Brock Lesnar has always been a beast in the octagon, as Daniel Cormier saw for the first time over 20 years ago.
The former UFC Heavyweight champion was an accomplished athlete years before he made his debut in MMA.
Even before his stint in WWE, Brock Lesnar was an NCAA Champion in collegiate wrestling, after placing fifth in the 275 lb division of the National Junior College Athletic Association.
This is where Daniel Cormier first laid eyes on Lesnar and was impressed at what he saw from the future UFC great.
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Daniel Cormier was amazed at Brock Lesnar wrestling in junior college
In a conversation with Lesnar, Cormier revealed how shocked he was seeing Lesnar wrestle as a junior in college before making it big in the UFC.
The former UFC Heavyweight champion interviewed the former WWE Champion for ESPN in the build-up to WrestleMania 39, where they recalled first meeting as teenagers in college.
Cormier thought ‘Who is this guy?’ when he saw Lesnar for the first time, amazed at his wrestling ability before he became an NCAA Champion.
Cormier said: “The first time I saw you, we were both thrust into the junior college national championships. I was 197, your heavyweight, and I said, ‘Who is this guy?’
“That group of finalists at the end of junior college, we all wrestled in the NCAA finals years later. I saw you in your NCAA title match.
“Could you ever imagine that this would be your life, though? Like, it’s crazy.”
The pair wrestled at different weight classes, so never faced off in college, but Cormier and Lesnar had a scrap in the octagon years later.
Brock Lesnar and Daniel Cormier teased a fight before he re-signed for WWE
The fight between Lesnar and Cormier almost came to fruition in 2018, after they went face-to-face in the octagon following Cormier’s world Heavyweight title win over Stipe Miocic at UFC 226.
Following the bout, he called out Lesnar to meet him in the octagon, challenging him to a fight.
Lesnar immediately ran in to push the new champion, grinning from ear to ear as the two friends tried to sell the fight to the cheering crowd in attendance.
Lesnar ran down Francis Ngannou and Miocic before warning, “DC, I’m coming for you”. Sadly, he re-signed with the WWE soon after, and that bout never materialized.