Brock Lesnar is set for a return to the UFC octagon.
ESPN’s @SportsCenter account on Twitter verified the news, which was announced during the UFC 199 pay-per-view.
While confirming Lesnar’s UFC appearance, the WWE described the match as a “one-off opportunity” and also noted that Lesnar would be back in the WWE for SummerSlam on August 21, since he is still under contract with the company.
The announcement came after reports from various outlets that Lesnar and the UFC seemed to be negotiating a deal that would put the superstar on the card at UFC 200. The event is scheduled for July 9.. That card has been somewhat thin since Conor McGregor’s recent spat with the UFC knocked him from consideration earlier this year, but McGregor was also announced for his rematch with Nate Diaz at UFC 202 on August 20.
The UFC return comes at an interesting time for Lesnar. He’s been away from WWE action since WrestleMania, but a recent commercial for the WWE 2K17 has his name coming up in some speculations. In the commercial, Goldberg is riding in a police car when he sees a sign for Suplex City, a clear reference to Lesnar, who was Goldberg’s last opponent in the WWE in a controversially bad match. Does the commercial indicate the two could hook up again in a WWE ring?
Also adding to the intrigue are reports from Wrestle Zone that Lesnar may have talked Vince McMahon into adding a clause to his contract that allows such a UFC fight. This reportedly happened just before his WrestleMania 32 match against Dean Ambrose. It’s hard to see why McMahon would agree to such, since he had Lesnar under contract already, but such an agreement would also have to be reached to allow the UFC match.
It’s also interesting how close this is to the event. Unless the opponent is one Lesnar is already familiar with, or he has already known who he’s fighting but kept it a secret, he is left with just a few weeks to prepare for the match.
Note: This story was updated from a previous version related to rumors surrounding Lesnar’s return to UFC.
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