Brock LesnarBrock Lesnar, 2000 NCAA Division I heavyweight wrestling champ for the University of Minnesota, will be back competing in mixed martial arts, UFC president Dana White said Wednesday.
"Yeah, Brock Lesnar's coming back," White said. "I don't know when but yes he is."
The 40-year-old Lesnar has not fought in the Octagon since he tested positive in both in-competition and out-of-competition drug tests surrounding his UFC 200 fight with Mark Hunt in July 2016. Lesnar won the match by unanimous decision before it was changed to a no-contest following the positive tests. Lesnar received a one-year suspension and fined $250,000 by the Nevada state Athletic Commission. He decided to announce his retirement in Feb. 2017 and then signed with the WWE.
Multiple media reports indicate that Lesnar's contract with WWE is coming to a close, with some stating the contract ends immediately after his upcoming appearance at WrestleMania 34 this Sunday.
As Sports Illustrated pointed out, Lesnar would be required to re-enter the drug testing pool for at least six months before he can set foot in the UFC Octagon again.
Brock Edward Lesnar has had a diverse career in sports and sports entertainment. He wrestled and played football at Webster High School in South Dakota (alma mater to emerging MMA star Logan Storley), then continued his on-the-mat career at Bismarck State College in North Dakota, where he won a NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) heavyweight title in 1998.
Lesnar was discovered at the Bison Open by J Robinson, then head wrestling coach at University of Minnesota, which propelled the Gopher big man into the consciousness of the national wrestling community ... and not just for his muscular physique (which caused Dan Gable to say during an Iowa Public TV broadcast, "(Lesnar) turns more heads than Cindy Crawford in a thong."). In his two years at Minnesota, Lesnar was a two-time Big Ten heavyweight champ, and a two-time NCAA All-American, as a runner-up at the 1999 NCAA championships (losing to Stephen Neal in the finals) then national champ in 2000.
After hanging up his headgear in 2000 with a 106-5 overall collegiate career, Lesnar briefly explored a football career ... then launched his first foray into the pro wrestling career, eventually becoming a WWE champ ... only to leave the ring for the Octagon, where he won a UFC title with a 5-3 overall record.
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