Brock Lesnar hasn’t set foot in the Octagon in two-and-a-half years. If he were to do so soon, and fight Daniel Cormier as it appeared he was on the brink of, he would get an immediate title shot.
Disregard that his last UFC fight took place on July 9, 2016, for which he tested positive to banned substances and had the result of his victory over Mark Hunt changed to a no contest.
Disregard the fact that he lost his last two trips to the Octagon prior to that. Alistair Overeem TKO’d Lesnar out in 2011 and Cain Velasquez did the same in 2010.
Lesnar is an anomaly in mixed martial arts. He’s the biggest crossover star ever in the sport, straddling the predetermined world of the WWE in professional wrestling and legitimate competition in the UFC’s Octagon, where he once held the heavyweight title. He is such a blockbuster star that he can walk back into the cage, as he did at UFC 226, shove Cormier, and be rewarded with the promise of a shot at Cormier’s heavyweight belt should he return to the fold.
It appeared that Lesnar was all-in for a UFC return and another crack at the belt. He re-entered the UFC testing pool with USADA, a requirement to be able to return to the UFC in 2019. He was subjected to five drug tests in 2018, including one in the fourth quarter. Thus far, no results have been made public indicating a positive result for any banned substances.
During that span he inked a new contract with the WWE. That’s not necessarily a stumbling block for a UFC return, however, as Lesnar was under contract with the WWE when he fought Hunt at UFC 200. Exceptions are made for a star of his magnitude.
Though things have been quiet regarding a Lesnar return to the UFC, company president Dana White said recently that the door was still open.
One hurdle Lesnar has yet to clear is the matter of a $250,000 fine that he owes to Nevada. As part of his doping-violation sanctions following the Hunt fight, Lesnar was assessed the quarter-million-dollar fine by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. It is a fine that he has yet to pay.
As a result, Lesnar remains under an indefinite suspension in Nevada.
“(Lesnar) is still suspended based on his fine,” NSAC executive director Bob Bennett told MMAWeekly.com in July when a Cormier vs. Lesnar bout first appeared likely. “He is required to pay the fine or set up a payment plan with the Attorney General’s Office (to get cleared from the suspension).”
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Bennett confirmed to MMAWeekly.com this week that Lesnar has yet to address the $250,000 fine.
Of course, should talks resume and a fight draw near, Lesnar would surely dig under his couch cushions and come up with the money to get cleared by Nevada, but until then, he is expected to remain under indefinite suspension, casting doubt on his commitment to a return to the Octagon.
https://www.mmaweekly.com/brock-lesnar-has-yet-to-pay-quarter-million-dollar-fine-in-nevada