If It Wasn’t For Diverticulitis, Brock Lesnar Would Still Be Fighting
A few months back, as Brock Lensar’s contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) neared its end, rumors began to intensely swirl regarding a potential Octagon return for the 38-year-old former UFC heavyweight champion.
Lesnar holds a 4-3 UFC record, and remains as one of the biggest stars in the sport’s history, but his battle with Diverticulitis is ultimately what sent him back to professional wrestling a few years back. We also now know that Lesnar has remained with the WWE, and won’t be returning to the UFC, but he admits that the rumors were real, as he feels as if his sickness has robbed him of his fighting career:
“It wasn’t a bluff. I felt robbed by diverticulitis.” Lesnar said. (Via FOX Sports). “I felt robbed by being sick. I was feeling good and it took me a couple years to start feeling good. I’m at home, I’m working out, my life is great, everything’s in tune, my contract’s coming to an end with WWE, hey it’s been a great time but something’s missing.
“I was up front and totally honest with the company and told them I’m really thinking of pursuing getting back in the Octagon.”
The former champion had his high moments in the Octagon, but he admitted that his sickness continually got worse especially during training camps, and he knew he needed to fix something:
“You saw me (at 100 percent) in the fight against Randy (Couture) but it got worse. When I’d get halfway through a training camp and I knew something was wrong. There’s something physically wrong with me so I need to figure it out.”
Before making a decision as to where he would spend his future, Lesnar actually performed a training camp to see where he was at not only physically, but mentally as well:
“I started training camp. I wanted to test myself and see where I was — not more physical, but mentally,” Lesnar said. “I wanted to see the mental challenges that it was going to take. If your head’s not in the game, the last place you want to get into is in the Octagon.”
At the end of the day, the superstar has all but closed the door on his mixed martial arts (MMA) career, but he does still wonder where he would be if things played out differently:
“It was really unfair for me,” Lesnar said. “To this day, I don’t know if I’d be a pro wrestler if I hadn’t gotten sick. I may not be here. I’d still be banging heads.”
Did Lesnar make the right choice in returning to the WWE at this point in his career?