In 2007, Brock Lesnar shocked the worlds of both professional wrestling and mixed martial arts when he made a successful jump from the WWE to the octagon, defeating Min Soon Kim in just 69 seconds (TKO due to strikes). Lesnar would continue his unprecedented success-story by going 4-1 in his next 5 fights and obtaining the UFC Heavyweight Championship in only his 4th fight ever.

However, Lesnar’s success would be short-lived. After successfully defending his title twice, Lesnar suffered his second loss in a first round TKO against Cain Velasquez. Proving that this loss against Velasquez was no fluke, Lesnar was once again defeated in the first round by Alistair Overeem. These two losses, combined with Lesnar’s constant bouts with diverticulitis (an intestinal affliction), led the former WWE star and college wrestling champion to retire from the octagon.

Or so we thought (and perhaps wished). The most recent buzz surrounding the UFC is not Saturday night’s rematch between Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman, but rather the potential return of Brock Lesnar.

Following the UFC 168 post-fight press conference, Dana White, the president of the UFC, was asked to validate the truthfulness of the rumors hinting that he and Lesnar were to meet in Las Vegas this weekend:

“Really? I don’€™t know. I honestly don’€™t know,”€ stated White. “Honestly?” the reporter questioned. “€œHonestly,”€ White replied.

While one would like to trust the statements made by White, one can’t.

Lesnar’s camp has always been known for its secrecy. If Lesnar and his associates requested a confidential meeting to discuss a potential return with White, White would have to respond as he did.

Along with the propensity of Lesnar to be secretive, White has serious business reasons to bring Lesnar back. Currently, the UFC is missing some of its biggest stars: UFC Heavyweight Champ Cain Velasquez, who defeated Lesnar to take the title in 2010, is due to be gone for an entire year due to a shoulder injury. Lightweight champion Anthony Pettis is also out due to an injury. And perhaps most importantly, UFC superstar Georges St-Pierre is currently on a hiatus, leaving a huge void in the UFC lineup.

If Lesnar returned to the ring, he would most certainly stuff the pockets of White and the UFC with mucho dinero. The four matches in which Lesnar won the title and and made defenses were four of the most-watched UFC matches of all time, breaking the 1 million buy mark each time – a UFC record.

Until White comes on record and states that Lesnar is returning, the rumor-mill will continue. It is worth remembering, however, that the last time the rumor-mill fired up concerning Lesnar’s return, that White stated that Lesnar was “never coming back.”

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