Brock Lesnar is the Beast Incarnate, the former UFC Champion, the former WWE Champion - basically, he has many names.
The guy is one of the most destructive forces in the history of sports entertainment, and over the years he's made a name for himself as someone who can dominate pretty much any landscape or situation that he's involved in.
Because of that, there's always a lot of intrigue surrounding Brock. Whether it's pro wrestling or mixed martial arts, many of his fans often speculate as to what his next move in the working world be.
He certainly likes to keep people guessing, with his return to the octagon at UFC 200 catching a hell of a lot of people off guard.
So why did it have to happen then? Well, aside from the fact it was the company's biggest event ever, there always seemed to be a number of factors behind Brock's decision not to make the return to UFC sooner.
Obviously, the big one is his contract with the WWE, but you'd imagine that if he wanted to leave badly enough then he'd just walk out the door.
So with all that being said, let's take a look at five reasons why Brock Lesnar didn't return to MMA sooner than UFC 200.
#1 Money
It's really very simple - money is the key to happiness in many people's minds, and Lesnar hasn't been shy in the past when revealing that his sole purpose in the WWE is to put food on the table for his family.
In the UFC he'd also earn a lot, but not as consistently as in the world of professional wrestling, considering that fighters only average two fights a year.
Also read: Brock Lesnar’s MMA career: 5 incidents you should know about
The contract that WWE have in place for the Beast means that he's the second highest paid superstar on the roster behind John Cena, and we'd say that Brock is pretty happy with that.
Given how incredibly well he's paid in his current position, taking the risk and making the move away may not be the smartest decision.
Speaking of which, money certainly plays a factor in the next point.
#2 Comfort
Much like some people can be in relationships, jobs and everyday life, Brock seems to have slipped into a state of comfort.
He doesn't have to work a full-time schedule, he can spend his time at home and he's paid handsomely well to do a lot less than the more hands-on superstars do. In all honesty, it's a dream situation for any of us and Brock hasn't got much of a reason to walk away.
Sure, he loves the world of MMA, but it took a lot out of him the last time around.
Given the training camps and physical elements required, the WWE can be seen as Brock lowering the difficulty level from "hard" to "easy" or "medium". Sure, he has some brutal matches every now and then, but the frequency doesn't really add up to the eventual paycheck.
On the topic of paychecks, here's a man who deserves an extremely big one.
#3 Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar have been great friends for nearly 15 years now, ever since they were first paired together during Brock's first run with the company.
They have collaborated on a number of different fronts over the years, and Paul seems like one of the few people who can really say that he's a person who has made an impact on Lesnar's life, aside from his immediate family.
It's a special relationship, and it's a relationship that has helped Brock to maintain his status at the top of the WWE pyramid.
It's well known that after cutting a promo without Paul when returning in 2012, Brock demanded that Heyman be hired and without him maybe the Beast Incarnate would have had a short stay with the WWE.
We move onto something a little more personal that probably still hurts the former champion.
#4 Previous defeats
It takes a lot of time for old wounds to heal. Brock, on a daily basis, is reminded of the beatings he took at the hands of Alistair Overeem and Cain Velasquez. To be more specific, the latter gave him a scar underneath his eye that is still visible in the present day which must get to Brock when you really think about it.
After all, he proved against Frank Mir that he loves gaining revenge.
Learning from your mistakes is a big thing to do, and the losses will mean something to a man who prides himself on being the best at everything he does. No matter who you are, being humbled like that can take its toll and fighting back from that low point to return to the octagon is something Lesnar should be applauded for.
Speaking of which, courage plays heavily into our final point.
#5 Diverticulitis
As everyone knows, Brock Lesnar suffered from diverticulitis during his first run with the UFC. It hampered a great deal of his run in the world of MMA, and it's a shame that we never got to see an extended period where Brock was fighting on a consistent basis.
Naturally, this would've thrown him off returning for a while, because Brock would've been in recovery and probably wouldn’t have wanted to get into MMA so soon after having come out of such a serious illness.
But by the time UFC 200 rolled around, the timing was perfect. Everything fell into place and Brock's medical past was behind him, allowing the heavyweight to step back into the octagon for, potentially, the last time.
We may never see him fight in that capacity ever again, but at least he got one more shot at doing something he truly loved.
Send us news tips at [email protected]
