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| by interbeat |
There was fuel for the fire when Lesnar reportedly walked out of a RAW show in Nashville in February. There were said to be problems with the "business relationship" between Lesnar and the company and that may well have opened the door to a UFC return, or at the very least potentially made him question where he will offer his services in the near future.
Since his return to the ring in 2012, Lesnar has been a prominent feature. He won the heavyweight championship for a fourth time last year and still has the belt, making him a leading light for the WWE. His manager, Paul Heyman, suggested that he could be eager to unify the titles "if that's what he wants to do".
Even more signs seem to point Lesnar in the direction of the cage rather than the ring, with the UFC's Dana White the latest to chime in on the subject. After inviting Lesnar to UFC 184 and courting the former champion, White revealed that he would definitely put a proposition to him when he became a free agent.
Recent acquisition Phil Brooks, known as CM Punk, also revealed that he had spoken with Lesnar with regards to his own change of codes, and said that he'd love to see Lesnar back in the Octagon.
There's every chance these kinds of conversations will be reigniting Lesnar's competitive flame. As an elite level collegiate wrestler, he brought technical ability without having to start from scratch. His abnormal athleticism meant that he was contending for the world title within just four fights. That is unheard of in the fight game.
When you've grown up with that element of competition, it's hard to put on the shelf no matter how hard you try. Lesnar will feel like he has unfinished business after exiting the UFC with back-to-back knockout losses. As the likes of the Undertaker and Sting are showing us, you can stay in the wrestling game well into middle age. But Lesnar's clock is ticking on his time to be active in mixed martial arts.
There are narratives that write themselves, such as a third Frank Mir fight. That would put Lesnar right back into the fray amongst the division's top competitors. Cain Velasquez holds a win over Lesnar and will come in at 1/4 with betfair at the time of writing to use his superior wrestling and retain his title against Fabricio Werdum. With PPV buys in general on the decline, the UFC would throw cash Lesnar's way in the knowledge that he is a guaranteed hit, and has been every time he's been on a card. If he could string some wins together and get back towards the heavyweight gold, the numbers would be unprecedented.
As it stands, nobody knows for sure. But the next few weeks will reveal a lot about the future of the crossover superstar.
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