Image Courtesy of Official Brock Lesnar Twitter Page
There have been recent murmurs suggesting that former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar could be set for a return to the Octagon later this year. When asked about these rumors, UFC President Dana White stated to MMAFighting.com, “It’s definitely a possibility”.
Lesnar took the MMA world by storm in early 2008 when he made his UFC debut against a heavily-favored veteran Frank Mir. Despite losing the fight due to incompetent refereeing, Lesnar showed his wrestling pedigree and tenacity on the mat. These skills, coupled with his size, strength and athletic ability would see Lesnar capture the heavyweight belt later that same year, after finishing MMA legend Randy Couture in just his fourth professional fight.
After dominating Mir in the rematch at UFC 100, Lesnar was sidelined for a year following a bout of diverticulitis and subsequent intestinal surgery. His return fight against interim champion Shane Carwin at UFC 116 will go down as one of the best comeback fights of all time. Lesnar was dropped early in the first round and was able to withstand a barrage of bludgeoning punches before submitting his weary foe at the start of the second via arm triangle choke.
Lesnar was forced to have further surgery after losing his belt to current champion Cain Velasquez, and a second defeat in a row at the hands of talented kickboxer Alistair Overeem saw Lesnar retire from the sport and make a successful return to professional wrestling, where he continues to draw large crowds.
Two years later, it seems that a healthy Lesnar wants to give MMA another shot, and there really is no downside to the idea. The UFC’s height of popularity came during the Lesnar era, and his return would attract the attention of wider audiences once again.
He may not fight for the heavyweight championship again, but there are several interesting options available. Fights with Junior Dos Santos, Josh Barnett or Mark Hunt could easily feature as the co-main event of a PPV card, and a huge number of people would pay to see it.
David Lewis is a writer for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter @David_C_Lewis91, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
