It was announced on ESPN SportsCenter today that Brock Lesnar's UFC return on July 9th at UFC 200 in Las Vegas will be against Mark Hunt.
Lesnar said he couldn't deal with the decision he made in 2015, to walk away from the Octagon, for good. Lesnar said the decision has haunted him for the past 15 months and he couldn't live with that any longer. Lesnar also said it was his decision to come back. He woke up every morning questioning his decision. Lesnar said he told no one that the decision was haunting him, not even his wife. Lesnar said the true competitor inside of him is alive and well, and he has to do this.
Lesnar said he wasn't at the top of his game at the top of his career, due to the diverticulitis. Lesnar said in his mind, he never lost to an opponent, he lost to diverticulitis. Lesnar said his performance was due to the illness but he's here today, feeling a thousand percent. Lesnar said he would not return to the Octagon if he didn't. He's not faking this, this is for real and he's excited.
His opponent will be Mark Hunt, who just signed his deal this morning. Lesnar said he had no hand in picking the opponent but he's never turned down a fight either. Lesnar went on and said he's a grappler at heart, Hunt is a hard-hitter, and he believes they match-up very well. Lesnar admitted he needs to work on his stand-up game but he's excited about the fight.
Lesnar also shot down speculation that Dana White called him because they needed to fill a big void at UFC 200. Lesnar said he made the call and asked about getting on the UFC 200 card. Lesnar said he is still under contract to WWE but he just went in and had a talk with Vince McMahon, laying out what looks to be big business. Lesnar talked about both companies having faith in him to get back in the Octagon but would not answer whether or not WWE is getting anything in return. Lesnar went on to call himself a prize fighter and said all sides are making money here. Lesnar said it's not just about the money as this is coming from his heart. Lesnar wouldn't say how much he's making from this fight but said there are lots of zeros behind it.
Lesnar also plugged SummerSlam in August and said he's a busy bee. He's not sure of his SummerSlam opponent but he knows he's on the card.