14 Apr Brock Lesnar: Feel The Pain

Brock Lesnar hasn’t won an MMA fight since 2010, yet Dana White recently said he could face the winner of Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier for the UFC heavyweight title if Lesnar makes a return to MMA.

Lesnar beat Shane Carwin in 2010, after that he lost to Cain Velasquez later the same year and a year lost to Alistair Overeem, both fights he was stopped inside a round. The loss to Overeem promoted him to retire post fight, before a surprise return at UFC 200 in July 2016. Lesnar won the fight on points against Mark Hunt, but the result was changed to a No Contest as a result of Lesnar failing a drugs test.

The declining PPV market is well known and a big issue for the UFC, and Lesnar in his first run with the company was a major draw, but even though he will surely bring over some of his WWE fans and limited mainstream interest with him, its doubtful he will be the attraction he was first time around. As I have said before, if and when Lesnar does return, it won’t be a long run, so I don’t see the point in giving Lesnar a title shot, a one off fight is much the likelier option.

Lesnar 40, recently signed a new short-term deal with the WWE, how short term is uncertain, but according to sources, it has the option of another UFC fight. Lesnar hasn’t yet entered the USADA testing pool and would need to be in it for 6 months before he can compete again.

A sport is nothing without credibility and giving Lesnar a title shot without a win in 8 years and also coming off a drugs ban, surely makes the UFCs ranking system utterly pointless.

The clock is ticking for Lesnar, and while a UFC return can’t be ruled out, but any talk of a title shot should be.

Mark Baldwin