B. Lesnar (photo) is one of the biggest PPV sellers in UFC history. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
Rumors frequently appear in the international press involving the return of Brock Lesnar to MMA. The former UFC heavyweight champion, who has not competed since 2011, is currently dedicated to pro wrestling in the WWE organization, the biggest in the business, but he will be able to return to fighting with the end of his current contract, at the beginning of next year.
And, given the possibility of Lesnar returning to MMA, Bellator, the UFC's main competitor, wants to enter the race to sign the North American giant. “We haven’t talked yet, but we would like to talk at some point,” explained Scott Coker, president of Bellator, in an interview with “The MMA Hour” podcast.
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Coker believes Lesnar would be a huge asset on television broadcasts, as Bellator maintains a partnership with cable channel Spike TV. “We will try to talk to all the athletes who are available and who want to fight, like Brock Lesnar. Because if they attract attention, we'll want them on television. I think he's a huge attraction – many years have passed [since he last fought MMA], but he still has the WWE spotlight. So he still has a lot of that star power. And, if he really wants to fight, he will commit a lot,” he said.
Lesnar had a relatively short MMA career, which went from 2007 to 2011. During this period, the American defeated names like Frank mir, Heath Herring, Shane carwin and Randy Couture and was UFC champion between 2008 and 2010, losing the belt to Cain Velazquez. During this period, Lesnar helped record UFC pay-per-view sales, with 1,6 million at UFC 100. In his last fight to date, he was defeated by alistair overeem by technical knockout.
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