LOS ANGELES — Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar ruled out a return to mixed martial arts on Tuesday, ending three years of speculation about the biggest pay-per-view star in the sport’s history.
LOS ANGELES — Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar ruled out a return to mixed martial arts on Tuesday, ending three years of speculation about the biggest pay-per-view star in the sport’s history.
Lesnar announced he had re-signed with the WWE in an interview on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”
Moments after his announcement, Lesnar told The Associated Press he was in training for a UFC return as recently as last week, even though he had developed conflicted feelings about it over the previous month.
He finally decided to stick with professional wrestling only in the past two days, signing his new three-year deal with the WWE on Monday night when the promotion increased its financial offer.
“The fighter in me wants to continue, but at this stage in my life, it ain’t just about me anymore,” Lesnar told The AP. “You put your pride to the side. You hug your wife and your kids. I’m a 37-year-old man, and some days I feel like I’m 80, just with all the things I’ve experienced, all the things I’ve done. I feel fortunate about it. It’s like, what else can I do? Why go backward?”
More than a year after Lesnar first began working on an MMA comeback, he decided his long-term health was more important than his hunger to return to competitive sports.
The UFC didn’t allow Lesnar to shut the octagon door easily: Lesnar said he turned down an offer worth “10 times” what he was making earlier in his MMA career.
UFC Chairman Lorenzo Fertitta even attempted to increase the temptation when Lesnar phoned Fertitta and UFC President Dana White to tell them his decision while driving into the parking garage at ESPN’s downtown Los Angeles studios.
“I’m riding the caboose of my sports career,” Lesnar said, waving his hand in the air. “I just barely caught this thing. I’ll see you the next time.”