Former heavyweight champ, current WWE wrestler Brock Lesnar returns to UFC
One of the most polarizing fighters in MMA history is going back into the Octagon for UFC 200
By
Brandon Wise
•
1 min read
The champ is back. Former UFC heavyweight champion and current WWE superstar Brock Lesnar is returning to the Octagon for a fight at UFC 200, the company announced at Saturday's UFC 199 pay-per-view.
Lesnar has finalized a deal with the company to fight at UFC 200 on July 9; however, an opponent for that bout is still to be determined.
Lesnar has not fought in UFC since losing to Alistair Overeem in 2011. After that fight, he left to rejoin the WWE where he has been on a limited-engagement contract the past four years. He has not appeared for WWE since his match at this year's Wrestle Mania 32.
This comes after Lesnar resigned with WWE last march despite having the option to return UFC. At the time, he said he had been training for a return to the Octagon but instead decided that he would retire from mixed martial arts.
"I'm officially closing the door on MMA," he said.
Lesnar was the headline fight at the UFC's last major pay-per-view event, UFC 100, when he destroyed Frank Mir to claim the heavyweight crown in 2009.
Lesnar holds a professional mixed martial arts record of 5-3, including wins over Mir, UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture and Shane Carwin. He lost his final two fights in UFC to Overeem and Cain Velasquez.
Last March, Lesnar said he had nothing to gain by returning to the Octagon and "didn't want to leave the UFC on a losing streak."
