Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar last night said he is "officially closing the door on MMA" after signing a contract extension with WWE. Making the announcement live on ESPN's "SportsCenter," Lesnar said WWE Chair Vince McMahon "put the offer on the table that I couldn't refuse." Lesnar's contract had been set to expire following Sunday's WrestleMania 31, where he is defending the world heavyweight championship against Roman Reigns. Lesnar said, "When it comes down to business and money and health and well-being, I've been on both sides of the spectrum. I've been in a bad position with my health, I've been in a bad position with my money. Now I'm in a great position with both and I'm happy." Lesnar said he had thought about a possible return to UFC for a year and for the last two-and-a-half months had been "training to get back into the octagon." Lesnar: "But something lacked mentally, and that's not good." He said he talked to both UFC co-Chair & CEO Lorenzo Fertitta and President Dana White about a possible return and had "many sleepless nights on what to do." Lesnar: "At the end of the day, it weighed heavily on my heart that I was born to be an entertainer, and I have fun doing it" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 3/24). White said Lesnar called him to tell him his announcement before making it public. He said, "This is a sport where you’ve got to be all in. … Brock had a really good stint here, he did some amazing things, and it was fun to have him” (FOXSPORTS.com, 3/24). FOXSPORTS.com's Damon Martin wrote Lesnar with WWE "works a limited schedule with only so many appearances contracted throughout any given calendar year." The schedule allows Lesnar to "spend time at home with his wife and kids and not be on the road for the majority of the year like most professional wrestlers" (FOXSPORTS.com, 3/24).
NOT AN EASY CHOICE: The AP's Greg Beacham notes UFC "didn't allow Lesnar to shut the octagon door easily: Lesnar said he turned down an offer worth '10 times' what he was making earlier in his MMA career." Fertitta "even attempted to increase the temptation" when Lesnar called him and White "to tell them his decision while driving into the parking garage" at ESPN's L.A. studios. Lesnar: "Lorenzo said to me, 'Can we sharpen our pencil? Can we double it?' I said, 'It's not about that. I'm calling you to tell you where my heart is, and it's not about the money.' And then in the back of my mind, I'm thinking, 'Well, yeah, it is about the money, but I don't have to beat myself up for it.' To prepare for another MMA fight, we're talking 16, 18 weeks of pure hell, and then the cage door shuts and it's on." White previously has called Lesnar the "biggest draw in MMA history" (AP, 3/25). ESPN.com's Brett Okamoto noted Lesnar last month "was seen cageside" at UFC 184, sparking rumors of a possible return. But Fertitta said that the two sides "did not negotiate Lesnar's return" while there. Fertitta: "He just wanted to come to the fight and I think feel it again, feel the energy. Remember what it was like to be part of the UFC" (ESPN.com, 3/24).
