Lesnar: There may be a day you see me in Octagon again

WWE superstar Brock Lesnar had the weirdest career in UFC history.

His first fight, at Dynamite!! USA, was advertised right up to the day of the event as being against Hong-Man Choi. Choi couldn’t get licensed due to medical issues, so he was replaced with Min Soo Kim, silver medalist in Judo at the 1996 Olympics, and K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 finalist. The promoters knew about Choi’s licensing issues ten or eleven days beforehand, but did not tell the public.

Afterwards Dynamite!! USA was announced as the largest attendance for a Mixed Martial Arts event in North America. The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) confirmed that 42,757 tickets were distributed for the event. That was true, but it was also true that the promoters of the event paid $2,342,500 to buy 39,083 tickets. The verified paid attendance was 3,674.

Lesnar’s next fight was in the UFC, and he lost, to Frank Mir. After a decision win over Heath Herring, Lesnar got a title shot vs. Randy Couture, and won. All that took place in the year 2008.

Brock then successfully defended his title in a rematch vs. Frank Mir; that was his sole fight in 2009. And then Brock successfully defended his title vs. Shane Carwin, pushing his successful defenses to two, equalling the UFC record.

In between those fights, Lesnar was diagnosed with diverticulitis, brought on by many years of only eating what he had shot.

Lesnar lost his title to Cain Velasquez on October 23, 2010 in the very first round, and had surgery on November 16 to close a perforation in his intestine that had been leaking fecal matter into his abdomen, causing pain, abscesses, and overtaxing his immune system to the point that he contracted mononucleosis.

Just over a year later he came back vs. Alistair Overeem, on UFC 141 December 30, 2011. As the hardcore fanbase unkindly put it, ‘Reem “kicked him in the cancer,” and Lesnar lost at 2:26 of Round 1.

And then he was back to the WWE, seemingly for good.

When Conor McGregor refused to do media duties, he was yanked from UFC 200 which the company had intended to be the biggest selling PPV of all time. They needed a superstar, and signed Lesnar, who for five years had harbored wonders about how he would do without poop leaking into his body.

It was described as a one fight deal.

The UFC’s independent drug test agency, USADA, uses among many other criteria a “smell test” in determining frequency of testing. You don’t have to be the man who brought down Lance Armstrong, UFC VP of Athlete Health and Performance Jeff Novitzky, to believe Lesnar could use a little testing.

Eight tests were given to Lesnar in all. He failed one pre event test, but the results were not available until after Lesnar had fought Mark Hunt, and won. Lesnar also failed an in-competition test.

Both failures were for hydroxy-clomiphene, an anti-estrogen agent, that might typically be taken at the end of a cycle of PEDs. But Lesnar also passed the other tests given.

Curiously, UFC interim light heavyweight Jon Jones, also scheduled for UFC 200, also tested positive for clomiphene. However, his results came back just before the event, and he was pulled from the card.

There are indications that Jones’ test may have been caused by use of a generic erectile dysfunction drug. Jones may be back soon.

Could Brock as well?

TMZ Sports recently caught up with Lesnar, and asked.

“I’ve got a few challenges to overcome, before I can get there,” replied Lesnar, choosing his words carefully. “But I don’t know. For right now, I’m gonna focus on my WWE career. I wanted to step back into the octagon, and avenge my loss against diverticulitis.”

“To my fans, that watch me in the octagon, I thank them for their support. And this has been a bumpy road. I’m gonna get through this alright. And there will be a day – maybe – that they see me back in the octagon.”

Lesnar has a hearing before the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Tuesday, August 23. He will likely be temporarily suspended, pending a full hearing. If it is determined that Lesnar knowingly took a PED, he will be suspended for two years, but that determination remains some time in the future.