It sounds like Brock Lesnar may be back in the UFC before much longer.
The former heavyweight champion may have retired after testing positive for a banned substance surrounding his last fight at UFC 200 that ended with a one year suspension from the sport, but that has never stopped speculation that he may return to compete again.
Now Lesnar is closing in on the end of his current deal with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and UFC president Dana White is only further fueling rumors about his return to the UFC.
“They’re very, very, very good,” White told Kevin Harvick on Sirius XM when asked about the chances that Lesnar returns to the UFC.
"They're very, very, very good." –@ufc President @danawhite to @KevinHarvick on @BrockLesnar's chances of fighting again in UFC. Listen in ?#HappyHours pic.twitter.com/p8ZCdrR9Kt
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) February 28, 2018
White already teased this possibility last weekend when he posted a photo alongside Lesnar, who was wearing a UFC t-shirt, on the same day that the WWE was holding a pay-per-view in Las Vegas.
Of course, Lesnar’s contract with WWE coming to an end also means he’s in the midst of contract negotiations and this exact same scenario has unfolded before.
When Lesnar’s last contract with WWE was nearing its end, rumors began swirling that he was potentially plotting a comeback to the UFC before ultimately deciding to re-up with the professional wrestling organization on a new multi-year deal.
The WWE then signed off on Lesnar returning for UFC 200, which resulted in a win that was later overturned as a result of his positive drug test.
All signs are pointing towards a similar situation playing out right now with Lesnar still likely discussing his future with WWE as his contract is set to expire after WrestleMania 34 in April.
If Lesnar decides to leave WWE and pursue one more run with UFC, he wouldn’t be able to fight right away. Lesnar would have to re-enter the USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) testing pool for at least six months.
Lesnar would also have to serve out the remainder of his one-year suspension — five months in total — but that would run concurrently with re-entering the testing pool so the former champion could fight as early as six months from April assuming he actually leaves WWE and re-signs with the UFC.
For now, Lesnar will almost certainly continue to stoke the flames on a possible return to the UFC while he decides on his future to either come back to fighting for one more run or stick around with WWE for another long term stint.
Would you be excited to see Brock Lesnar back in the UFC? Let us know in the comments.
