, which for the most part, has been enjoyable.

If he leaves and goes back to UFC, even if for now they are denying that, then okay. What more does Lesnar have to prove in WWE? He arguably had nothing to prove when he returned in 2012, but at this point he has cemented his legendary status in professional wrestling/sports entertainment. He didn't re-sign with WWE until the last week of his previous contract and could do the same again. Perhaps it will include an option to do the UFC fight thing again too. I don't think we will find out until Lesnar is just gone, because that seems to be Lesnar's way of doing business. But he will do what is best for him And that will factor in money and health. Quite honestly, I'm perhaps more interested in what happens with Paul Heyman, because he may go down as one of the best talkers ever already, but he has so much to give to WWE still.

 

[#tamale]

UFC says the story is false:

However, UFC Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance Jeff Novitzky, who oversees the program, told MMAjunkie there is “zero truth” to those reports.

“(Lesnar) is not currently enrolled in the USADA testing pool, nor has there been any inquiry on his part to do so,” Novitzky said.

http://mmajunkie.com/2017/07/brock-lesnar-ufc-return-rumors-usada-testing-pool-jeff-novitzky/amp

I really don't think Lesnar is interested in joining UFC again. Maybe in one more match while be signed with WWE, but it looks like this was just another twitter rumor that spiraled out of control. I do hope Lesnar stays. He adds a lot to the WWE product.

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

I don't think Lesnar is stepping back in the UFC at age 40. WWE is easy money for him. UFC isn't. Wasn't that the reason Lesnar stayed with the WWE back in 2015 in the first place?

With that being said, I don't really know if he's going to resign with the WWE as well. I think he wants a break from that stuff. I could see him fight for the UFC once per year, but not occasionaly and not for titles. Which means he would become a special attraction there. Time has proven Lesnar can be a special attraction for both the WWE and the UFC at the same time.

At the end of the day, what matters to Lesnar is who comes up with the better offer. So we can't really know right now. But if he does go back to UFC, Hunt will want his head on a silver plate.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Why would he carry on with his wrestling career when he can resume his MMA one? It's not like WWE won't have him back when he losses a few fights and he knows it's time to quit for good.

 

[BigDaddyKewl]

WWE most likely try to resign him on his current deal. I haven't been a fan of some of his booking these past few years. His match quality has gone way down since the suplex city gimmick started, I also dislike him leaving for months on end with the World title. However he does do his job being a special attraction for the bigger shows like Rumble, Summerslam and Mania.

If he does go back to MMA I don't see it being more then a one off fight given his age and condition. I'd think WWE would try to keep a working relationship with Lesnar so they can still sell his merchandise and promote his network content and eventually get inducted in the Hall of Fame.

 

[LBGetBack]

Brock's whole thing has gotten incredibly boring. At first I liked the suplex city stuff because it was unpredictable. Now it's gotten predictable, so it's boring. I'd love to see a competitive match where he actually performs a good amount of different offensive moves. If we're going to keep getting the same things, then I won't really miss him if he leaves.

 

[stingray11214]

And, if he leaves, who says that Brock signs with UFC? Sure, he might be a draw for them. But, his positive test result might make the new owners a bit skittish. So, you have other promoters outside the scope of the USADA. What is stopping Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Prince of Bahrain and founder of BRAVE Combat Federation, from offering Lesnar a Sultan's ransom, with his own oil well, to join BRAVE? Bellator might give you a "Dream Match" between Lashley and Lesnar. World Series of Fighting and Singapore's ONE could also gain instant credibility by signing Lesnar.

But, I think most WWE fans are over Lesnar. After Goldberg squashed him, he really has no reason for being in this incarnation.

 

[thebarber]

Lesnar will fight at UFC in Madison Square Garden, he has the stench of the drug cheat from his win over Mark Hunt. His WWE contract allows for him to take matches in UFC, it will happen. Who the opponent is will be interesting. His window for many more fights in limited as he is 40 now, but he can still wrestle for years with the style and small amount of dates he manages to get on his contract. He could get destroyed in his UFC fight, but return at Royal Rumble and bee booked to destroy everybody in his path to build him back up

 

[m0t1ve]

Bellator might give you a "Dream Match" between Lashley and Lesnar.

Would love to see Bellator sign him and give him a fight against Fedor, they have that Viacom $ to pay him a nice payday to make it happen even if it's just for 1 fight no strings attached.

 

[Aeon Mathix]

I never understood the hate that Brock Lesnar gets on these forums. People complain about his suplexing? Well that shit pops the crowd every single time even 2 years later after he debuted it. His showing up once every few months makes it seem special to see him compete. Personally I am much more interested in WWE when Brock shows up compared to some of the garbage that is on the programming these days.

I've said this in another thread a while back but who cares if he is only in this for money or gives a shit about WWE? He said on Stone Cold's podcast he goes to work, clocks in, does his job, clocks out and goes home. Any person would have taken the amount of money he's getting for the amount of work he has to do and you are a damn liar if you say you wouldn't.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

From what i've could gather from listening to John Pollock during last week episode of THE LAW. Lesnar might even be eligible to go back to the UFC until late next year. First of all Brock is still under WWE contract until wrestlemania and Vince won't make the same mistake twice of letting Lesnar go fight since the last time, he got burn with a lot of bad publicity because of Lesnar drug suspension. Which leads me to the other point is that Lesnar still has 4 or 5 months to serve in his suspension, so this again from what i understand would prohibit him from going back into the USADA testing pool until his current suspension is serve.

Then, you got the Fact that Lesnar is almost 40 years old now which isn't a great age if you're a UFC fighter. The way is last fight went, i doubt Lesnar would take the risk of injuring himself if he's stuck going in the octogone without taking anything.

UFC really need something big happening for them and with Connor doing his boxing stuff and Rhonda who's pretty much retired at this point, they don't have a lot of big time fighters that can help them bring in money. Lesnar would be one if he decide to go back but if that happens it won't be until late 2018 because of pretty much everything from finishing up is supension to going into the testing pool and starting a camp, plus finishing up with WWE in april. So do you think UFC will still be interested in Lesnar a year and a half from now? Maybe, but will he still bring in fans, that's another question.

 

[Bernkastel]

I would love to see Lesnar do both. Lesnar is a god send for the WWE right now. Not only is he arguably their biggest box office draw, but he's brought legitimacy back to a otherwise cartoonish looking era of wrestling. You only have to take one look at the guy to assume that he is a fighting machine, but his credentials help. Even if people know that wrestling is fake, they'll know that Lesnar is the real deal as far as being a legit fighter. So his matches that have that "big fight" feel to them like the one he had with Joe seem all that more important. Lesnar fighting in the UFC might even prompt more MMA fighters to sign deals with the WWE. Imagine Ronda Rousey as WWE women's champion, or Conor McGregor as cruiserweight champion. Who knows, if the Jones/Lesnar fight happens then maybe we might see a return match in the WWE. That's wishful thinking of course, but it might be plausible if WWE and UFC feel like they can make some major money working together.