When Brock Lesnar folded to a body kick from Alistair Overeem in the main event of UFC 141 it signaled the end of Brock’s career in the UFC. While Brock retired in the cage after the loss, I was hit with several messages from people whose opinions I respect saying that it appeared Brock was just in the cage for a paycheck.
The fact that he didn’t shoot for more than one half-hearted takedown attempt against the dangerous Dutch striker had some people questioning if Lesnar truly showed up with a strategy focused on winning. Former WWE roster-mate, Chris Jericho suggested it was something more than simply a less than all-out effort to win. Via Jericho’s Twitter:
To be clear, I think Jericho’s claim is crazy. I don’t think Lesnar was taking a dive, I just think he wasn’t fully there in the cage. Which may be a signal that it really is the right time to step away from the UFC.