Will Brock Lesnar soon be making a return to the octagon?
According to MMAFighting.com, one of Mix Martial Arts‘ greatest draws of all time, Brock Lesnar and the UFC are ‘close’ to finalizing a deal that would pit the current WWE superstar against an unknown competition on July 9th in Las Vegas for UFC 200.
If Lesnar makes his return to MMA, it would be his first fight since his 2011 loss to Alistair Overeem at UFC 141. After his defeat, Lesnar then took on a battle with diverticulitis that at the time ended his Mix Martial Arts career.
Since then, Dana White and Lesnar mildly discussed a return which was close to happening last year however the former UFC Champion ultimately decided to stay in the WWE.
Last October, Lesnar also spoke not he ‘Stone Cold’ podcast discussing his seriousness about going back to the octagon.
“It wasn’t a bluff,” Lesnar told Austin. “I felt robbed by diverticulitis. I felt robbed by being sick. I was feeling good and it took me a couple years to start feeling good. I’m at home, I’m working out, my life is great, everything’s in tune, my contract’s coming to an end with WWE, hey it’s been a great time but something’s missing.
“I was up front and totally honest with the company and told them I’m really thinking of pursuing getting back in the Octagon.”
As it stands now, Lesnar has a 5-3 record in UFC which includes a Heavyweight Championship victory over Randy Couture back in November of 2008.
Lesnar’s rematch win over Frank Mir for UFC 100 back in July of 2009 remains the largest MMA draw of all-time. You’d have to assume his return could very well surpass those numbers in July.
Either way in many aspects it could be shopping up to be a very big year for the UFC. In addition to the possible return of Lesnar, former Women’s Champion Rhonda Rousey will be making her own return against Miesha Tate for the title later on in the year. Additionally Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor are close to finalizing a deal for a rematch at UFC 202 in August.