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If there is one name which evokes emotions in whichever context it's raised, it's 'The Beast Incarnate' Brock Lesnar. He has been involved in Amateur Wrestling, Professional Wrestling, American Football, and finally, Mixed Martial Arts.
In one of the above four, he did not achieve the success he had visualized for himself -- Football.
However, in the rest of them, not only did he get to a level of success that could not be expected, he got accolades all along the way. In Amateur Wrestling, he finished his career as a two-time NCJAA All-Americana and two-time NCAA All-American, not to mention, NCJAA Heavyweight Champion and NCAA Heavyweight Champion.
In Professional Wrestling, he went to another level of success during his time with WWE, something he has still not stopped doing. Multiple Championships and the perception of an indestructible unforgiving Beast who comes for his opponents without mercy have seen him become a legendary figure.
Finally, in MMA, while he might not be the top name, or have the best record, but in the short time he was in UFC, he managed to become the UFC Heavyweight Champion. So, when amidst rumors that he would be returning to UFC for a Heavyweight Championship fight, the news leaked through that Brock Lesnar had told UFC President Dana White that he was retiring from Mixed Martial Arts.
In this article, we will talk about 4 reasons why Brock Lesnar retired from MMA.
#4 Brock Lesnar does not want to put himself at risk
Brock Lesnar is 42 years old.
Most MMA fighters retire by the age of 38 years old.
Brock Lesnar has been pushing the envelope of what he can and cannot do for years. He is incredibly strong and due to his strength, his ability to use that strength in the octagon and WWE, is what has created the image that he has in public perception.
However, at some point, he has to acknowledge that he is human. As a result, he has to acknowledge that entering the octagon at any point of time puts him at great risk. The risk that a fighter puts himself under when he enters the Octagon can't be exaggerated.
At this point, Lesnar still has a promising career in wrestling, something that he will not have if he suffers an injury.
UFC cannot afford Brock Lesnar
UFC is an enormous company. It has considerable resources in their hand. However, one thing that they refuse to do is overpay.
One thing that Brock Lesnar demands if he is going to work for a company, is fair compensation.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, the reason the fight between Brock Lesnar and Daniel Cormier did not happen is that they were not willing to pay Lesnar the amount that he wanted.
"Lesnar had a certain price he wanted guaranteed to do the Cormier fight. UFC, which, with its ESPN deal where the PPV money is guaranteed, didn’t meet the offer. Lesnar had a certain price he wanted that was worth it to him to go through a hard training camp at 42 and then get into the cage with an all-time great fighter and athlete in Cormier. Plus, WWE has continued to offer Lesnar strong deals for limited dates, and on a Lesnar schedule, pro wrestling is far safer and offers considerably more longevity."
The truth may be that UFC could afford Lesnar, but they decided not to pay him that amount anyway, leading to Lesnar deciding that it was not worth it.
#2 Brock Lesnar does not need to fight in MMA
Brock Lesnar has done it all in his career. At this point, it does not make sense for him to fight in MMA.
Fighting there means not only is he risking injury to himself, but also to the legacy he has in UFC. Although there were issues with him testing positive there for Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs), the fact remains that at one point of time, he was the UFC Heavyweight Champion.
Going in to fight in MMA, there is no guarantee that Lesnar would come out with a win. Given the time gap between his last fight and this one, the rust might even have led him to lose the fight.
#1 Vince McMahon does not want his top Superstar's attentions divided
Whether WWE fans like it or not, Brock Lesnar is a top name in the company and a legitimate draw.
When he is wrestling, more people pay attention to the event. While him holding the title has proven to be unpopular, he has also shown that when he can wrestle really well when he commits to it.
Vince McMahon knows how big Brock Lesnar is to his company and even if he is not wrestling on a regular basis, he can participate in different feuds.
Having Lesnar distracted with fights in the UFC and training for those, it is unlikely he would be able to be 100% devoted to whatever he is doing in WWE.
Thus, the contract that Vince gave Brock guaranteed that the wrestler would want to stay in WWE rather than return to MMA.
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