Brock Lesnar has officially ended one of the most decorated careers in professional wrestling.
The former WWE and UFC heavyweight champion confirmed his retirement during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, bringing an end to an in-ring career that spanned more than two decades.
The announcement came just days after Lesnar wrestled what will now stand as his final match, falling to Oba Femi inside Hell in a Cell during Night 1 of SummerSlam in his home state of Minnesota.
Following the bout, Lesnar delivered an emotional passing-of-the-torch moment. After declaring himself "the past" and calling Femi "the future," he raised his opponent's hand in front of the hometown crowd, signaling his confidence in WWE's next generation of stars.
Reflecting on his career with McAfee, Lesnar looked back on the unlikely journey that took him from rural South Dakota to becoming one of the biggest attractions in combat sports.
"I was just a farm kid from South Dakota with a big dream, and a big heart, and a big ass chip on my shoulder," Lesnar said. "I'm just grateful. Grateful to be 49 years old and to have to be able to do what I did in this lifetime. I thank God and everybody that supported me."
He also shared a message for aspiring athletes, stressing that success is built through dedication rather than social media fame.
"I want to say to the little kids, I was just a farm kid with a bunch of lint in my pocket and I had big dreams and I just worked," he said. "I think a lot of people nowadays with social media and platforms, athletes leave out the hard work and if kids just stay focused on work and putting the time in, good things will happen."
Lesnar debuted on WWE's main roster in 2002 and quickly established himself as a generational talent, becoming the youngest WWE Champion in company history at the time. Over the course of his career, he captured multiple WWE and Universal Championships, headlined numerous WrestleManias, and famously ended The Undertaker's undefeated WrestleMania streak.
Outside the squared circle, Lesnar also captured the UFC heavyweight championship, making him one of the few athletes to reach the pinnacle of both professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Although he's retiring from wrestling, fans shouldn't expect him to jump into the growing world of celebrity boxing. When asked whether he'd consider a fight against Jake Paul or another crossover star, Lesnar gave a characteristically blunt answer.
"I ain't doing jack shit."
The response drew laughs and underscored that, after decades spent competing at the highest level, Lesnar appears content closing the book on his combat sports career.
With his retirement now official, Lesnar leaves behind a legacy as one of the most dominant, intimidating and accomplished performers the wrestling industry has ever seen.
Check out some reactions to Lesnar's retirement below.
