It's been more than three years since Brock Lesnar said he was "closing the door" on his UFC career—but that door just keeps opening back up. Lesnar is returning to the UFC, the mixed martial arts organization's president, Dana White, revealed on FOX Sports Wednesday night.
Dana White dropping news that Brock Lesnar is coming back to the octagon. pic.twitter.com/FUGHO21i8O
"Yeah, Brock Lesnar is coming back," White answered with a laugh when Daniel Cormier asked if the WWE star would return to the Octagon. "I don't know when, but he is."
Lesnar has not fought in the UFC since July 2016, when he defeated Mark Hunt by unanimous decision. He took Hunt down four times.
For that fight, Lesnar received what was a UFC record purse at the time: $2.5 million. (Conor McGregor has since broken that record.) After the fight, however, Lesnar tested positive for a banned substance, an estrogen blocker. The Nevada State Athletic Commission fined him $250,000 and suspended him from competition for one year.
Lesnar "retired" for a second time in February 2017. Lesnar's return details haven't been finalized, but Ariel Helwani—perhaps the most plugged-in MMA journalist on the planet—reports that he's really coming back.
According to multiple sources, this isn’t promoter talk from White. UFC is confident Lesnar will be back after his WWE duties are wrapped up on Sunday. A deal is in place. Key now is to finalize it. https://t.co/ttaxduf15J
The 6-foot-3, 290-pound WWE star, who also had a cup of tea in the NFL, is one of the greatest athletes of this generation.
