Brock Lesnar‘s last appearance in the Octagon was not necessarily a memorable one—especially not for UFC president Dana White.
The UFC boss admitted during the post-fight press conference that he was shocked about Lesnar’s sudden retirement from the sport. The retirement followed his recent loss to Alistair Overeem at UFC 141.
The former WWE star was an instant ratings boost for the company and brought a few attendance records while appearing on pay-per-view cards.
However, after having some time to collect his thoughts regarding the former UFC heavyweight champion’s departure, White said Lesnar told him privately he no longer had the desire to compete.
White said during an interview on The Jim Rome Show that Brock had said it was time to retire.
Here’s what Brock said to me after his fight (with Alistair Overeem), he said, “After my surgery, I never felt so good in my life. I had the best camp I ever had, no injuries, I was in great shape, but that guy is that much better than me and it’s time for me to retire.”
White recalled Lesnar’s presence in the UFC and said he brought a lot of excitement to the heavyweight division.
White said he was reluctant to sign Lesnar due to his inexperience, but he was impressed with what the 265-pound South Dakota native accomplished during his time in the company.
In retrospect, White was nothing but complementary towards Lesnar’s career and applauded him for his efforts.
“What he was able to accomplish in the UFC is amazing,” he said. “It was fun while Brock was here.”
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