UFC President Dana White has confirmed the organisation never came close to re-signing WWE superstar Brock Lesnar.
The South Dakota native revealed his decision to carry on professional wrestling during an interview with ESPN Sportscenter's Michelle Beadle, reported by WWE at the end of March. Although Lesnar admitted this was "a very hard decision," per MMA Fighting, White has revealed it rarely looked as if he would step into the octagon again.
The UFC chief responded to questioning over how close Lesnar's return came on Thursday, during a chat with radio host Chad Dukes on 106.7 The Fan:
Not very close at all. 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's MMA career was eventful, yet short-lived in comparison to many who spend their lives working toward the professional fight game. He began with a K1 victory over Min Soo Kim in 2007, joining the UFC a year later with a submission loss to Frank Mir.
Victory against Heath Herring landed Lesnar a heavyweight title shot against the legendary Randy Couture, who he stopped inside two rounds. He then defended the belt against Mir, before suffering an extremely serious bout of diverticulitis.
Lesnar returned to defeat Shane Carwin, but then left the UFC after losing to Cain Velasquez and Alistair Overeem. His last UFC bout came in 2011.
Since then, Lesnar's return to WWE has seen him once again become one of the wrestling world's biggest stars, highlighted by him winning the heavyweight championship, and more impressively, ending The Undertaker's iconic 21-0 unbeaten streak at Wrestlemania.
It's hard to argue with White's assertion that Lesnar made the correct decision to stay away from MMA. He rarely looked as sharp after returning from his illness, and although travelling with the WWE is perhaps a more intense experience on a day-to-day basis, the scripted action can be tailored to his needs if he faces a future problem.
"I talked to Dana, I talked to Lorenzo [Fertitta], Vince, my wife, my friends," said Lesnar, per ESPN (h/t MMA Fighting). "I had many sleepless nights. And at the end of the day, I was born to be an entertainer and I have fun doing it."
This is undoubtedly the most important factor in his decision. There was little point setting out on the journey to UFC dominance once more, particularly with age and recent form against him.
The UFC heavyweight roster has only improved since Lesnar's exit, so it's unlikely he'd receive a title shot inside three matches again.
