Tag: Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar’s Chances Of UFC Return ‘Very, Very, Very Good’ According To UFC President Dana White

Brock Lesnar met up with UFC President Dana White over the weekend while in Las Vegas. Rumors on a potential UFC return for Lesnar have been ramping up as of late because Lesnar’s current WWE contract expires after WrestleMania 34, where he will defend the WWE Universal Championship against Roman Reigns. White posted a photo of the two together, but has yet to elaborate on what they discussed.

Yesterday, Dana White appeared on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and at one point was asked about the chances of Lesnar returning to the UFC. White kept his answer positive, but brief.

“They’re very, very, very good.”

Lesnar’s last UFC fight was at UFC 200 back in July of 2016 where Lesnar defeated Mark Hunt by unanimous decision, which was later overturned. Failing a post-fight drug test for clomiphene, Lesnar was suspended for a year and fined $250k. In February of last year, Lesnar said he would be retiring from MMA. If he did decide to return, there’s still just over six months of his suspension that he would still have to fulfill.

Lesnar was scheduled to be at Monday’s Raw for a face-off with Roman Reigns, but that segment didn’t take place. He was featured in multiple Raw scripts that were done and his absence was acknowledged by Reigns during a segment he did by himself.

Lesnar is scheduled to defend against Kane at Saturday’s WWE live event in Chicago and is scheduled to return to WWE TV on the March 12 Raw from Detroit.

Source: WrestlingINC

Backstage News On WWE’s Plans For Roman Reigns Vs. Brock Lesnar Build, More On Monday’s RAW Absence

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As noted, WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar was scheduled to face off with Roman Reigns on Monday’s RAW from Anaheim but that segment never happened. Lesnar, who was in Las Vegas on Sunday to meet with UFC President Dana White but not to attend the WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, was listed in multiple RAW scripts on Monday and was still being advertised by WWE after RAW hit the air.

It’s still not completely clear why Lesnar and Heyman didn’t appear but F4Wonline.com reports that their absence is believed to be due to an 11th hour creative change. The goal of the build to Reigns vs. Lesnar at WrestleMania 34 is to get Reigns cheered by fans, leading to a positive reaction when he wins the title in New Orleans. WWE officials also want the build to Reigns vs. Lesnar to come across like a shoot as much as possible, and the RAW segment helped with that goal.

We also noted before that the RAW segment with Reigns, Lesnar and Paul Heyman was scheduled to be lengthy and would air in the second hour. PWInsider adds that the segment was scripted to have Lesnar call Reigns a “b—h” at one point. Regarding the promo that Reigns did by himself, word is that the promo was not in the script but most of the verbiage was approved, likely by Vince McMahon.

Lesnar is scheduled to defend his title against Kane at Saturday’s WWE live event in Chicago. He’s scheduled to return to TV at the March 12th RAW in Detroit.

Source: WrestlingINC

Paul Heyman Says Brock Lesnar ‘Always Ready’ For UFC Return, Talks Being An Advocate For Ronda Rousey

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Paul Heyman recently spoke with TMZ (transcript via WrestleZone), here are the highlights…

On a potential return to UFC for Brock Lesnar: I think Brock Lesnar does whatever Brock Lesnar wants to do. If Brock Lesnar wants to fight in UFC then Brock Lesnar will fight in UFC. If Brock Lesnar wants to fight in WWE then he will fight in WWE. Ask Braun Strowman. Ask Randy Orton. Ask THE UNDERTAKER. Brock Lesnar does what Brock Lesnar wants to do.

On if the time away from UFC makes it harder for Brock Lesnar to return there: The time away actually makes him better because his body get a chance to heal. The problem with all these UFC fighters is, and they are all fantastic athletes, top of the world, they all wear their bodies down in these training camps. All these guys that are cutting weight are destroying their bodies. Brock Lesnar is probably the healthiest fighter to enter UFC if he decides to do that. He’s always ready. Always.

On the rumors that Paul Heyman may have interest in advocating for Ronda Rousey: Why limit the people I have my eye on to just Ronda Rousey? I have my eye on anyone who is a top box office attraction. I have my eye on Ens Kanter of the New York Knicks. I have my eye on Aaron Judge and Luis Severino of the New York Yankees.

On if he would venture into other sports other than just combat sports: How do you know other sports aren’t coming to me? When you are the best advocate on the face of the entire planet, you’re in demand. My plate is full. When you advocate for the reigning, defending, undisputed heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar that’s a 24/7 job. If I happen to find an extra moment or two in my schedule for someone else… that’s just a whole bunch of side cash for me.

Source: 411Mania

 

New Speculation on Brock Lesnar Not Staying With WWE Post WrestleMania 34

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The WWE Summerslam tickets feature WWE superstars including Braun Strowman, Ronda Rousey, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Seth Rollins, The New Day, Shinsuke Nakamura, Roman Reigns and many others. Brock Lesnar does not appear on the tickets, as shown below by ESPN Reporter Arash Markazi. This has led to speculation that Lesnar won’t be returning to the company once his contract expires in April. There have been rumors that Lesnar is interested in one last UFC run for a few big money fights.

Source: 411Mania

Bobby Lashley Says A Fight With Brock Lesnar ‘Needs To Be Done’

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Some might find it surprising that Bobby Lashley and Brock Lesnar have never faced each other in a wrestling ring. In fact, the two of them have never even met face-to-face. In a recent interview with The Hannibal TV, Lashley called out Lesnar and said he believes it’s a fight that needs to happen.

“It’s not on me, it’s on him,” Lashley said. “I’m not the type to call people out. I have mad respect for Brock and I have mad respect for everybody in the fight business and in the wrestling business. But I think it’s just one of those things that needs to be done.”

Lashley currently competes in Impact Wrestling while Lesnar is the WWE Universal Champion, so a wrestling match is unlikely to happen any time soon. What is more likely is an MMA fight, as both Lashley and Lesnar are experienced combat fighters. Lashley said he believes a fight with Lesnar would attract casual and hardcore fans alike because of the entertainment factor.

“There’s big matchups all the way across the board. They looked at Brock fighting Jon Jones, that was one thing that was talked about, everybody was like, ‘Oh, that’s awesome!’ Floyd Mayweather fighting Conor [McGregor], these are different matchups that people want to see,” Lashley said. “I think right now people are starting to move more into that entertainment aspect of wanting to see those different contests and different matchups. Brock and myself, whether it’s in professional wrestling or whether it’s in a fight, I think it needs to be done.”

Lashley said it’s up to Lesnar or Paul Heyman to make the fight happen. He’s currently signed to Bellator MMA and last fought in October 2016 when he defeated Josh Appelt by second-round submission. Lesnar’s most recent fight came at UFC 200 in July 2016 when he defeated Mark Hunt by unanimous decision, but the win was vacated after Lesnar tested positive for a banned substance.

Lashley and Lesnar would provide an interesting matchup as they are both powerful strikers with strong wrestling pedigrees. Lashley wouldn’t offer a prediction for how a potential fight with Lesnar would go, but he said he likes his chances.

“Until the fight happens, no one knows,” Lashley said. “I think I would do well. I think our styles are very similar and I think it’s gonna be tit-for-tat in a lot of ways.”

Source: WrestlingINC

Backstage Update On Brock Lesnar’s WWE Contract And Future

The current contract for WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar has an option that would renew the deal and most expect that it will be renewed after it expires at WrestleMania 34, according to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Lesnar’s last dates under the current deal would be WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans or the post-WrestleMania RAW the next night. WWE also has certain rights with Lesnar that will go through the first week of August 2018 if a new deal is not signed.

Regarding the rumors of Lesnar possibly returning to UFC to fight Jon Jones, the feeling among just about everyone is that the fight will never happen. If Lesnar does decide to return to UFC for another fight, it likely would not happen until August since WWE would have no rights to him.

The Observer adds that while WWE has ties to WME IMG, the owners of UFC, that things aren’t smooth between the two sides. UFC President Dana White has noted that he has a good business relationship with Triple H but it’s a more difficult situation with Vince McMahon.

MMA Weekly noted that White appeared on The Dan LeBatard Show this week and said he doesn’t believe WWE would allow Lesnar to fight again while he’s under contract. Vince allowed Lesnar to work the UFC 200 event in July 2016 but WWE ended up looking bad after Lesnar tested positive for a banned substance. White commented:

“They didn’t want to do that again. You saw what happened last time he was under contract and it doesn’t look good for anybody.”

Source: WrestlingINC

Brock Lesnar Responds To Jon Jones After Being Called Out At UFC 214

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Jon Jones called out Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at UFC 214 on Saturday night … and The Beast was quick to respond.

Jones regained the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship by defeating Daniel Cormier and during his post-match speech he looked into the camera and said, “Brock Lesnar, if you want to know what it feels like to get your ass kicked by a guy who weighs 40 pounds less than you, meet me in the octagon.”

The Associated Press reached out to Lesnar after UFC 214 and his response was short, but sweet … saying, “Be careful what you wish for, young man.”

As we previously reported, Brock recently re-entered the USADA testing pool and is considering a return to MMA after his WWE contract expires next year. UFC officials initially denied the report, but Dana White has now changed his tune and claims he doesn’t know Lesnar’s USADA status.

White also conceded that Jones’ wish wouldn’t be granted anytime soon, yet Jon remained serious about his call out during a post match press conference.

“We’re serious about it, and it would be great for the MMA world. It would bring more of the general public to mixed martial arts, and that’s what we need.”

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Brock Lesnar Comments On Rumored UFC Return Opponent

As noted earlier, Dave Meltzer noted on The LAW that there is definitely something to the rumors of current WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar possibly returning to UFC later this year to fight. Meltzer noted that UFC officials are looking at the December pay-per-view for Lesnar’s return, which would be several months before his WWE contract expires after WrestleMania 34 in April 2018. Meltzer noted that UFC is having a bad year and is looking for Lesnar and Ronda Rousey to return, plus another fight from Conor McGregor this year. Meltzer said on The LAW, “They’ve got a budget and this year has been terrible. They want some drawing power for the end of the year.”

Meltzer noted that he’s been told UFC wants Lesnar to go up against Jon Jones but that would depend on what happens this coming weekend at UFC 214. Jones is scheduled to face Lesnar friend Daniel Cormier for the UFC Light Heavyweight Title. Meltzer speculated on UFC grooming Jones to be a big superstar and the feeling is that there could be a major coronation if the 30 year old beats Lesnar.

Jones did a Facebook Live Q&A on Tuesday and was asked about possibly moving up to heavyweight to fight Lesnar. He said:

“I would love to fight Brock Lesnar. He’s a massive dude. I mean, it would be a massive draw. Really big for the sport. It’d be a great challenge. That’s a big ol’ boy. I doubt Brock Lesnar would take that fight, though. I definitely wouldn’t try to wrestle with him the whole time. I would … you know what, I wouldn’t tell you what I would do.”

The Associated Press contacted Lesnar later in the day for a response to Jones’ comments and The Beast had the following to say:

“Would I fight Jon Jones? Anytime, anywhere. Right now he should be worried about D.C. on Saturday night.”

Media outlets are reporting that a Jones vs. Lesnar superfight, which would bring a big payday for both fighters, couldn’t happen until after April 2018 due to Lesnar’s contract status with WWE but Meltzer speculated that Vince McMahon will allow Lesnar to fight again as they made the deal for him to fight at UFC 200 and both sides came out alright, for the most part at least. Due to the UFC 200 failures, WWE was forced to admit that they do not test Lesnar under the Wellness Policy because he is a part-time Superstar. WWE does hold the exclusive rights to Lesnar’s services while he is under contract.

There have been conflicting reports on if Lesnar has been re-added to the USADA testing pool but he must be in the pool in the next few weeks if they want him to be eligible for a December fight because he has 5 more months of his suspension related to the UFC 200 drug test failures, which was frozen when he announced his retirement from fighting last year.

Source: WrestlingINC

Backstage News On Brock Lesnar Returning To UFC To Face Major Star This Year

Pro wrestling and MMA journalist Dave Meltzer was recently a guest on The LAW to discuss rumors of Brock Lesnar returning to fight for the UFC.

“There’s definitely fire to the smoke,” Meltzer said.

Despite reports that Lesnar may be entering the USADA testing pool to fight when his WWEcontract expires in April, Meltzer reports that the UFC is reportedly targeting a Lesnar return fight for a late December pay-per-view. However, Lesnar must be in the USADA testing pool in the next couple of weeks to be eligible to fight as he has five more months of his suspension that was frozen when he retired from fighting.

“Well, UFC wants [a Lesnar fight] because UFC’s having a bad year,” said Meltzer. “I’d heard a couple weeks ago they wanted Ronda Rousey back and they want Brock Lesnar, they want another Conor McGregor fight this year. They’ve got a budget and this year has been terrible. They want some drawing power for the end of the year.”

When asked if WWE, who hold the exclusive rights to Lesnar’s services, would allow for him to fight again, Meltzer explained Vince McMahon dodged a bullet the last time they let him do it and came out alright. Because they made a deal for Lesnar to fight at UFC 200 while under WWE contract, Meltzer said he guesses they feel like they can do it again.

WWE did not come out of UFC 200 in a positive light as Brock Lesnar was hit with a USADA anti-doping violation after testing positive for the banned estrogen blocker clomiphene in an out-of-competition test and in-competition test. As a result, he was suspended for one year. When he retired, his suspension was frozen. Lesnar’s victory over Hunt was overturned to a no contest. WWE had to admit they do not test Lesnar under their Wellness Policy because he’s a part-time superstar.

As for Lesnar’s potential UFC opponent, Meltzer noted it depends on what happens Saturday at UFC 214, but a name has been mentioned.

“Their idea is Jon Jones,” said Meltzer “That’s the name I was told.”

Jones will face Daniel Cormier for the UFC light heavyweight championship at UFC 214 on Saturday. Meltzer believes UFC is grooming Jones, who pulled out of the main event of UFC 200 due to an anti-doping violation, to become a superstar. He’s 30-years-old and the feeling is it would be a major coronation if he could beat Brock Lesnar.

Lesnar remains under WWE contract through April 2018.

Source: WrestlingINC