Opinion: The Many Layers of Intrigue Behind Brock Lesnar’s UFC Return
Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.
For all the turmoil of the past few days in MMA, there have been some remarkable highs. Of course, Michael Bisping’s shocking knockout of Luke Rockhold to finally claim the middleweight title after a 10-year journey is something that should be remembered. The sight of Nate Diaz holding his arms up in The Forum when it was announced that he’ll be facing Conor McGregor at UFC 202 proved that the Stockton fighter was a needle-mover after all. But, the shocking swerve that Brock Lesnar would be returning to the Octagon for a fight against Mark Hunt after nearly five years away left everyone with mouths agape.
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The obvious question: How, exactly, did the UFC pull off this incredible coup? Even with an already stacked lineup, the most jaded fight fan still found it unforgivable that McGregor wouldn’t be fighting Diaz at UFC 200. When you look back to last December, you would have been hard-pressed to suggest that UFC 200 would be a card that would feature neither McGregor nor Ronda Rousey. Alas, here we were, and it didn’t matter how loaded the card was, people were still complaining.
With the announcement of Lesnar’s return, are you still upset?
Hopefully you’re over it, because I’m not sure what to say if you
are still complaining about this card.
Before McGregor and Rousey, Lesnar was the draw. His freakish size and strength, coupled with his dominant presence carried over from WWE programming, made him must-watch television. He certainly didn’t disappoint during his brief tenure. He’s the only man to defend the UFC heavyweight title more than once despite claiming it in only his fourth professional fight. We’ll never know just how great he would have been considering that diverticulitis stole away what could have been his best years.
All we know is that Lesnar is one of the few naturally gifted athletes who didn’t need to say anything to sell a fight. He just showed up and did freakishly athletic things, and we would watch in awe.
After wreaking havoc in the WWE for the past few years, Lesnar has decided to try his hand in MMA again. How he finagled the deal where he convinced Vince McMahon to put his body in the way of harm in July and return to WWE programming in August is something only Lesnar could pull off. Considering how much of a stranglehold both Dana White and McMahon have on their talent, it’s unlikely that any other fighter could have pulled this off. Lesnar is a different breed of individual.
If Lesnar wants to pop in for a spell, why would the UFC tell him no? As loaded as it was, with McGregor off the card, UFC 200 still lacked a crossover presence that would draw casual fans. Lesnar is a draw and it makes sense to allow him to have one fight, if that’s what he wants. If anything, he’s earned that right.
It certainly doesn’t hurt the WWE if he fights in the UFC. He already has a crazy, part-time schedule and hasn’t been seen on television since competing at “WrestleMania” back in April. When he does come back, the crowd will erupt -- that is, if he doesn’t get his block knocked off his head by Hunt at UFC 200.
Lesnar isn’t getting an exhibition fight against a tomato can. He’s taking on the “Super Samoan.” There’s an enticing recipe for disaster that hangs over this fight for Lesnar. He’s perceived as a guy who can’t take a shot, and now he’s being put in the Octagon against a guy who specializes in demolishing opponents with one punch.
That makes this a pretty intriguing fight. An individual who doesn’t watch much MMA and tunes in to see Lesnar will immediately scoff at Hunt’s 12-10-1 record. They’ll probably look at his body type, as well, and think that Lesnar will just roll over Hunt. But that couldn’t be the further from the truth. As a matter of fact, if things go wrong for him, there’s a chance that Lesnar won’t be able to participate in WWE’s “SummerSlam” this August because he may not be able to pass concussion protocol.
If Lesnar has a hint of hesitation when the cage door closes on July 9, he’s going to suffer a fate worse than his losses to Cain Velasquez and Alistair Overeem. Hunt’s penchant for the walk-off finish is something in which Lesnar doesn’t want to participate. Lesnar’s size, strength and wrestling ability should allow the former champion to plow through Hunt before the Samoan can get off one of those savage haymakers, but this fight is going to be a mental challenge for Lesnar. Can he shake off the inevitable cage rust to compete at a high level? Will he mentally be able to get past being knocked out in his last two MMA bouts?
Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.
If the UFC promotes this as more than just Lesnar returning for an exhibition, fight fans around the world will be intrigued at the many layers this fight has. However, Hunt can’t appear to just be a guy that Lesnar is going to fight. He’s earned more than that over the course of 10-plus years competing in mixed martial arts.
Who is to say this will truly be a one-off? If Lesnar wins, do you really think he’s just going to go back to the wonderful world of pro wrestling and leave the chance to again become the UFC heavyweight champion on the table? Probably not.
Andreas Hale is the editorial content director of 2DopeBoyz.com, co-host of the boxing, MMA and pro wrestling podcast “The Corner” and a regular columnist for Sherdog.com. You can follow on Twitter for his random yet educated thoughts on combat sports, music, film and popular culture.
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