One of the biggest pay-per-view stars in the UFC’s fold during his prime, Brock Lesnar skirted the chance to make an Octagon comeback despite a gigantic offer.
A former undisputed heavyweight champion, Brock Lesnar has traded time between the cage and the ring during his career, featuring prominently for the WWE and the UFC during his high-profile run.
And achieving massive fandom and success in both fields during his career, Lesnar initially turned to mixed martial arts after his WWE exit back in 2008.
However, after his initial Octagon exit, Lesnar boldly claimed he had shut down a seismic offer to make good on a return to the UFC heavyweight division.
Brock Lesnar described thoughts of a UFC comeback as ‘pure hell’
Eventually landing back in the UFC as part of a huge summer of 2016 for the promotion, Lesnar had been sidelined from combat sports since his savage knockout loss to Alistair Overeem five years prior.
And returning to the WWE in the time since, Lesnar was offered “ten times more” than he had received during his first run with the Octagon leader — one he elected to turn down.
“I’m officially closing the door on MMA,” Lesnar told ESPN in 2015. “It was hard. I re-signed (Monday) night with the WWE. We came to a conclusion last night. The offer on the table, I just could not refuse.”
A massive pay-per-view attraction during his title run with the UFC, Lesnar claimed thoughts of a potential Octagon return and a gruelling training camp were nothing but “pure hell” for him to endure.
“Lorenzo (Fertitta) said to me, ‘Can we sharpen our pencil? Can we double it?'” Lesnar explained. “I said, ‘It’s not about that. I’m calling you to tell you where my heart is, and it’s not about the money.’
“And then in the back of my mind, I’m thinking, ‘Well, yeah, it is about the money, but I don’t have to beat myself up for it.’ To prepare for another MMA fight, we’re talking 16, 18 weeks of pure hell, and then the cage door shuts and it’s on.”
However, Lesnar could not be held away from the Octagon for much longer.
Brock Lesnar’s record-breaking UFC 200 comeback
Just a year after re-upping with the WWE, Lesnar had penned a deal to feature in his first mixed martial arts outing in five years, returning to compete at UFC 205.
And taking on former interim title challenger Mark Hunt, Lesnar was drafted onto the card in place of Conor McGregor, who ditched a rematch with Nate Diaz, initially scheduled to headline the monumental event.
Breaking a long-standing record in the process, Lesnar is reported to have landed a huge $2.5 million payday for his return, a then-record fight purse for a fighter in the organization.