5 most controversial UFC moments of 2018

#4 Brock Lesnar returns and challenges Daniel Cormier

Brock Lesnar's unexpected appearance caused a ton of controversy in July

One of the biggest pay-per-view draws in UFC history, former UFC Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar initially retired from MMA following a loss to Alistair Overeem back in December 2011.

From there he returned to WWE – the place where he initially became a superstar in the early 2000’s – and it seemed like his time inside the UFC Octagon was over for good.

It came as a huge shock when the UFC announced a return for Lesnar in 2016, just in time for UFC 200, and at first, it looked like ‘The Beast Incarnate’ would have a successful comeback. He defeated Mark Hunt by unanimous decision but subsequently tested positive for a banned substance – the estrogen blocker ostarine.

Due to this, Lesnar was suspended for a year by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, fined $250,000, and the result of the Hunt fight was changed to a No Contest.

In early 2017, it was reported that Lesnar would be retiring from MMA for good, and from there he quickly returned to WWE.

That’s why it was such a surprise when Lesnar showed up unexpectedly at UFC 226 – where Stipe Miocic faced Daniel Cormier for the UFC Heavyweight title – and burst into the Octagon post-fight to challenge a victorious Cormier for a title fight at some point in 2019. The move lit up the MMA world but was also hugely controversial.

To allow Lesnar to receive a title shot following years of inactivity – while active fighters had been climbing the ladder – seemed more than a little unfair, but when you threw in the fact that he was coming off a PED suspension – at a time when the UFC was trying to clean the sport up using USADA testing – the whole thing came off pretty badly.

We currently don’t have any confirmation of the Cormier/Lesnar fight, but from all reports, it still appears to be likely for 2019. Expect the controversy around this issue to continue.