Brock Lesnar showed the Ultimate Fighting Championship what was possible.
The mostrous Webster, South Dakota, native parlayed his superstardom in World Wrestling Entertainment into an extended run as MMA’s biggest box-office draw, as he cut down legends, captured the UFC heavyweight championship, broke records on pay-per-view and made millions in prize money. Though Lesnar’s stay in mixed martial arts has been brief — he has fought just nine times — and was interrupted by a life-threatening bout with diverticulitis, no one can deny the mark he made. Now 40, he returned to a part-time gig with the WWE after his victory over Mark Hunt at UFC 200 was overturned and changed to a no-contest in light of a positive test for clomiphene. While it appeared as though Lesnar had fought his last fight inside the Octagon, rumors have once again begun to circulate regarding a possible return to the cage.
As the MMA and professional wrestling worlds await word on his future plans, here are five things you might not know about him:
1. He established his championship pedigree early on.
Lesnar was a four-time collegiate All-American wrestler at Bismarck State College and the University of Minnesota, where he won a national championship in 2000. He compiled a ridiculous 106-5 record between those two stops before turning his attention to more lucrative ventures.
2. His exploits in amateur wrestling set him on a path to superstardom.
The World Wrestling Federation — now World Wrestling Entertainment — signed Lesnar in 2000 and assigned him to Ohio Valley Wrestling, a feeder organization based in Louisville, Kentucky. He made his WWF debut on March 18, 2002 and went on to win the prestigious King of the Ring tournament some three months later.
3. Few wrestlers in WWE history can match his achievements.
Over the course of his 16-year pro wrestling career, Lesnar has established himself as one of the most successful and recognizable stars in WWE history. He became at the time the youngest WWE champion in history at SummerSlam on Aug. 25, 2002, when he defeated The Rock at the age of 25. Lesnar has enjoyed four separate reigns totaling 577 days as WWE champion, good for ninth on the company’s all-time list behind Bruno Sammartino (4,040), Hulk Hogan (2,185), Bob Backlund (2,138), John Cena (1,257), Pedro Morales (1,027), Randy Orton (660), Bret Hart (655) and Triple H (610). That does not include Lesnar’s current reign as WWE universal champion, which now spans more than 300 days.
4. He flirted with pro football.
Lesnar hit the pause button on his professional wrestling exploits to pursue a potential career in the NFL, this despite not having played organized football since high school. He signed with Minnesota in July 2004 and appeared in a few preseason games for the Vikings before being released. Lesnar later turned down an opportunity to play football in Europe.
5. His rise through the MMA ranks can only be described as meteoric.
Mixed martial arts beckoned in 2007, as Lesnar made his pro debut opposite South Korean judoka Min Soo Kim under the K-1 Hero’s flag and struck the Olympic silver medalist into submission in just 69 seconds. He signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship four months later, went 1-1 in his first two appearances and then challenged Randy Couture for the undisputed heavyweight title at UFC 91 on Nov. 15, 2008. Lesnar stopped Couture on second-round punches to capture the championship in just his fourth professional bout. Successful title defenses against Frank Mir and Shane Carwin followed before health issues and ill-fated encounters with Cain Velasquez and Alistair Overeem derailed his career, prompting his return to the WWE.
