Brock Lesnar is one of the most popular athletes around the world. He is known for both his career in professional wrestling and MMA. While Brock has a great fan following among WWE fans, he was a great attraction for the UFC as well and dominated the octagon during his tenure with the promotion. He is one of the contributors who helped take the sport to a new level of popularity. “The Beast Incarnate” is a well-known figure about whom the fans know many things, but they certainly don’t know everything about his career.
Lost his debut fight
Brock Lesnar is a great wrestler and has showcased his incredible skills in the ring several times. Because he is a former champion and a major wrestler, many people assume that he was great from the beginning. While Lesnar was impressive in his first fight, he lost his UFC debut. Brock faced Frank Mir at UFC 81 and was handed his first defeat inside the octagon via submission. This fueled his love for the sport and he continued to fight.
Trained for two years
Since Brock was a famous figure in the WWE world, many people thought that he entered the UFC without any training or practice. However, this is not the case, as Brock trained for two years at the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy. Here he developed his skills after building an interest in the sport during his time in New Japan Pro Wrestling. He trained well and found success in the UFC octagon, proving that he didn’t just get into the business because of wrestling.
Ended Herring’s career
Brock Lesnar faced off against Heath Herring at UFC 87 and put up an amazing performance in the octagon. He won the match by unanimous decision and went on to have a great career. However, a lot of fans forgot about Herring because it was his last fight in the UFC. Lesnar broke Herring’s orbital bone with his first punch of the fight that night, demonstrating his power. Heath returned to the sport after eight years and fought two bouts in Rizin and lost both.
Turning on Audience
Brock Lesnar’s performance at the UFC 100 is one of the most remarkable ones. But most people remember it for his statements about Bud Light. However, some people may have forgotten how the live crowd reacted after their fight that night. “The Conqueror” dominated the fight and defeated Frank Mir by TKO, giving the best performance of his MMA career. However, after the fight ended, fans in the audience began to boo him. This led to Lesnar turning on them and making his feelings known.
Brock’s return caused a known journalist to be banned
Ariel Helwani, a well-known journalist in the MMA community, is someone who has flown the flag for the sport and especially the UFC. However, he received a lifetime ban from Dana White, and this was slightly because of Brock Lesnar’s return. However, Ariel did not do anything wrong, as he heard that Brock was returning at UFC 200. As a journalist, he decided to report the news, but it seems Dana White wanted to keep this a surprise, so he was not impressed by the act.
A serious illness
MMA fighters face many hardships during their careers, such as injuries and health problems. But Brock Lesnar’s diverticulitis problem was very serious and due to this, he almost lost his life. He eventually had a piece of his colon removed that was 12 inches long, showing how serious the problem was for him. Brock was still able to fight, which is a clear sign of not only his physical strength but also his mental toughness.
Publicly bashed Canada’s healthcare
Talking of Brock’s health, this brings up another moment fans might not know about during his time in the UFC. Lesnar is someone who has never been shy about speaking his mind, so he once publicly criticized Canada’s healthcare system and claimed it was like a third-world country. This comment certainly garnered a lot of attention at the time.
Box Office Draw
Brock Lesnar has been a controversial figure throughout his career, but there is no doubt that he had a great impact on the UFC during his tenure with them. He was a box office attraction, drawing not only wrestling fans but also MMA fans who wanted to see him complete. His UFC 100 fight against Frank Mir remains in the top five of the UFC’s highest box office buys of all time, showing how popular he was. The event saw 1.6 million purchases, proving it was great for business.
A strange confrontation with The Undertaker
Brock Lesnar has been back and forth between WWE and UFC many times. At UFC 121, he was firmly committed to his MMA career. However, after his fight that night, Lesnar had a strange confrontation on camera with The Undertaker, who was in the crowd that night. This is something that Taker planned at the time to potentially set up a wrestling match. Lesnar was at the peak of his UFC career and was sowing the seeds for other things, that shows his astute business mind.
Got 2.5 million for one fight
Brock Lesnar’s last MMA fight took place at UFC 200. He faced Mark Hunt that night and was paid handsomely for his appearance at the event. This was his highest pay day during his entire tenure with the UFC. Lesnar made $2.5 million for that fight, which is a great amount for just one fight. Although he had to pay a fine after failing his drug test, that was a very small amount compared to the pay he received.
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