There were a lot of surprises at UFC 199. From Michael Bisping winning the middleweight title to Dan Henderson's elbow of Hector Lombard to Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor 2's finalization to the UFC banning prominent MMA journalist Ariel Helwani, jaws were dropping from beginning to end.
The biggest surprise, though, was the announcement that former UFC heavyweight champion and current WWE professional wrestler Brock Lesnar will return to the Octagon. Not seen in the cage since 2011, and seemingly checked out on competing in MMA, Lesnar's news resulted in an explosion of questions that would be answered in quick succession.
No, Lesnar was not leaving the WWE. Yes, he would return in time for SummerSlam on August 21. No, his UFC return is not a full-time engagement (the WWE labeled it a "one-off opportunity" in its official statement).
And yes, Lesnar had an opponent: Mark Hunt.
With the dust settled and the details clear, it's worth taking a look at what July 9's UFC 200 has in store for MMA fans and the WWE universe alike. Enter: Bleacher Report MMA's dynamic duo of Steven "Batman" Rondina and Nathan "Robin" McCarter to break down the details and ask the simple question: "Did the UFC get it right with Lesnar vs. Hunt?"
Steven Rondina: Well, Nathan, we got quite the story Saturday night. I’m not talking about Bisping knocking out Rockhold. I’m not talking about Diaz vs. McGregor 2. I’m not talking about Henderson breaking off one of the most absurd knockouts in MMA history.
I’m talking, of course, about the return of the Beast Incarnate, Brock Lesnar.
So Nathan, blank slate here for you to work with. What did you think when you first saw the news? And what do you think about the news now?
Nathan McCarter: When Helwani broke the story, there was an immediate jolt of excitement—not just for UFC 200, but for MMA in general. Brock is...Brock. He's an enigma. It's why his rise in the WWE was exciting over a decade ago. It's why his attempt to join the Minnesota Vikings was so fascinating. It's why his MMA career and subsequent return to the WWE were so incredible.
So from Saturday until now, as a fight fan, I've been on Cloud Nine.
Steven: Yeah, when I saw it pop up on my Twitter feed, I was convinced it was a hoax. I triple-checked to make sure it was actually Helwani breaking the news, rather than some “@Ar1elHelwani” parody account. I quadruple-checked to make sure it was actually MMAFighting.com that had the story, and not a well-made phishing hoax. Finally, I quintuple-checked to make sure the tweet that was making the rounds was actually from June 4, 2016 rather than 2009.
Then I started to believe and, as you said, it felt great. Despite the four-and-a-half years away from the sport, Lesnar remains a must-watch name and a unique talent. Add the character he plays in the WWE and you have, essentially, a mythological creature.
Is he going to be a champion? No, obviously not. The UFC isn’t going to let him near the title if he’s not coming back full time. On its own merit, though, Lesnar’s return feels as big as almost any fight.
Speaking of the bout, by the way, Lesnar announced on SportsCenter on Monday that his opponent won’t be an easy one. Instead of facing a tomato can, he is fighting Mark Hunt. Do you think the UFC made the right choice with that opponent?
Nathan: I'm not positive the UFC had a choice but to put a contender in the cage against Lesnar. He isn't a man who shies away from competition. In fact, he seeks it out.
But Hunt is a fantastic choice from the UFC's perspective. The company benefits from having Lesnar on the card, but it doesn't benefit any extra from a Lesnar win unless he is returning for certain. And that's not a guarantee.
If Hunt knocks Brock's block off in pure "Super Samoan" fashion, that benefits the UFC. It gets to elevate one of its most popular heavyweight contenders on its biggest card to date. He is also not as hurt from a loss to Lesnar as other top contenders would be, and that makes it a win-win for the UFC. In that sense, Hunt is the perfect opponent.
From the WWE's side, it's a bit of a risk.
If Lesnar is in a battle or gets knocked out...then how does his inevitable athletic commission suspension affect his outlook for SummerSlam, simply from a health and availability position? And what effect would have on his credibility and drawing power should he be finished?
Hunt is the right opponent for the UFC but perhaps not the right choice for Brock and the WWE.
Steven: I question the idea that Brock actively seeks out bigger mountains to climb. He’s a prizefighter, best demonstrated by the fact that he has no idea where all those trophies, medals and belts he won over the years are...but he can tell you how much cheddar he has made along the way.
He hasn’t ever shied away from a challenge (his first UFC opponent was Frank Mir for God’s sake!) but I’m reluctant to buy into the idea that, with all else equal, he would have preferred a fight against Hunt instead of, say, Todd Duffee or Anthony Hamilton.
I’m not all that keen on the fight with Hunt, though. It makes sense for all the reasons you detailed, but it makes more sense to give that Lesnar rub to a younger name (or at least, somebody who will stick around longer). Hunt was teasing retirement back in 2014, saying he would hang ‘em up after completing his six-fight contract...and this is the last fight on that deal.
Even if Hunt calls an audible, he’s 42 years old! He can’t have too many more fights left in him. It feels like they should have put Lesnar in there with a younger guy with some upside, like Ruslan Magomedov or Stefan Struve. A throwback fight like Lesnar vs. Hunt just kind of feels like a waste (especially since, once again, fans are watching Lesnar vs. Fedor Emelianenko fall through the cracks).
But anyway, prediction time! How do you see this fight going? Will it be Hunt’s powerful punching that wins out or Brock’s brutal top game?
Nathan: Brock is the ultimate competitor. He chose the UFC because of the challenges, as evidenced by past interviews, such as this one with The Sun (h/t Michael David Smith at MMA Fighting): “Dana White told me I would be fighting the very best fighters in the world, that I would get no tomato cans. That's why I wanted in—I don't want to fight bums. I will leave that deal to other sports.”
He’s returned because the end of his career “haunted” him, according to Brett Okamoto at ESPN.com.
When he meets Hunt, it’s going to be whichever can land first: Lesnar’s takedown vs. Hunt’s left hand. Either way, it’ll be over in the first five minutes. And for all of Hunt’s improvement over the years, his takedown defense isn’t great. I think Brock will score the takedown in the first 90 seconds and maul Hunt to pick up a quick victory.
Steven: It’s easy to fall into the “ring rust” trap and dismiss Lesnar’s chances based on his MMA layoff alone. The same goes for Lesnar's notorious inability to handle punishment, as seen in his fights with Cain Velasquez and Shane Carwin.
Make no mistake, though. This is a difficult fight to pick.
Now-heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic demolished Hunt with his wrestling alone. While Miocic’s wrestling credentials have long been underrated...he’s just plain not as good as Lesnar. Nor is he as strong, fast, or explosive.
Lesnar is unquestionably, indisputably, undeniably the greatest pure athlete MMA has ever seen, and probably will ever see. As we discussed back in April...that counts for a lot.
That’s not to say this is a slam dunk for Lesnar. There isn’t a man alive who can survive a beating from Hunt. This will be a competitive fight.
Officially, I'm picking Lesnar to take this by decision. Unofficially? I don’t care who wins. I’m just excited to see two of the sport’s most unique fighters face off.
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