Why Brock Lesnar Never Fought UFC Legend Daniel Cormier, Explained
Mia Walsh Read update
- Brock Lesnar is a fascinating figure in combat sports. A big part of that owes to his versatility. The Beast adapted from a high-level amateur wrestling career to the world of pro wrestling as well, if not better than anyone and did so remarkably quickly. From there, he made a no less unlikely transition to mixed martial arts, arriving as a champion in that format as well. Daniel Cormier remains one of the biggest questions marks in Lesnar's MMA career, as the wheels were in motion for them to collide in the Octagon but it never came to pass. As years go by, the prospect of this confrontation feel less and less likely and yet there remains the possibility of them still locking horn either in UFC or under the WWE banner.
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Aside from his success in the professional wrestling industry, there was a time when Brock Lesnar took the MMA world by storm when signing with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in late 2007. Lesnar went on to have a successful UFC run that included winning the UFC Heavyweight Championship in his fourth-ever professional fight. Because of the name value he created in the MMA business, there was a real possibility of Brock Lesnar returning to UFC to fight former UFC Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier, especially when Lesnar made an appearance at a 2018 UFC PPV and confronted him. However, despite massive speculation that it would come to fruition, the fight between Brock Lesnar and Daniel Cormier never happened and most likely never will.
UPDATE: 2024/01/30 14:30 EST BY MICHAEL CHIN
Brock Lesnar is a fascinating figure in combat sports. A big part of that owes to his versatility. The Beast adapted from a high-level amateur wrestling career to the world of pro wrestling as well, if not better than anyone and did so remarkably quickly. From there, he made a no less unlikely transition to mixed martial arts, arriving as a champion in that format as well. Daniel Cormier remains one of the biggest questions marks in Lesnar's MMA career, as the wheels were in motion for them to collide in the Octagon but it never came to pass. As years go by, the prospect of this confrontation feel less and less likely and yet there remains the possibility of them still locking horn either in UFC or under the WWE banner.
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Brock Lesnar's Experience, Athleticism, And Size Allowed Him To Transition From Pro Wrestling To MMA
- Brock Lesnar enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top of WWE.
- Brock Lesnar intended to pursue football upon his abrupt departure from WWE.
- Brock Lesnar arrived as an elite MMA fighter and major draw for UFC.
Whether one likes it or not, Brock Lesnar's among the all-time greatest WWE superstars in the company's history. Someone who broke out into superstardom only months after making his debut the night after WrestleMania 18, in two years on the main roster, Lesnar had one of the most accomplished careers that anyone in the business could ever want.
When Lesnar departed from WWE in mid-2004 to pursue a career in football, he had "big-name" written all over him. After his NFL aspirations didn't work out, he took up a career in professional fighting a few years later. Despite only having one fight under his belt, Brock Lesnar managed to sign with the UFC in mid-2007.
Upon arrival, much like his first run in WWE, Lesnar became one of the biggest stars in MMA in very little time. Less than a year after making his UFC debut, Lesnar defeated UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship, proving to his doubters that he was to be taken seriously.
Brock Lesnar was a massive PPV draw for UFC, going as far as formerly holding a PPV record of 1.6 million buys when headlining the historic UFC 100 by successfully defending his UFC Heavyweight Championship against Frank Mir. Even after leaving UFC and retiring from his MMA career in late 2011, Lesnar's name value in the MMA business had people speculating on whether he'd return someday for a megafight.
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2018 Saw Brock Lesnar Confront UFC Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier
- Brock Lesnar returned to UFC for one fight in 2016.
- Brock Lesnar made a surprise appearance at UFC 226 in 2018.
- Brock Lesnar stormed the cage and confronted new UFC Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier.
After Brock Lesnar returned for a one-fight deal at UFC 200 in 2016, speculation on whether he'd fight again continued despite still being under contract with WWE. A few years later, when Daniel Cormier won the UFC Heavyweight Championship from Stipe Miocic at UFC 226 in 2018, he called out Lesnar during his post-fight interview. As Lesnar was in attendance at the PPV, he stormed into the Octagon and declared that he would be chasing after Cormier's title belt.
Brock Lesnar may have been the reigning Universal Champion in WWE at the time, but that didn't stop him from possibly becoming UFC Heavyweight Champion again. It's also worth mentioning that, according to USADA, Brock Lesnar had been tested multiple times throughout 2018 for performance-enhancing drugs.
When Brock Lesnar eventually lost the Universal Championship belt to Roman Reigns at SummerSlam 2018, it may have been an indication that he was going to take a lot of time off from WWE to focus on his upcoming fight with Daniel Cormier. However, the megafight between Lesnar and Cormier was never announced.
Brock Lesnar Ended Up Choosing WWE Over The UFC
With MMA And Pro Wrestling Both On The Table, Brock Lesnar Resumed His WWE Career
- Rumors emerged that Brock Lesnar didn't appreciate UFC's PPV model.
- Dana White suggested WWE simply offered Brock Lesnar more money than UFC.
- Brock Lesnar has consistently worked in a featured role for WWE.
Despite rumors speculating that Brock Lesnar didn't like UFC's PPV business with ESPN, Dana White explained in an interview with Brett Okamoto of ESPN that the reason the fight never happened was because WWE offered him a better deal to stay with the company. Now that Lesnar's much older and Cormier retired from MMA in 2020, the fight between the two seems highly unlikely.
Brock Lesnar’s Return To The UFC Ruined His 2016 Year In WWE
When Brock Lesnar announced that he would be returning to UFC for one fight in 2016, it changed how WWE handled him as a performer.Brock Lesnar may have had aspirations to become UFC Champion again, but one could imagine that it would be hard for someone like him to turn down a lucrative deal to wrestle part-time. Furthermore, shortly after losing the Universal Championship at SummerSlam 2018, Lesnar returned to WWE at Hell in a Cell and regained his Universal Championship belt soon after.
Never Say Never On Brock Lesnar Vs. Daniel Cormier
The Collision Between Daniel Cormier And Brock Lesnar Could Still Happen, Be It In UFC Or WWE
- As time goes on, a fight between Brock Lesnar and Daniel Cormier does feel less and less likely.
- There is speculation about Brock Lesnar fighting one more time at UFC 300.
- Daniel Cormier has worked with WWE.
With each passing year and career decision on the parts of both Brock Lesnar and Daniel Cormier, it only feels less likely that fans will ever see these two do battle. However, if the worlds of pro wrestling and mixed martial arts have taught us anything, it's to expect the unexpected and never say never.
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Wrestling fans had some expectations for certain moments in 2023, but WWE didn't deliver them for better or worse.The rumor mill has started to speculate about Lesnar staging a return to the Octagon at UFC 300 in April. Cormier would have to come out of retirement, too, to make a fight happen, but there's no denying that, even now, this would be a big money opportunity for everyone involved. On the flip side, Cormier has dipped his toe into the world of WWE. In 2022, he served as the guest referee for the Fight Pit match between Seth Rollins and Matt Riddle that headlined the Extreme Rules PPV. Though Cormier's work wasn't all that well received by fans, it could nonetheless mark an entry point for him into sports entertainment, and booking a match between him and Lesnar--in the tradition of The Beast reprising an MMA rivlary in a WWE ring with Cain Velasquez--could also be a natural story to tell.
In reality, the narrow window for Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Cormier in any context has probably passed. Still, the set-up was there and fans who crossover between MMA and pro wrestling in particular will always be intrigued by the possibilities that such a matchup represented.
