At one point not too long ago, the card for UFC 200 appeared to be crumbling around Dana White. Ronda Rousey lost her title to Holly Holm at UFC 193 back in November, and after undergoing knee surgery recently, her return might not happen until this winter, at the best. Then, White and his team engaged in a game of PR chicken with featherweight champion Conor McGregor, with White’s “win” leading to the brash Irish superstar’s removal from the card altogether.

So, what is one of the great promoters of our time to do? Enter the superstar of UFC 100 and a man who just a year ago had announced his permanent retirement from MMA competition—Brock Lesnar.

Rumors had been circulating about a possible return for the former NCAA and WWE champion, but all the way up to tonight’s UFC 199 event kicking off, White himself minimized those rumors. “Listen, Lesnar had a great run here,” White told ESPN. “He retired, I think, at the right time. He had a good run, now he’s with WWE. When he signed that deal with WWE, I thought it was the right thing to do.”

It turns out that White and WWE chairman Vince McMahon really do have plenty in common, at least when it comes to the spectacle and promotion of their respective companies. UFC aired a video package for July’s landmark event, featuring all six of the announced headliners: Jose Aldo, Frankie Edgar, Amanda Nunes, Miesha Tate, Daniel Cormier and Jon “Bones” Jones.

Then came the twist we had all been waiting for: Lesnar’s first appearance in the Octagon since 2011, confirming his return.

OH. MY. GOD. 😳 #UFC200https://t.co/ffhsOYIRvz

— #UFC199 (@ufc) June 5, 2016

UFC 100 was the greatest night in the company’s history, and it was mainly due to the ridiculous level of star power the promotion enjoyed at the time. Not only was a young, up-and-coming Jones on the undercard, but the top three matches were all must-see bouts. Dan Henderson defeated Michael Bisping by a devastating knockout, Georges St-Pierre put on a clinic against Thiago Alves, and Lesnar defeated Frank Mir, defending his championship and avenging his loss to Mir from his debut at UFC 81.

There’s a reason why UFC 100 is still the highest-selling show in the promotion’s history, doing 1.6 million PPV buys. The only fights that have come even close in recent history have been McGregor’s bouts against Aldo and Nate Diaz. When you consider that McGregor’s knack for promotion really only rivals that of White and McMahon, the whole situation begins to make a lot more sense.

Lesnar’s opponent for the card hasn’t been announced yet, but realistically, it doesn’t much matter. There’s speculation that White may be working to secure Fedor Emelianenko for the event, but negotiations between the two fell apart four years ago, and Fedor hasn’t had a truly relevant fight since suffering three consecutive losses in Strikeforce between 2010 and 2011.

Former Lesnar foes Cain Velasquez and Alistair Overeem each have scheduled bouts—Velasquez at 200 and Overeem, taking on Stipe Miocic for the championship, at 203. Mir may be suspended (or retiring) following a positive drug test. Still, regardless of the opponent, Lesnar is a supreme draw that people will pay to see, win or lose. He’s not just a star, he’s a star maker.

WWE has already announced that this return to the Octagon is a “one-off” appearance while Lesnar remains under contract with the wrestling organization, but with his crossover appeal, this is essentially a license to print money for all involved.