UFC thwarts rumors of Brock Lesnar return

Last July, in the co-main event of the stacked UFC 200, former UFC heavyweight champion and long-time WWE star Brock Lesnar made a return to the Octagon after a hiatus of many years. He did so against Mark Hunt for a substantial $2.5 million payday.

Lesnar would win this fight, relying on his wrestling to capture a dominant unanimous decision win. Unfortunately, he tested positive for the banned substance clomiphene shortly thereafter, and his win over Hunt was overturned.

Given that Lesnar’s UFC 200 return had been labelled a “one-off” from the get-go, the possibility of his taking another fight in the Octagon seemed unlikely. When he tested positive and was dealt a one-year suspension by USADA, the chances of the 40-year-old returning to the cage for another fight seemed almost non-existent.

Yesterday, however, a Tweet from Twitter user @Talk_MMA, who has broken news in the past, suggested that a Lesnar return to the Octagon is “imminent.”

Paul Heyman and Brock were at the UFC HQ during IFW. Had a meeting with the UFC brass. Brock’s return is eminent. Most likely at MSG on Nov4

— #Dizz © (@TalkMMA) July 19, 2017

I just had a 2nd person tell me that Brock Lesnar is back in the USADA testing pool. Rumor around WWE is Brock is dropping the belt at SS.

— #Dizz © (@TalkMMA) July 19, 2017

Unfortunately for anyone who was excited about the possibility of a Lesnar return, the UFC has done all they can to thwart this rumor.

In a statement to MMAJunkie.com, UFC Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance Jeff Novitzky assured there is “zero chance” of a Lesnar return, as the former champ is not enrolled in the USADA testing pool.

“(Lesnar) is not currently enrolled in the USADA testing pool, nor has there been any inquiry on his part to do so,” Novitzky said.

Novitzky then followed up with MMAFighting.com, further squashing this report.

“If he ever re-entered the program, he’d have to serve [the duration of the suspension] before he’d be able to compete.”

Because Lesnar retired half-way through his USADA-administered suspension, he would have to un-retire (via written notice), re-enter the testing pool, and serve the remainder of his suspension before he would be eligible to compete again.

Do you think Brock Lesnar will return to the cage?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 7/19/2017.