Report: Brock Lesnar Retired From MMA Because UFC Couldn't Meet His Price

Reports of Brock Lesnar returning to the UFC for a heavyweight title fight against Daniel Cormier [...]

By Connor Casey

Reports of Brock Lesnar returning to the UFC for a heavyweight title fight against Daniel Cormier have been spreading for nearly a year, but UFC president Dana White seemingly brought an end to the speculation this week when he told ESPN that Lesnar had officially retired from the sport.

The announcement came as a shock, given that White had been saying the fight was still on as recently as March. But it a new report from the Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer, Lesnar's decision to not step back inside the Octagon was a financial one. Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio this week that the UFC was unable to meet Lesnar's price point for the fight, so "The Beast" backed out.

Because UFC's current partnership with ESPN puts all of its pay-per-views on the ESPN+ streaming service, the promotion gets an upfront payday for each of its events and is therefore less reliant on having big names draw bigger buyrates in order to make more money. Recognizing this, Lesnar reportedly asked for a higher flat fee in order to ensure he'd be getting a sizable paycheck regardless of result or number of viewers.

Throughout his preparation for the potential Cormier fight, Lesnar continued to juggle his training time with WWE appearances. He dropped the Universal Championship to Roman Reigns at SummerSlam, won it back at Crown Jewel against Braun Strowman, defended it against Finn Balor at th Royal Rumble and lost it to Seth Rollins in early April at WrestleMania 35. While he hasn't appeared on WWE television since losing the title, the WWE announced that he'd be wrestling at the upcoming Saudi Arabia show on June 7.

White said in his interview that with Lesnar out, the plan is for Daniel Cormier to defend his UFC Heavyweight Championship against former champion Stipe Miocic in the coming months.

"He told me he's done, he's retired," White said. "We're going to move in another direction with Cormier."

-----

Have you subscribed to ComicBook Nation, the official Podcast of ComicBook.com yet? Check it out by clicking here or listen below.

In this latest episode, we explore Game of Thrones' long night, talk more Avengers: Endgame, live-action Sonic the Hedgehog, and more! Make sure to subscribe now and never miss an episode!

Trending Now: