Brock Lesnar 'closes door' on MMA career, re-signs with WWE
Brock Lesnar said on SportsCenter Tuesday he has re-signed with World Wrestling Entertainment, terminating a potential career as a mixed martial arts fighter in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Lesnar, 37, said WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon presented an offer that he "couldn't refuse" and that he's "closing the door" on mixed martial arts.
Lesnar originally signed with the World Wrestling Federation in 2000 and competed in the sport until 2004. He signed a new WWE deal in 2012.
His current professional wrestling contact expires at the end of March.
"It was a very hard decision at this stage of my career," Lesnar said. "The fighter inside me wants to compete. The father and husband -- I'm an older caveman now. I make wiser caveman decisions. So, I'm here to say my legacy in the Octagon is over.
"It was a hard decision to make. It took me a year. I've thought about this for a year. At the end of the day, it's all about me wanting to have fun. The last two-and-a-half months I've been training to get back into the Octagon. I felt physically great, but something lacked mentally -- and that's not good."
Lesnar competed in UFC from 2007 to 2011.
He won the UFC heavyweight title in 2008 when he knocked out Randy Couture. He defended the title in a subsequent fight against Frank Mir.
Lesnar spent a year away from the sport while dealing with an intestinal disorder. He returned in July 2010 and lost his final fight, in Dec. 2011, to Alistair Overeem.
