The mixed martial arts (MMA) world was stunned when the UFC announced last weekend (June 4, 2016) that former heavyweight champion and current WWE wrestler Brock Lesnar would be making his return to the Octagon at July 9’s UFC 200 from The T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The masses were even more surprised when
The mixed martial arts (MMA) world was stunned when the UFC announced last weekend (June 4, 2016) that former heavyweight champion and current WWE wrestler Brock Lesnar would be making his return to the Octagon at July 9’s UFC 200 from The T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The masses were even more surprised when Lesnar himself announced that he would be taking on No. 8-ranked slugger Mark Hunt in the co-main event of the blockbuster pay-per-view (PPV).
After nearly five years away from the sport, many had expected Lesnar to be booked against a lower-ranked opponent. Instead, however, he was thrown to the wolves, and will be facing off with perhaps the division’s most feared puncher. “The Super Samoan” possesses a decorated kickboxing background, and still has some gas left in the tank at age 42 as he’s compiled a winning streak that features back-to-back brutal knockouts.
With that being said, it’s understandable why many are picking Hunt to put Lesnar away at UFC 200. However, it’s also interesting to flip the script and look at the fight from another angle for a moment.
Let’s take a look at five reasons why Brock Lesnar just might destroy Mark Hunt next month.
Probably not a good idea to annoy Mark Hunt… UFC and Pride FC heavyweight legend Mark Hunt was finally confirmed for a slot on UFC 200 this week, in a fight that is highly anticipated. After former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar featured in a promo video for the milestone pay-per-view during UFC 199, speculation raged
UFC and Pride FC heavyweight legend Mark Hunt was finally confirmed for a slot on UFC 200 this week, in a fight that is highly anticipated. After former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar featured in a promo video for the milestone pay-per-view during UFC 199, speculation raged as to who would be his return opponent. It wasn’t long before we found out though, and ‘The Super Samoan’ being such a fan pleaser makes this quite an amazing fight.
Lesnar had reigned as UFC champ with two title defenses between 2008-2010, but diverticulitis and a couple of nasty losses eventually marked the end of his career. Lesnar stepped away from fighting with a 5-3 record, but never fully closed the door on a return to the UFC until a couple years later.
Brock Lesnar continued talking trash to Frank Mir, who had submitted Lesnar in the wrestler’s UFC debut, after destroying him in the rematch at UFC 100…
Lesnar’s role in the UFC 100 super card helped shatter the all time pay-per-view buy record for the promotion. His return to the UFC octagon, although just a ‘one off’ opportunity according to the WWE’s recent statement, is exactly what the UFC 200 card needed. That said, he is facing a stone cold killer in Mark Hunt who essentially is the worst match up possible. We all know Brock doesn’t like getting hit, and that’s precisely what the one punch KO artist Hunt will aim to do.
Her was Lesnar’s statement on his UFC return, note how he makes a statement regarding getting the finish against Hunt on the ground:
Dec. 30, 2011; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UFC fighter Brock Lesnar during a heavyweight bout at UFC 141 at the MGM Grand Garden event center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
“I couldn’t live with my decision. It was a hard decision for me to make. That decision has haunted me for the last 15 months, and I couldn’t live with it for the rest of my life. I didn’t want to regret it 20 years from now. I was on UFC 100, so why not be on UFC 200, the biggest stage of all. This was me sitting and having a coffee and thinking about whether it was the right decision. I told nobody, this thing haunted me for a long time.”
“I’m fighting Mark Hunt, he’s a real tough guy, a hard striker. I’m a wrestler, that’s what the UFC does, they put styles against styles to see who’s best. I can tell you if Mark Hunt goes to ground with me, it’s over, I’ll finish.“
UFC 200 took a turn for the better this weekend, as the promotion used their airtime to announce a huge twist in the plot. Although MMA journalist Ariel Helwani leaked the information before the UFC had intended, the moment we heard the words ‘do you see me now?’ along with Brock Lesnar in the UFC
UFC 200 took a turn for the better this weekend, as the promotion used their airtime to announce a huge twist in the plot. Although MMA journalist Ariel Helwani leaked the information before the UFC had intended, the moment we heard the words ‘do you see me now?’ along with Brock Lesnar in the UFC 200 promo video, we were on the edge of our seats. The former heavyweight champion is returning for a one off fight, with an opponent yet to be confirmed.
The pro wrestling superstar pretty much cut all ties with the fighting world in 2011, stating he’d never enter the octagon again after the severe beatings he’d been handed. While battling diverticulitis, Lesnar was off for over a year following his TKO loss to Cain Velasquez at UFC 121. He was squashed by Alistair Overeem in his final fight, as the merciless Dutch kickboxer targeted the gut in a harrowing display.
It seemed the Brock Lesnar experiment was over, but if there’s one thing we know from combat sports history it’s that nothing is ever over, especially not where money is concerned. It’s a given that fighting a huge draw like Lesnar, Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor etc. will line an otherwise less attractive fighter’s pockets to no end. If you can’t beat them, join them, meaning if you can’t get a fight against the big draws then try scoring a slot on the same card.
For the blockbuster cast of UFC 200, Lesnar’s addition means dollar signs all round. Headlined by Daniel Cormier vs. Jon Jones, UFC 200 is undoubtedly a stacked card throughout, but many felt it was missing the wow factor that Lesnar has now created.
Speaking of Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones, they’ve both chimed in on the Lesnar saga that erupted at UFC 199, including Ariel Helwani being booted and indefinitely banned from UFC events.
If there’s one thing nobody expected to hear at UFC 199, it’s that former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar would be returning to mixed martial arts. News leaked during the broadcast of the pay-per-view event in California, as the WWE superstar appeared during a promo video for UFC 200 later in the evening. Needless to say,
If there’s one thing nobody expected to hear at UFC 199, it’s that former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar would be returning to mixed martial arts. News leaked during the broadcast of the pay-per-view event in California, as the WWE superstar appeared during a promo video for UFC 200 later in the evening. Needless to say, it was a crazy night without this blockbuster announcement, to which Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg had an amusing reaction. The former UFC heavyweight champion retired from MMA in 2011 after a duo of devastating losses to Cain Velasquez and Alistair Overeem. He was part of the stellar record breaking UFC 100 line up, demolishing Frank Mir in their rematch in the main event. His ill health didn’t help in the final few fights of his career, but last night changed all that.
Word is at Lesnar has been granted a ‘one off’ opportunity to fight at UFC 200 on July 9, with an opponent yet to be announced. Of course for a giant draw such as Lesnar, with a history in the sport, there’s no shortage of fighters calling for the big man’s return date.
The rivalry with Frank Mir is likely to remain at 1-1, as the fellow former champ is currently on a USADA ban for his ‘kangaroo meat’ test failure in Australia. So who is gagging for a piece of the returning Lesnar at UFC 200?
![ufc-200-official-2[1]](http://cdn.lowkickmma.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/ufc-200-official-21.jpg)
