Dana White: UFC was never very close to re-signing Brock Lesnar
For a few months toward the end of 2014 and the start of 2015 it appeared former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar was considering a comeback to the Octagon.
Lesnar battled diverticulitis, an intestinal disease, for a big part of his career with the UFC and was robbed of considerable time both in the cage and in the training room. The result was missing two years of action and Lesnar had become a shell of the beast that once ruled the heavyweight division.
So with his body healthy for the first time in years, Lesnar seemed like he was contemplating another run in the UFC instead of re-signing with World Wrestling Entertainment, where he is one of the company's top draws.
But after months of flirtation with coming back to the UFC, Lesnar ultimately decided to sign a new contract with WWE while officially closing the door on any possible comeback to the Octagon.
Now as it turns out despite all the rumors, hints of ongoing negotiations and even an appearance at UFC 184, Lesnar was never actually close to coming back to mixed martial arts.
"Not very close at all," Dana White said about re-signing Lesnar when speaking to 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C., this week. "We'd known that Brock was probably going to take a pass and go back to wrestling, which was the right move.
"You know, Brock came in here, he did incredible things and he got a great deal from Vince (McMahon). He's 38 years old, man. It makes all the sense in the world."
Lesnar made the announcement on national television just a few days away from WWE Wrestlemania, which is professional wrestling's biggest annual event. His current contract with the company was set to expire just a few days after the show, but Lesnar said he got an offer from McMahon that he couldn't refuse.
As he closes in on 40 soon, Lesnar has put MMA and the UFC behind him once and for all.
