LAS VEGAS – Following what was one of the most anticipated heavyweight fights of the year, former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar announced his retirement from MMA. Lesnar battled Alistair Overeem in the main event of last night’s UFC 141 in Las Vegas.
Lesnar was stopped in the first round of the main event bout following some devastating knees delivered from former K-1 champion Alistair Overeem.
During the post-fight interview Lesnar told Joe Rogan, “I've had a really difficult couple years with my disease," said Lesnar. "And I'm officially going to say this is the last time you'll see me in the octagon."
Lesnar joined the UFC in 2008 and went on to defeat Randy Couture to become the heavyweight champion in just his third fight in the UFC. Lesnar would go on to defeat Frank Mir and Shane Carwin before losing the title to Cain Velasquez in 2010.
In 2009, Lesnar suffered from his first bout with diverticilitis. Lesnar would again have a bout with that same disorder in 2010. There is no doubt these issues shortened his career. It is impossible to improve as a competitor when you have to spend most of your time fighting from a life threatening disease.
In the short time that Lesnar has been in MMA he has helped bring droves of new fans for the fastest growing sport in the world. In May of this year, ESPN magazine named Lesnar the highest paid MMA athlete at an estimated $5.3 million in the most recent calendar year.
In the post-fight press conference, Dana White stated that Lesnar had retired “under contract” which presumably means that Lesnar will not be able to compete for any other organization during the remaining time left on his current UFC deal. This may be a disappointment for those WWE fans hoping to see Lesnar make a spot return to the WWE.
When asked directly if Lesnar was free to work with the WWE, Dana White said, “We’ll work it out (should Lesnar desire to go to WWE).”
While Lesnar’s career in MMA was short lived, his impact was huge. He brought new fans and was a PPV blockbuster. Love him or hate him, he backed down from no one facing the top competition from day one of his UFC career.
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