The UFC’s plan to bring Brock Lesnar back to fight heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier has apparently hit a big snag and isn’t going happen, according to a report by ESPN.
Because Lesnar told Dana White that he is opting to retire from MMA.
UFC president Dana White told ESPN on Tuesday that Lesnar (5-3) informed him he does not intend to fight again. The UFC had discussed booking a heavyweight title fight between Lesnar and defending champion Daniel Cormiert his summer, but Lesnar ultimately informed White last week he is retired.
“He told me he’s done, he’s retired,” White told ESPN. “We’re going to move in another direction with Cormier.”
White said the new plan is to book a rematch between Cormier (22-1) and former champion Stipe Miocic (18-3), who previously met at UFC 226 in July 2018. Cormier claimed the heavyweight belt by knocking out Miocic in the first round.
Lesnar and Cormier have gone back and forth over the past year, seemingly laying the foundation for what was sure to be a big-money title fight that Cormier desperately wanted.
And Lesnar’s loss at WrestleMania 35 seemed to make it clear that he’d be headed back to the UFC.
But now it looks like the fight that should happen – a rematch between Miocic, the former champ, and Cormier – is going to happen. Which is great.
The UFC world reacted to the news:
