No Longer Being Held Back By Diverticulitis, Lesnar’s MMA Future Remains Undecided
Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar is set to make his highly-anticipated Octagon return, when he goes toe-to-toe with ‘The Super Samoan’ Mark Hunt in the co-main event of UFC 200 next Saturday (July 9, 2016).
Lesnar is currently under contract with the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and has been granted a ‘one off’ appearance to perform at the blockbuster mixed martial arts (MMA) event before returning to his duties at WWE.
Ahead of his bout with Hunt, Lesnar claims that his return to the Octagon is ‘all about having fun’, and in a recent interview with FOX Sports, ‘The Beast’ was asked about the possibility of fighting again after UFC 200:
“I don’t know. I feel really good,” Lesnar told FOX Sports last week about his future with the UFC. “Training camp is going great. I’m happy. I’m happy with my life.
I’m happy with everything. Yes, since I left the Octagon after I got beat by (Alistair) Overeem and kind of forced out of the cage because of my illness, it haunted me for a long time.
Here I am and before it’s too late, I want to get back in the cage and have some fun with it. This is all about having fun.
I’m not looking past this fight. I’m just taking one day at a time. One training session at a time. Looking forward to July 9. I’m grateful that Mark Hunt took the fight, it was short notice for me and him so we’ll see what happens on the 9th.””
Lesnar’s return was originally set to be at a later date, perhaps at the promotion’s first Madison Square Garden event in New York City, but when the opportunity to co-headline UFC 200 presented itself, Lesnar couldn’t refuse:
“Not very long. I wasn’t sure if it was even going to happen so I don’t remember the date, but I’ve been training four or five weeks,” Lesnar said. “Before my call to Dana (White), I wasn’t even sure this thing was going to happen at UFC 200.
“We had talked and thought maybe we could put something together by November for New York.
But hell, I’ll fight whenever the money’s right and we took it to the eleventh hour and that’s where we’re at. So it is what it is.”
While the former NCAA Division I heavyweight wrestling champion recognizes ‘The Super Samoan’s’ superior striking ability, he knows his path to victory lies with his powerful wrestling attack:
“He’s a heavy hitter. I’m preparing to not take one of those shots. To answer that and to win this fight.
Is he better than I am at stand up? Of course he is. Is he a better wrestler than me? Hell no,” Lesnar said.
“He’ll probably tell you that, too. That’s why we’re fighting. We’re going to see who the best man is with their disciplines on the night.”
It’s been nearly five years since Lesnar has competed inside the Octagon, and while no longer being held back by diverticulitis, he can finally compete to the best of his ability:
“I believe I was meant to be a fighter, an entertainer and absolutely it’s one of those things for me, I want to get back in,” Lesnar said.
“It’s no mystery that I was forced out of this competition because of an illness I had. I tried to be the competitor I wanted to be, but it’s kind of hard to do when you have a disease and you fight back from it.
I’m in a whole different spot mentally and physically in my life right now. Before I became a 40 year old man, I want to get back in the cage.”
Lesnar and Hunt will collide in the co-main event of UFC 200 live on pay-per-view (PPV), from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 9, 2016.
