Several rumors circulating about Brock Lesnar returning to the octagon will have to wait – at least for now. Several sources, including Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.com, recently reported that Lesnar had re-entered the USADA drug testing pool, a requirement for coming out of retirement to potentially compete in the UFC. However, that just isn’t the […]
Several rumors circulating about Brock Lesnar returning to the octagon will have to wait – at least for now.
Several sources, including Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.com, recently reported that Lesnar had re-entered the USADA drug testing pool, a requirement for coming out of retirement to potentially compete in the UFC.
However, that just isn’t the case according to UFC vice president of athlete health and wellness Jeff Novitzky, who confirmed to MMA Fighting that Lesnar had not re-entered the pool for any supposed comeback, which was rumored to be at November 4’s pay-per-view spectacular from Madison Square Garden. If he did choose to do so and come out of retirement, then Lesnar will have a full slate of requirements to bypass before he could potentially fight.
First and most impactful is his one-year anti-doping suspension after he tested positive for a banned substance in both out and in-competition samples before and after his smothering win over Mark Hunt at last year’s UFC 200, a somewhat uninspired return that actually lead to “The Super Samoan” leveling a racketeering (among other nefarious charges) lawsuit at the UFC, Lesnar, and Dana White. Lesnar’s suspension is ‘frozen,’ and so he would still have more than six months to serve even if he did choose to un-retire, meaning he could not compete until next year at the earliest.
Novitzky spelled it out in his response to MMA Fighting:
“If he ever re-entered the program, he’d have to serve [the duration of the suspension] before he’d be able to compete.”
Photo by Joshua Dahl for USA TODAY Sports
A comeback seems like a far-off possibility for Lesnar as of right now; then again, no one thought he would ever return to the octagon last year after almost five years way from MMA as he won titles in pro-wrestling. But there are just too many significant roadblocks that stand in the way of his return to come close to anything final, and with it being confirmed he has not actually re-entered the pool and still has a significant amount of time left on his suspension, these rumors can now be considered to be only that – rumors.
The UFC is in a tough spot because they got blasted with a ton of criticism for allowing Lesnar to only be tested for one month prior to his UFC 200 return via an exemption from the then-required four months for a returning athlete, so it could be unlikely that, under new ownership WME-IMG, they choose to become involved in any avoidable controversy. Lesnar would have been a big name to add to the marquee of what is sure to be one of the biggest UFC events of a year that needs a couple of those quite desperately.
Georges St-Pierre has been rumored to be making his oft-discussed return to the octagon at that card, and Conor McGregor has also been linked to a NY return after he boxes Floyd Mayweather on August 26.
As of right now, those names will just have to be enough, because Lesnar will be out until 2018.
The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has followed the lead of the Nevada State Athletic Commission regarding former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar’s multiple failed drug tests surrounding his UFC 200 (July 9, 2016) bout against Mark Hunt. Like the commission, USADA has handed Lesnar a one year suspension according to a report from MMAFighting.com.
The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has followed the lead of the Nevada State Athletic Commission regarding former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar’s multiple failed drug tests surrounding his UFC 200 (July 9, 2016) bout against Mark Hunt. Like the commission, USADA has handed Lesnar a one year suspension according to a report from MMAFighting.com.
While it’s unclear whether or not he’ll ever fight again, Lesnar will be able to compete again on July 15, 2017, as the suspension is retroactive to when his provisional suspension begun. The ex-champion failed two drug tests with one being an out-of-competition test and one being an in-competition test.
In addition to his punishment from USADA and his suspension from the commission, Lesnar was also fined $250,000 by the NSAC.
Despite his failed test, Lesnar did in fact compete at UFC 200, as he scored a dominant decision victory over Hunt, although it has since been changed to a no-contest. Both the UFC and Lesnar have come under extreme criticism, as Lesnar was given an exemption from entering the USADA testing pool four months prior to his return.
Hunt has also unleashed on the UFC and Lesnar and he’s threatened the UFC with a lawsuit.
Do you feel as if the punishment fits the crime for the former heavyweight kingpin?
The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has followed the lead of the Nevada State Athletic Commission regarding former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar’s multiple failed drug tests surrounding his UFC 200 (July 9, 2016) bout against Mark Hunt. Like the commission, USADA has handed Lesnar a one year suspension according to a report from MMAFighting.com.
The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has followed the lead of the Nevada State Athletic Commission regarding former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar’s multiple failed drug tests surrounding his UFC 200 (July 9, 2016) bout against Mark Hunt. Like the commission, USADA has handed Lesnar a one year suspension according to a report from MMAFighting.com.
While it’s unclear whether or not he’ll ever fight again, Lesnar will be able to compete again on July 15, 2017, as the suspension is retroactive to when his provisional suspension begun. The ex-champion failed two drug tests with one being an out-of-competition test and one being an in-competition test.
In addition to his punishment from USADA and his suspension from the commission, Lesnar was also fined $250,000 by the NSAC.
Despite his failed test, Lesnar did in fact compete at UFC 200, as he scored a dominant decision victory over Hunt, although it has since been changed to a no-contest. Both the UFC and Lesnar have come under extreme criticism, as Lesnar was given an exemption from entering the USADA testing pool four months prior to his return.
Hunt has also unleashed on the UFC and Lesnar and he’s threatened the UFC with a lawsuit.
Do you feel as if the punishment fits the crime for the former heavyweight kingpin?
Yesterday (Dec. 15, 2016), the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) handed former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar a one year suspension and a $250,000 fine for failing multiple drug tests surrounding his UFC 200 (July 9, 2016) bout with Mark Hunt. Lesnar won the bout via decision, although it has sense been changed to a
Yesterday (Dec. 15, 2016), the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) handed former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar a one year suspension and a $250,000 fine for failing multiple drug tests surrounding his UFC 200 (July 9, 2016) bout with Mark Hunt. Lesnar won the bout via decision, although it has sense been changed to a no contest.
In the months since the event, Hunt has made his feelings well known, constantly blasting Lesnar as well as the UFC. Recently speaking with MMAFighting, “The Super Samoan” reacted to Lesnar’s punishment:
“It’s not harsh enough considering he gets the same [punishment] as Jon Jones and Jones didn’t fight,” Hunt said. “Would that penalty have sufficed if I had died or been maimed?”
Jones also failed a drug test prior to UFC 200, although he was pulled from his scheduled main event bout just days before the event.
Hunt has hired a lawyer in recent months in hopes of getting a clause in his contract that protects him from this type of scenario happening to him again. “The Super Samoan” says he’s waiting for the UFC to respond and he admits that he’s willing to take part in a lawsuit:
“I am still waiting on UFC,” he said. “Will they allow my clause or [will] we get into a lawsuit so the whole world can watch?”
Fan favorite knockout artist Mark Hunt found himself embroiled in controversy this summer when he understandably spoke out against the UFC’s decision to grant former champ Brock Lesnar a USADA exemption allowing him to face “The Super Samoan” at July’s UFC 200. At the UFC’s supposedly historic event, the hulking Lesnar used his vaunted wrestling to ground
Fan favorite knockout artist Mark Hunt found himself embroiled in controversy this summer when he understandably spoke out against the UFC’s decision to grant former champ Brock Lesnar a USADA exemption allowing him to face “The Super Samoan” at July’s UFC 200.
At the UFC’s supposedly historic event, the hulking Lesnar used his vaunted wrestling to ground and control Hunt on the canvas, softening him up with a smattering of shots that ultimately would not force the Samoan veteran to subdue.
It was after the fight had taken place it was revealed that Lesnar had failed pre and post-fight drug tests for banned performance-enhancing substances clomiphene and hydroxy-clomiphene, a situation his provisional suspension from the NSAC and potential pending sanctions from USADA could not make up for given the fight had already taken place.
The topic had since disappeared amidst a long list of booming MMA discussion points involving UFC 205, but just because talk has died down about, that doesn’t mean the iron-chinned Hunt is going to give up his journey. Hunt recently spoke to FOX Sports’ Damon Martin about his desire to continue his quest after retaining top lawyer Christina Denning of Higgs, Fletcher, and Mack to help him win justice:
“I’m going all the way. You think this is about money? I’ve turned down two fights already. This is about what’s right. I wanted to put a provision in for the JDS (Junior dos Santos) fight, but they wouldn’t do it. These cheaters need to be punished. I would think that the commission would stand right by me. I don’t understand why they don’t do something about it.
“The contract I sign says no doping but how about enforcing these contracts with harsher penalties. I love fighting, this is my life and I love doing it but it’s really important to do this.”
Mandatory Credit: Joshua Dahl for USA TODAY Sports Images
Hunt then went into solid detail about how the promotion can atone for how he feels they wronged him – both in future bouts and for his brutally one-sided loss to a Lesnar who allegedly had banned substances in his system on fight night:
“A change in all future bout agreements, such that if a competitor’s caught doping then the proceeds from the fight, whether that’s just the purse or if there’s a win bonus or there’s pay-per-view proceeds, whatever compensation the cheating fighter receives, he wants a provision in all future bout agreements for him and he’d like to see it across the board that the compensation be forfeited to the non-cheating party. So that’s the first thing,” Denning explained when speaking to FOX Sports about what Hunt wants to accomplish.
“The second thing would be some sort of compensation with what happened at UFC 200. I can tell you with respect to the whole where he’s coming from and the rationale and purpose behind why he wants to see both those things happening is because right now, the UFC has an anti-doping policy that isn’t being enforced to its maximum potential in order to deter people from getting into the ring. In fact, what’s happening is fighters appear to be taking advantage of the system and doping and either knowing or risking or banking on the fact that they’re not going to get the maximum penalty imposed by the UFC. “
“The Super Samoan offered a stern belief about how he thinks the result at UFC 200 truly should be recorded. In his eyes, a win is not a win if you are endangering your opponent in an already perilous sport while being aided by banned substances:
“In my eyes he didn’t win nothing,” Hunt said about Lesnar. “Anyone who sticks needles in their ass didn’t win nothing. I’ve got a clear conscious when I wake up and look in the mirror everyday. I’m not cheating and pretending to be something I’m not. He’s a fake ass person and a fake ass cheater and that’s all he’ll ever be. Just like Lance Armstrong and the rest of these clowns.
“These guys who are cheating, get them out of the sport. This sport is different, it’s a business of hurting people. I lose an eye or I perish in the Octagon, which could happen, and if he’s doping, the penalty should be a lot harsher.”
Mandatory Credit: Joshua Dahl for USA TODAY Sports Images
Hunt’s counsel Denning put things in perspective with a brief yet succinct explanation of her client’s precarious position, focusing on a lack of compensation for fighters who are found to have faced and lost to opposition who juiced:
“He really wants to get out there and fight. I normally wouldn’t threaten a lawsuit, I would just file it but he really wants to fight. So if he’s forced to file a lawsuit, which he is ready to go but he wants to fight. So he’s in this uncomfortable spot where he’s under contract with the UFC, he’s being offered fights by the UFC, he wants to make a living to support his family in these fights and he files a lawsuit at his age, how long is that going to take? A couple of years? Some of his best years left of fighting.
“We’re being so open about it and talking about it because we’re hoping the UFC will consider putting these types of terms into bout agreements for the competitors. What we’re asking the UFC to do is not unprecedented.
“The guy who gets in the ring with the juicer is the one who should get the compensation and they really should get the win if it’s found that their opponent was doping.
“It’s doing nothing for my client’s career if he keeps fighting opponents who are on steroids and then the results are just thrown out as a wash.”
With his heart essentially on the sleeve, Hunt concluded his telling, emotional interview by emphasizing just what the fighters’ true worth to the UFC is, meaning the rules in place must actually work to serve protect him from any unnecessary and illegal harm in the cage:
“I can’t speak on what other fighters what to do, I can only speak for myself. I’m a fighter inside and out, I’ll fight everywhere. I’m a fighter in every sense of the word. This is just another fight for me. Without us fighters, these companies don’t exist,” Hunt said.
“What I’m trying to do here is make changes to my contract so if something happens, he’s banned for life or there’s no money. It’s pretty simple. It’s good you’re chasing down these cheaters, but how about enforcing it? They’re not doing anything about enforcing these rules for people who cheated. There’s no excuses. That’s rubbish. What kind of lies are these guys pulling here? It’s rubbish.”
When it was announced that Brock Lesnar had failed a drug test surrounding his UFC 200 (July 9, 2016) co-main event bout with Mark Hunt, a bout in which he competed in and won via unanimous decision, “The Super Samoan” went on an epic tirade blasting not only Lesnar, but the UFC as well. Shortly
When it was announced that Brock Lesnar had failed a drug test surrounding his UFC 200 (July 9, 2016) co-main event bout with Mark Hunt, a bout in which he competed in and won via unanimous decision, “The Super Samoan” went on an epic tirade blasting not only Lesnar, but the UFC as well.
Shortly after the news was announced, Lesnar was given a temporary suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). “The Beast” was scheduled to finally appear in front of the commission earlier this week, but he was granted extra time. He has also hired a lawyer, Howard Jacobs, to prepare his defense, and apparently Jacobs needs ‘more time’.
To no surprise, Hunt isn’t too pleased with the extra time given to Lesnar, and the former K-1 champion took to his official Twitter account to once again rip into the former heavyweight champion:
@mmamania@BrockLesnar why u need more time for stupid steroid user fucken pathetic dog stick more needles in your ass cheater
It has not yet been made clear when Lesnar will in fact meet with the commission, but what’s your take on the situation? Do you agree with Hunt, or has he blown things out of proportion?
