Following his first round decimation at UFC 141, courtesy of Alistair Overeem, Brock Lesnar subsequently pronounced his retirement from mixed martial arts and the Zuffa-based promotion.
“I’ve had a really difficult couple of years with my disease, and I’m going to officially say tonight is the last time,” Lesnar said.
“I promised my wife and my kids if I won this fight, I would get a title shot, and that would be my last fight,” Lesnar said. “But if I lost tonight … you’ve been great.”
Those were the final parting words of the man who took the UFC to the next level when he first made his foray into the Octagon back in February of 2008.
And even though he lost the matchup with Frank Mir, the next couple of years would turn out to be a resounding success, both personally and pecuniary-wise for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
With that said, the catalyst in his retirement, Overeem, was sympathetic towards Lesnar’s plight.
“I think he shouldn’t walk away. Because, love him or hate him, but it’s always something when Brock’s fighting, like Dana said. I mean, he’s a guy who goes for it. I think he achieved a lot in a short span and yeah, it would be a shame if he stops now. I think there’s still more to gain for him,” Overeem said.
Still, I doubt those words of advice will hide the embarrassment and disappointment Lesnar feels and I suspect is still feeling following his second consecutive defeat.
Add to the equation that his title aspirations went up in smoke as well, then that can only make matters worse for the former UFC heavyweight champion.
Lesnar alluded to the fact that his decision to retire was impacted by both a promise to his family and his stints with the disease diverticulitis.
It was great advice by the Dutch heavyweight to placate his fellow behemoth, however, Lesnar will not be taking any more steps towards the Octagon in the near future or any other time for that matter.
The former NCAA Division-I standout is more than financially secure, and it’s also quite obvious that he doesn’t possess the mental resolve to compete in such a harsh environment any more.
Finally, with regards to his pain threshold, Lesnar isn’t made from the same cloth akin to most MMA fighters.
And as that is the case, why venture back into a sport that’s brutal, unforgiving and could jeopardize his health even more, especially when you’ve got the whole world and everything in it?
He won’t, his decision is final, the next time we see Lesnar, it’ll be doing something that he does best—performing in his natural habit—the WWE.
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