Former champ Brock Lesnar might be returning to the world of mixed-martial arts ultimate fighting in 2014.
The muscle-bound former UFC Heavyweight Champion, who resembles a Viking version of the Hulk, left the sport in December 2011 after losing a championship bout to Dutch kick boxer Alistair Overeem. Lesnar went on to pursue a career in World Wrestling Entertainment, where he still performs pretending to "bring the pain" to his opponents as his catch phrase promises.
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In a recent interview with the website MMAJunkie.com, UFC president Dana White responded to the speculation that Lesner was returning to the octagon in 2014 saying, "Really?. . I don't know. I honestly don't know."
Having only fought seven fights in his UFC career, Lesner was a phenomenon with regards to his popularity in the sport, winning the UFC championship in November 2008 and successfully defending it twice until losing it to Cain Velasquez in 2010. With his popularity also came large profits for the sport, which due to its bloody, violent nature has been criticized by some.
Now 36, Lesnar is a part-time performer with World Wrestling Entertainment, and is expected to have a major role in the company's
Wrestlemania XXX in April 2014, FoxSport.com reported.
Lesnar himself has yet to weigh in on the rumor of his eventual return to the sport.
When he retired in December 2011, the former champion told reporters, "this is the last time you'll see me in the octagon,"
the Associated Press reported.
"I've had a really difficult couple of years with my disease, and I'm going to officially say tonight is the last time," Lesnar added.
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Lesnar had suffered from multiple bouts of a lower-intestinal ailment in the years before his retirement from the sport, leading to an accumulation of pain that took its toll on him physically.
"I promised my wife and my kids if I won this fight, I would get a title shot, and that would be my last fight," Lesnar added shortly after his retirement. "But if I lost tonight ... you've been great."
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