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Tag: Brock Lesnar

  • Brock Lesnar: Dana White Refused My Calls Before I Crashed a UFC Event

    Before former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar ever threw a punch in the UFC, he was buying nosebleed seats and scaling security barriers just to get a meeting with UFC CEO Dana White.

    Lesnar revealed the full story on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, detailing how his path to the UFC was anything but straightforward. After parting ways with WWE (despite a 10-year deal worth $20 million guaranteed) he got cut from the Minnesota Vikings, found the IRS at his door, fought a custody battle for his daughter, and got sued by Vince McMahon for violating a non-compete clause.

    “It was a tough time in my life from 2004 to 2006,” Lesnar said.

    He eventually found work in Japan, where a K-1 promoter introduced him to MMA. After a quick stoppage win in Los Angeles, Lesnar set his sights on the UFC but couldn’t get anyone to pick up the phone.

    “Dana White wanted nothing to do with me,” he said. “He wouldn’t return my phone calls.”

    So Lesnar took matters into his own hands. He bought four nosebleed tickets to a UFC event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, watched Randy Couture win the heavyweight title, then vaulted the security barrier and introduced himself ringside.

    “I grabbed Dana and I introduced myself: ‘I’m Brock Lesnar,’” he said. “We went to the back and he said ‘I’ll give you a shot.’ He gave me a one-fight deal.”

    That fight was against Frank Mir, and Lesnar tapped out in 90 seconds. He assumed it was over. Then White walked into his locker room with news about the pay-per-view numbers.

    “Dana comes in: ‘you’re not done.’ And the next day we negotiated a real contract.”

    Lesnar went on to steamroll Heath Herring and defeat Couture for the UFC heavyweight title. He defended it twice before diverticulitis nearly killed him. ‘The Beast’ then made a dramatic comeback against Shane Carwin before eventually losing the belt to Cain Velasquez. His final UFC appearance, a win over Mark Hunt at UFC 200, was later overturned due to a failed drug test.

    “I look back now and I can’t believe I did it,” Lesnar said. “I want nothing to do with it now.”

    Brock Lesnar is currently involved in a feud with Oba Femi and they will lock horns at the upcoming WWE WrestleMania 42 Premium Live Event.

  • Daniel Cormier Explains Why Brock Lesnar was The Easiest Matchup For Him

    Daniel Cormier Explains Why Brock Lesnar was The Easiest Matchup For Him

    UFC commentator Daniel Cormier has explained why he believes Brock Lesnar would’ve been a relatively easy matchup for him if the planned fight had gone ahead many years ago.

    As we know, Daniel Cormier is a legend in the world of mixed martial arts. He’s a two-weight world champion, capturing the second of those two titles by knocking out Stipe Miocic to become UFC heavyweight champ. In the aftermath of that victory, DC was greeted in the cage by Brock Lesnar, with the expectation being that the two would eventually square off for the strap.

    Unfortunately, it never quite came to fruition. Daniel Cormier, who is known to be a fan of professional wrestling, would’ve likely loved playing up to the crowd and building the hype for a fight between himself and Lesnar. Alas, it never happened, and we’ll always have to wonder what could’ve been.

    In a recent interview, however, Daniel Cormier made it pretty clear what he thinks would’ve gone down if these two had collided.

    Daniel Cormier’s view on fighting Brock Lesnar

    “The WWE got him. They took him back. That was my golden goose. It was one of the safest fights I could have had. It’s just the truth. I watch what Cain did to him. I saw Brock recently, and he still has that scar under his eye from when Cain kneed him in the face.”

    Regardless of what would’ve happened, we all know what did happen – Cormier built a legacy for himself that will be remembered for many, many years to come.

  • Brock Lesnar’s Return Gets a Mixed Reaction from the Live WWE Audience at SummerSlam

    Brock Lesnar’s Return Gets a Mixed Reaction from the Live WWE Audience at SummerSlam

    Brock Lesnar’s return to the WWE did not go well.

    On Saturday night, World Wrestling Entertainment presented it’s 38th annual SummerSlam event, emanating from MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. While the two-night show failed to deliver on multiple levels, it featured a series of big moments, including Seth Rollins cashing in his Money in the Bank mere moments after CM Punk defeated Gunther to win the world heavyweight championship.

    But as crazy as that was, nobody expected what would come the following night.

    Shortly after Cody Rhodes defeated John Cena to reclaim the undisputed WWE championship, Cena’s final SummerSlam moment was spoiled by Brock Lesnar, who made his first promotional appearance in two years. During that time away, Lesnar was thought to have been banned from WWE after being named in the sexual misconduct federal lawsuit against Vince McMahon.

    As it turns out, that was not the case, and fans were less than enthused with Lesnar’s surprise comeback. Check out the clip below courtesy of Ariel Helwani.

    Brock Lesnar’s WWE return is an attempt to “sweep misconduct under the rug”

    In a suit filed by former WWE employee Janel Grant, she alleged that McMahon told her to produce “personalized sexual content” for Lesnar as a means of keeping the former UFC heavyweight titleholder under contract. Grant also claimed that McMahon flew Lesnar to Connecticut for a sexual encounter that ultimately did not occur.

    Grant’s representation issued a statement to Fightful regarding Lesnar’s return to WWE.

    “For far too long, abuse was allowed to thrive under WWE’s leadership,” the statement Reads. “Instead of righting this wrong, WWE has done nothing to ensure those responsible are held accountable.

    “This attempt to sweep misconduct under the rug will backfire,” the statement continued. “We look forward to the full set of facts, including those about Mr. Lesnar, coming out in a court of law where they belong but, in the meantime, we refer you back to Janel Grant’s updated complaint, which outlines, in detail, the abuse she endured by McMahon and others while employed at WWE.”

  • Cain Velasquez Recalls Preparation That Went Into Beating Brock Lesnar

    Cain Velasquez Recalls Preparation That Went Into Beating Brock Lesnar

    Cain Velasquez’s victory over Brock Lesnar at UFC 121 on October 23, 2010, remains a landmark moment in MMA history.

    In that bout, Velasquez showcased his superior striking and wrestling prowess, relentlessly dominating the professional wrestling star and securing a first-round TKO. 

    This decisive win exposed Lesnar’s vulnerability against elite strikers who possess strong takedown defense. While appearing on Beyond The Belt, the former UFC fighter discussed the fight.

    “I probably weighed in at, like, 240-something going in,” Cain Velasquez said. “My strong suits with him, I was very good at getting off on the bottom. We did this in college wrestling a lot. I was just very good at getting up from the bottom, so I knew if I were to get stuck there, then it could be a long night for me, but we worked on that over and over again with DC. We had another national champion heavyweight wrestler come in.

    “We started in the worst positions, whatever (coach) Bob (Cook) said, in the middle of sparring, I had to lay down on my back with 16-ounce gloves and had DC lay on top of me and that’s where we started from multiple times a round,” Velasquez continued. “So I was very good at getting up from the bottom, especially for that camp, and I knew I just had to keep it on the feet with strikes. Just the pressure of everything, but it didn’t matter for me. My mentality was I didn’t care if I lost or won, I’m just going to give you what I have. That’s it. That’s all I could do.”

    Nearly a decade later, the two crossed paths again, this time in the world of pro wrestling.

    In 2019, Velasquez made his WWE debut, confronting Lesnar on SmackDown’s FOX premiere after “The Beast Incranate’s” quick victory over Kofi Kingston for the WWE Championship. 

    Their WWE encounter at Crown Jewel 2019 was much different than their UFC fight. Lesnar was booked to decisively defeat Velasquez in approximately two minutes via kimura submission. Velasquez’s WWE tenure ended the following year.

  • Chael Sonnen Remembers Poor Experience Watching Iconic WWE Fight To Support Dana White

    Chael Sonnen Remembers Poor Experience Watching Iconic WWE Fight To Support Dana White

    The UFC has been around for over three decades and the organization has held stadium shows only four times to date. These events took place in Canada, Australia, Sweden, and Brazil.

    While tons of fans in the United States and the United Kingdom look forward to attending a UFC event in a stadium, Dana White remains adamant about using arenas. He believes that the viewing experience is hindered in a stadium, but many argue that’s not the case, because most of the audience watches the event on a screen in an arena too.

    Here’s what Chael Sonnen thinks about the UFC using stadiums over arenas for events…

    Chael Sonnen Reveals Several Problems With Stadiums While Looking Back At Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle

    Sonnen discussed whether stadiums are the right venue for combat sports events on his YouTube channel recently. He was reacting to White’s latest comments about stadiums ruining the viewing experience for fans.

    “The American Gangster” brought up the time he spent $70 in 2003 to watch Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle. It is one of the most memorable matches in WWE history because Lesnar landed on his face while attempting a Shooting Star Press on Angle who was a bit too far away.

    “Brock hits this flip off the top rope, breaks this – I mean it’s this terrible thing, we had no idea. We’re asking this, so are other people with us. What, what, what is happening? And we weren’t towards the roof by the way. Like, if you looked at for the very worst seat in the house, if you were to turn around and look for it, you wouldn’t even be able to recognize the person. They were that far away, it’s just the ring was so much even further away and this is because it was in a stadium.”

    Despite being in the venue when this happened, Sonnen recalls being confused alongside tons of viewers. This was because he could not see the screens properly and the ring was very far to understand what was going on. The UFC veteran highlighted that he didn’t have cheap tickets and wasn’t sitting in the seats furthest from the ring.

    Sonnen then brought up that most stadiums in the US don’t have a roof. While other sports like soccer can continue in rain and relatively bad weather, the same isn’t true for MMA. As a viewer himself, the former UFC title challenger claims that the bigger the venue, the worse is the live viewing experience.

    “I would feel that the bigger venues you go to, the worse the experience gets. I know the further you’re going to park away, I know the longer you’re going to wait in line. I know to get a hot dog is going to take you that much more time,”

    While understanding why fighters would want to perform in sold-out stadiums, Sonnen agrees with White that the UFC should stick to arenas and refrain from stadium shows. On the flip side, many fans would still argue that most of the problems he’s mentioned exist in arenas as well, and stadiums can help many more people watch the event together.

  • Archives: Francis Ngannou Wants Brock Lesnar Back In UFC (2018)

    What do Jon Jones, Tyson Fury, and Brock Lesnar all have in common? All three superstars, at one point or another, have been in the sights of “The Predator.”

    What’s that? You didn’t know current UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou once wanted to fight Brock Lesnar? No worries, the MMA News Archives is here to remind you.

    The following story was published on this day four years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED MARCH 19, 2018, 3:21 PM]

    Title: Francis Ngannou Wants Brock Lesnar Back In UFC

    Author: Andrew Ravens

    Former title contender Francis Ngannou is in an interesting spot right now in his pro-MMA career.

    Ngannou has a few fight options in his future after his latest bout. As seen at the UFC 220 event at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts on pay-per-view, UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic successfully retained his title in the main event by scoring a dominant decision win over the title contender.

    During an appearance on The MMA Hour on Monday, Ngannou addressed a potential fight with former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.

    UFC President Dana White has teased the return of Lesnar to the promotion in the past. The speculation going around is that with Jon Jones being on the sidelines, Lesnar would only return to the UFC for big fights and one of those fights could be against Miocic.

    The current WWE Universal Champion’s contract is up with the WWE in April after WrestleMania 34.

    Lesnar has competed just once inside of the cage since 2011. The former UFC champion holds notable wins over fighters such as Shane Carwin, Randy Couture, and Frank Mir.

    Hard-hitting heavyweight star Mark Hunt is the last man to have fought Lesnar in the Octagon at UFC 200 in 2016. This marked Lesnar’s return to MMA after an almost five-year retirement.

    As seen in the fight, Lesnar won a unanimous decision that night which was subsequently overturned when it was revealed he failed two USADA issued drug tests before the bout. This led to Hunt filing a civil suit against Lesnar and the UFC to settle his grievances.

    “Please Brock, come back, come back my friend. We need you here,” Ngannou said. “We need you to put the fun in this division. I need you to give me that f*cking fight I’ve been waiting for for a long time, I’ve been dreaming for.”

    “It’s up to what (the UFC) want to give me,” Ngannou said. “There are a lot of people out there who want to fight me. I saw Mark Hunt, he would be a great one. By myself, I want Brock. Brock Lesnar.”

    Ngannou was gassed after the first round and lost in a lopsided fashion. Following the fight, Ngannou made it known that this fight was a major learning experience for him. Ngannou had moments of success in the opening two rounds but was unable to counter Miocic’s wrestling-heavy game plan.

    “I like the fight,” Ngannou said. “He look like — I don’t know if you ever seen this guy, he looks very, very big and strong. And I really want to try that. Listen, there are the three ones who want me and me, I want Brock,” Ngannou said.

    What are your thoughts on Lesnar potentially fighting Ngannou?

  • Brock Lesnar Reveals What He Asked Dana White Before MMA Debut

    UFC President Dana White gave former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar his own makeshift Octagon to get ready for his MMA transition.

    Lesnar last fought in MMA at UFC 200, earning a decision win over Mark Hunt that was later overturned to a no-contest. This was after Lesnar tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in a pre-fight test.

    But Lesnar’s MMA career included arguably the best start in the sport’s history. After a professional debut win against Min Soo Kim in K-1 Hero’s, he would win four of his first five fights in the UFC including his heavyweight title win over Randy Couture at UFC 91.

    Lesnar would go on to defend the title against Frank Mir and Shane Carwin before losing it to Cain Velasquez.

    Lesnar made his transition to MMA after a long tenure in professional wrestling. He continues to be a massive star in the WWE, and it wasn’t an easy move to MMA for him.

    During a recent interview on The Pat McAfee Show, Lesnar told a story about the lengths he went to become physically and mentally ready for his UFC debut.

    “Like when you go through the door… I built or ordered an Octagon so I could, didn’t have at first, like, jitters of getting in an Octagon,” Lesnar admitted. “I’m like, ‘Dana, I want an Octagon’ and like, ah boom, [the UFC] shipped an Octagon. So I can fight in it and practice in it, you know? But then you’re in front of 20,000 people and they shut the door and it’s like, ‘Ahhh’.”

    “Boom, then it took off. I fought Heath Herring and then I got Randy Couture and won the belt.” (h/t The Sun)

    While Lesnar has alluded to his cordial relationship with White, he has admitted that he feels he should’ve been compensated more for his efforts. This comes amidst current UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou’s call for a better pay structure for fighters.

    Lesnar continues to be a prominent figure in the WWE and can be seen competing in the promotion’s Monday Night Raw shows, among others.

    Where would you rank Brock Lesnar amongst the best all-time UFC heavyweights?

  • Brock Lesnar On UFC Tenure: “I Probably Should Have Gotten Paid More”

    Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has spoken out on his time with the UFC and how it compared to working for WWE.

    Lesnar remains a massive star in the professional wrestling scene and is one of the biggest personalities in WWE. He also made a name for himself in the Octagon by earning the heavyweight title despite relatively little MMA experience leading up to his 2008 fight against Randy Couture.

    Lesnar retired from the UFC following his loss to Alistair Overeem at UFC 141. After five years away from the sport, he would return for UFC 200 in one of the most highly-anticipated Octagon appearances in recent memory.

    Lesnar last competed in this bout against Mark Hunt. He won the fight via unanimous decision, but the decision was later overturned to a no-contest after Lesnar tested positive for PEDs.

    Lesnar has teased the idea of a return to the UFC, most notably when Daniel Cormier won the title over Stipe Miocic at UFC 226.

    During a recent interview on The Pat McAfee Show, Lesnar revealed what his relationship is like with UFC President Dana White today and how he feels he was treated by the promotion.

    “Dana’s all right,” Lesnar said of White. “I’ve got a lot of money from him. I probably should have got paid more, maybe.”

    Lesnar went on to compare working for White compared to his at-times tumultuous relationship with WWE headman Vince McMahon.

    “I really can’t compare the two guys,” Lesnar said. “Honestly, my relationship with Vince is so different than it is with Dana over the years. Vince and I have had a love-hate relationship for the last 20 years, but it’s been good. We have a lot of water under the bridge. I have a lot of respect for both.”

    Lesnar’s admission that he feels he should’ve been compensated better is eye-opening during the current debate regarding fighter pay. Fighters such as Jorge Masvidal and current heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou have been a couple of the critics of the UFC’s current pay model.

    Lesnar appears to be done with MMA, but the UFC will forever be a part of his athletic legacy.

    What is Brock Lesnar’s legacy in MMA in your opinion?

  • Flashback To Brock Lesnar’s First Retirement From MMA

    It’s now been one decade since Brock Lesnar retired in the Octagon after losing to Alistair Overeem at UFC 141.

    In a rare UFC pay-per-view main event that did not feature a world title on the line, Brock Lesnar made his return after a long struggle with diverticulitis to face Alistair Overeem in The Reem’s promotional debut. After a perfectly placed liver kick, Lesnar crumbled to the canvas, and Overeem was quick to follow up with some strikes to complete the academic ending.

    After the fight, a fan in attendance captured Lesnar’s Octagon interview in which he vowed not to fight again.

    With rumors swirling following Brock Lesnar’s retirement at UFC 141 that he would likely make a return to the WWE at some point in 2012, it wasn’t shocking that UFC President Dana White was questioned about where Lesnar stood with the company following the announcement.

    “When you retire, he retires under contract. I have no idea (how long the contract is). Listen, I’ve had my moments with Brock Lesnar but I’ve had a great relationship with him and we’ll figure it out, no big deal. Never had a situation with a guy where we haven’t done the right thing,” White said.

    Lesnar would indeed return to the WWE in April of 2012 and has competed in the WWE off and on over the past 10 years, mostly working as a part-time performer during this span.

    He also would compete in the Octagon after all at UFC 200. Lesnar defeated Mark Hunt via unanimous decision, but that win was overturned to a no-contest after Lesnar tested positive for clomiphene.

    There were talks of Lesnar potentially returning to fight Daniel Cormier following a UFC 226 post-fight altercation, but Lesnar would instead remain with the WWE and retire from MMA again in 2019.

    The embedded video is posted under the protection of Fair Use for the purpose of news reporting and analysis. The copyright owner may contact us to have it removed.

  • Archives: Cormier’s Unopened Christmas Gift From Brock Lesnar (2018)

    In April of 2018, Daniel Cormier was eying champ-champ status with another gift waiting for him with a win other than just a second world title.

    Prior to UFC 226, Cormier and then-heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic were both teased with the possibility that the winner of their fight could face Brock Lesnar next. That possibility seemed more real than ever when this moment happened after Cormier’s victory.

    Unfortunately, nothing ever came from it, and Lesnar has not competed in the UFC since UFC 200 two years prior.

    Speaking of UFC 200, in the below article, Daniel Cormier recalled back to when Lesnar told him he would be joining that stacked lineup. Cormier may not have received the Christmas gift he was after following UFC 226, but he was more than happy to learn that Santa Lesnar would be coming down to Las Vegas to help him bag some money in 2016.

    The following article is presented in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED APRIL 16, 2018, 12:21 PM]

    Headline: Daniel Cormier Opens Up On Potential Fight With Brock Lesnar

    Author: Andrew Ravens

    Although Daniel Cormier has his next fight lined up, he has his eyes set on a potential fight down the road.

    The light heavyweight champion is slated to take on heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic this summer at the UFC 226 pay-per-view event.

    As seen at the UFC 25 Anniversary press conference earlier this month, UFC President Dana White was asked about the possibility of former heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar fighting the winner of this bout later this year if Lesnar decided to return to the promotion. White stated that it could happen.

    After his fight with hard-hitting Mark Hunt in a heavyweight bout at UFC 200 in July of 2016, which Lesnar won by decision, it was announced that he tested positive for anti-estrogen drugs called clomiphene and hydroxy-clomiphene from his samples that were collected in the weeks leading up to the fight.

    As a result, the Nevada State Athletic Commission gave Lesnar a fine of $250k of his disclosed $2.5 million purse and a one-year suspension. It should be noted that his suspension is up on July 9, 2017 and that he’s still under contract with the WWE. 

    Lesnar has competed just once inside of the cage since 2011. The former UFC champion holds notable wins over fighters such as Shane Carwin Randy Couture and Frank Mir.

    Cormier opened up on the possibility of fighting Lesnar inside the Octagon during a recent interview with MMA Fighting.

    “That thing never happens unless I get past Stipe, but just hearing out loud was like, oh my goodness,” Cormier said. “Hey, I know that when I fight Jon Jones, I make a lot of money. I know that if I was to ever fight a Brock Lesnar, I’m going to make even more money than I’ve ever made in entire life. And ultimately, championships and money is why we do this. I don’t care for all the other stuff. I want to get paid. I’m almost 40, the door’s about to close on me, so why not ride out into the sunset with a massive payday? Truckloads of money. Back up Brinks truck to Gilroy, California if you fight Brock Lesnar, I’m telling you.

    “He told me last time, right? When that thing broke that he was fighting at UFC 200, I said, ‘Big Brock, is it Christmas morning in the Cormier household?’ He goes, ‘Merry Christmas, DC. You’re welcome.’ That’s what he told me. He knows that the money’s coming. When he’s on your card or if you’re fighting against him, he knows that you’re getting paid.”

    What are your thoughts on Lesnar potentially fighting the winner of Miocic – Cormier? Sound off in the comment section below.

  • Chael Sonnen Thinks Brock Lesnar Won Because Of Size, Not Skill

    Former UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen thinks Brock Lesnar, like his old rival Anderson Silva, absolutely sucks.

    Sonnen has never been one to hold back his thoughts on MMA fighters and the latest headlines around the sport. He’s transitioned nicely from a decorated fighting career to a career in the booth, hosting multiple ESPN shows and his own podcast.

    Sonnen, like Lesnar, knows a thing or two about promotion. Lesnar is one of the biggest stars in professional wrestling and has played the role of a heel well in both the WWE and the UFC.

    But aside from his marketing skills, Sonnen doesn’t think that Lesnar amounted to much inside the Octagon. During a recent segment on his Beyond the Fight YouTube show, Sonnen said Lesnar’s success in the UFC was mostly due to his sheer size and physical gifts.

    “Nobody else talks about it,” Sonnen said. “I bring it up to try to prove a point. When you have Francis Ngannou who’s 260 pounds of steel and you put him in with Stipe Miocic who’s 230 pounds, there are 30 pounds the right way disadvantage to Stipe. Brock Lesnar does not enjoy my company. I’ve been around Brock and he’s been a gentleman. But I can tell he’d rather be anywhere else but me.

    Brock Lesnar
    Brock Lesnar

    “But one point that I make about Brock, it’s not meant to (slight) him. Brock was not a very good wrestler. That’s true. Brock never had Olympic aspirations. Brock was 265 pounds of steel. In the NCAA finals, he took on someone who weighed 220 pounds. There is a 45-pound weight discrepancy. It’s a fair point by me and it irritates Brock. But I’m right. I am right when I say it about Francis.”

    Chael Sonnen, Brock Lesnar Are Both Former NCAA Wrestling Stars

    Lesnar exceeded the expectations of many fans when he earned the UFC’s heavyweight title upon signing with the promotion. In what was seen as a sideshow originally, Lesnar developed into one of the biggest stars in the UFC in the late 2000s.

    Sonnen and Lesnar were both standout wrestling during their times in the UFC, and going all the way back to their times competing on the NCAA level. Lesnar earned the 2000 NCAA heavyweight wrestling title at Minnesota, while Sonnen enjoyed moderate success in the Pac-10 conference at Oregon.

    Lesnar and Sonnen are both retired from MMA, despite rumors that Lesnar was interested in a potential return to compete for the UFC heavyweight title. Sonnen left the fight game after his loss to Lyoto Machida at Bellator 222 in 2019.

    Do you agree with Chael Sonnen?