One of the UFC’s biggest pay-per-view draws of all-time has traded in the wrestling ring for the Octagon for good, according to UFC president Dana White.
In an interview with the Dave and Mahoney show on CBS Radio (transcription via MMA Fighting), White confirmed that Brock Lesnar’s departure from the UFC late last year is for good.
"He's done," White said about Lesnar, who now works on a limited basis for World Wrestling Entertainment. "He called me a couple of days ago. He's never coming back. His body can't take it. He said he can wrestle, but he can't fight. He was contemplating coming back."
Lesnar, a former UFC heavyweight champion, unexpectedly made an appearance at UFC 146 in May when Junior dos Santos, the current heavyweight title holder, successfully defended his strap against Frank Mir.
Speculation began that perhaps Lesnar, who ultimately retired after a second bout with the colon disease diverticulitis, would make a UFC comeback. In August, White then randomly took to the MMA forums and asked who would like to see Lesnar take on former PRIDE star Fedor Emelianenko.
When asked if he was considering making the massively appealing, albeit unlikely, super fight happen, White simply told Dave and Mahoney that “They're both retired."
Lesnar, a former two-time NCAA All-American wrestler, captured the title from “The Natural” Randy Couture at UFC 91 in Nov. 2008, in just the fourth professional fight of his career.
After successfully defending the title against Shane Carwin at UFC 116, after his first bout with diverticulitis, Lesnar than lost the belt to Cain Velasquez at UFC 121 in Oct. 2010.
Former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem retired Lesnar at UFC 141 after defeating him by first round TKO, with Lesnar looking tentative on his feet after his second bout with diverticulitis.
Meanwhile, “The Last Emperor” formally announced his retirement shortly after easily defeating Pedro Rizzo by TKO at an M-1: Global event in June.
Despite the improbable nature of the fight, would a Lesnar vs. Fedor fight still draw massive pay-per-view numbers?