Brock Lesnar is not a human. No matter what any doctor or scientific theory may tell you, the guy is something that we have never seen before and if you don't believe me then just go and watch the WrestleMania 19 main event. Honestly, who in their right mind would attempt a shooting star press when you're that large, land on their head and live to tell the tale?
Baffling. Utterly baffling. But that's not what we're here to talk about today, because instead we're going to focus on a topic that alot of people find incredibly interesting. What is that, you ask? Why it's trying to determine the reasons behind the switch that Lesnar made back in 2012.
Of course, we are indeed looking at his transition from mixed martial arts back into the world of professional wrestling.
It's a fascinating topic because there aren't too many people who can say that they've succeeded in both spheres. Sure there have been cross over stars in the past that have gone on to have some pretty good moments, but none of them even remotely compare with the beast Brock Lesnar and that's a fact.
So with that being said, let's take a look at five reasons why Brock Lesnar quit UFC and came back to WWE.
#5 Health
It's no secret that Brock Lesnar suffered from a pretty severe case of diverticulitis. It was so bad, in fact, that he was actually at risk of dying at one point in his life. Bizarrely enough this didn't seem to faze Brock all too much during his UFC run, and it was only towards the back end of his tenure that things really started to get serious and affect his fight to fight performances.
So naturally, the smart thing to do was to take himself out of an environment where he could very easily worsen his injury. Professional wrestling is still an incredibly physical ordeal to put your body through, but in terms of the risk there was much more at stake when Brock was inside the octagon. As a result, it was smart for him to make the decision.
Onto a much more logistical topic.
#4 Money
When Brock was fighting in the UFC he was indeed getting paid ludicrous amounts of money per fight - but the last two words are key to that sentence. In the WWE, Brock receives a standard amount and it isn't dependent on going inside of a cage and straight up fighting another man. Instead, he gets alot of money to make very limited appearances throughout the year.
It's not exactly a bad deal and there have been reports that suggest the fee he is paid annually is in the region of $6 million. That is an absolutely baffling amount of money no matter which way you look at it, and that kind of consistency probably played a big factor into Brock's decision to return to the squared circle. Either way, nobody can question his business sense.
From money to something that's a little more personal for the Beast Incarnate.
#3 Reputation
When Brock Lesnar was preparing to face Cain Velasquez for the UFC Heavyweight Championship, his MMA record stood at an impressive 5-1. The guy was one of the most dominating figures in the entire sport and his reputation was growing with each passing fight, as more and more people realised just how great of an athlete Brock really was.
But when you fast forward to the day that he first left the UFC, his record stood at 5-3 following consecutive losses to Velasquez and Alistair Overeem. Given his health, Lesnar's reputation in the sport was starting to take a bit of a beating and the logical thing to do was to walk away whilst he still had a winning record.
The heavyweight division was on the up, and preserving himself was a great move on Brock's part.
Onto a slightly more controversial entry.
#2 Easy route
No matter which way you look at things, going to the WWE as opposed to re-signing with the UFC was the easiest route for Brock Lesnar to take. The travel isn't as bad as it used to be, there's less risk of permanent or serious injury, the money is great and there's no lengthy training camps that need to be endured for Lesnar.
You can say that he's a bit of a coward because of that, but you'd be wrong.
Just look at the guy's track record. After years of literally putting his life on the line in search of success, doesn't he deserve to go down the easy road as opposed to making things a little bit harder for himself?
Professional wrestling was an industry that he was extremely familiar with, and he knew that he could probably maintain some form of creative control over his character development. A good move all round.
We conclude with something that was vital for Brock's progression.
#1 Re-build confidence
There's absolutely no doubt in our minds that Brock Lesnar was frustrated by the manner in which he left the UFC. If it was up to him he probably never would've left, and that's about as truthful as you can get. His confidence would've likely been at a low, and going to WWE would've provided him with a chance to really re-build his image and credibility within the eyes of the public and himself.
Plus, it gave him time to reflect and possibly plan for an MMA comeback in the process. As the years went on Brock was clearly starting to get his swagger back, and alot of that is down to the time he had to look back on things.
In the end he did in fact return to the octagon and whilst the result has now been overturned, on the night, Brock was able to have his hand raised one last time.
