Dana White has claimed that Brock Lesnar will not return to the UFC because he has informed him of his retirement.
The former heavyweight champion has been strongly linked with a UFC return, especially since dropping his WWE title to Seth Rollins last month that appeared to clear the path back towards the Octagon.
The UFC were hopeful of securing his return for a summer fight against the current heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, but White confirmed on Wednesday that the prospect of seeing Lesnar back in mixed martial arts is not one that will materialise.
"He told me he's done. He's retired," White told ESPN, having not fought in the UFC since UFC 200 in July 2016 when his unanimous decision victory was ruled a no contest post-fight after he tested positive for the banned substance clomiphene.
In Lesnar’s place, former champion Stipe Miocic is set to face Cormier in an effort to regain the belt that he lost at UFC 226 last July, which halted a run of three straight victories as heavyweight champion.
According to ESPN, both fighters have agreed to the title fight, delaying Cormier’s plan to retire for at least one more fight, which is due to take place on 17 August in Anaheim, California.
The news leaves 41-year-old Lesnar’s future up in the air, as while the ‘retirement’ could be a sign that he wishes to remain with the WWE, it could simply be a bargaining chip in order to generate a larger offer to return to the UFC.
The decision not to return – should it prove true – is an even greater surprise given that he put himself back into the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s anti-doping pool, resulting in him being made available for drugs testing with a view to getting back into the Octagon.
