The story on Brock Lesnar’s potential anti-doping violation will likely dominate the MMA headlines over the next few weeks as more details come out on what he allegedly had in his system and what USADA’s punishment will be.
Lesnar helped draw one of UFC’s biggest pay-per-view buyrates for UFC 200. Final numbers have not come in yet but the early estimates say that the show may have done somewhere around 1.2 million buys. Lesnar’s victory and reputation will be damaged if his drug violation is held up and it will be interesting to see what WWE does if USADA suspends him.
“We will get to the bottom of this,” Lesnar said in a statement to the Associated Press on Friday. USADA has been rigorously drug testing Lesnar since he announced his intentions to fight again in UFC. Ever since his victory over Mark Hunt, there has been tons of speculation about Lesnar possibly fighting again but Lesnar’s future in UFC is in serious jeopardy if his drug test results hold up. A 2-year suspension would likely close the door on his MMA career. Lesnar turned 39 years old earlier this week.
As noted earlier, WWE’s statement on the matter was “Brock Lesnar has not performed for WWE since WrestleMania and is not scheduled to return until Sunday, August 21.” WWE really can’t act until Lesnar is given due process. He can appeal the results and he can ask to have the B sample tested. Lesnar made a record $2.5 million for his fight with Hunt at UFC 200 and he is due a percentage of the pay-per-view revenue. If his tests hold up then he could lose out on a ton of money.
Just days prior to UFC 200, when asked about performance-enhancing drugs, Lesnar told the media, “I’m a white boy and I’m jacked. Deal with it.”
Mark Hunt is furious and he told MMA Fighting’s Marc Raimondi that he was not surprised that Lesnar tested positive. He was also critical of the way UFC handles drug test failures. “The cheaters get a slap on the wrist and walk off,” Hunt said. “What penalty or deterrent is there to make them think twice? Nothing. And the [Nevada Athletic Commission], why should these [expletive] get anything? They are not the ones who had to fight with Lesnar or lose [to him]. I lost.”
Hunt told UFC officials that he wants half of Lesnar’s purse or he wants to be released from UFC effective immediately.
