Brock Lesnar Has Reportedly Retired From MMA, Will Not Fight Daniel Cormier

If you had hopes of seeing Brock Lesnar compete once again in MMA, you might want to prepare [...]

By Ryan Droste

If you had hopes of seeing Brock Lesnar compete once again in MMA, you might want to prepare yourself for more German Suplexes in the squared circle instead.

UFC President Dana White told ESPN on Tuesday that Lesnar has informed him that he is done competing in mixed martial arts. There had been talk for months that UFC was prepared to book a Daniel Cormier vs. Lesnar heavyweight championship bout, with the latest rumors suggesting it could happen this summer.

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

Last summer, Cormier won the UFC Heavyweight Championship from Stipe Miocic in a first round knockout at UFC 226. It looks like Miocic will now replace Lesnar, with UFC looking to book a Cormier/Miocic rematch this summer. That match should do big business. Despite the loss last year, Miocic had a good run with the UFC Heavyweight Championship, defending it successfully in more consecutive fights than any champion in UFC history.

The rumors of a Lesnar return to UFC began last summer at UFC 226 following Miocic's loss to Cormier. Lesnar got into the octagon immediately following the match and had a faceoff with Cormier that got physical.

It became clear in the months following UFC 226 that the organization very much wanted to see Lesnar return, though Brock never confirmed he would do so and had been unsure about a return to the sport in recent months.

Lesnar last fought at UFC 200 in July 2016, winning in a bout with Mark Hunt. However, that victory was eventually wiped from the record books as it was revealed that Lesnar had failed two drug tests.

Any Lesnar return to MMA would require him to re-enter the USADA drug testing pool and be active in that pool for six months. Lesnar did re-enter the testing pool, making it seem as though a UFC return was indeed on the horizon. However, after weighing his options, it appears Lesar has decided once and for all to stick with pro wrestling and put his MMA career behind him for good.

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