The news that Brock Lesnar was returning to the UFC at UFC 200 shocked many. Now the announcement about his opponent may shock even more people. Lesnar will take on a dangerous striker in Mark Hunt.
It can be seen as a very brave decision by Lesnar to face The King of walk-off knockouts in his UFC return but it does make sense. Lesnar was robbed by diverticulitis in his last run with the UFC and believes he is even better this time around.
It’s a dangerous proposition for both men. A healthy Lesnar is a beast and could easily wrestle Hunt in a way unseen in the UFC heavyweight division.
As mentioned, Hunt’s knockout power is a huge worry for Lesnar and he could easily be the next name added to Hunt’s 12 wins, with nine via knockout MMA record.
Lesnar had been training for a return to the UFC before re-signing with the WWE last year. He reportedly had a clause in his WWE contract that allowed him to compete in one UFC event before WrestleMania 33, which has been activated for UFC 200.
WWE retains Lesnar and gets some promotion
Allowing Lesnar to return to the Octagon for one more fight can give the WWE some power during negotiations with the UFC. WWE have an interest in using Ronda Rousey at a WrestleMania, particularly WrestleMania 33 and that could come into play here.
Lesnar is a huge draw for both companies. People want to see him beat people up in the squared circle and the Octagon. The UFC 200 event already has a stacked card and adding Lesnar to that can only be a positive for the UFC.
UFC are also reportedly promoting the SummerSlam pay-per-view during their UFC 202 event. The 202 event is currently set to be headlined by the rematch between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz but it is rumored that it could also be the UFC debut of CM Punk.
Lesnar will still compete at SummerSlam and the cross promotion for both companies is a sensible thing to do. Fans of the WWE will tune in to see Lesnar and if the UFC announces CM Punk’s debut, they should tune in for that too.
The UFC fans who may want to see more of Lesnar will likely be shown promotional material for his appearance at SummerSlam during the UFC 200 and UFC 202 events.
A win-win for Lesnar?
Should Lesnar pick up a win against Hunt, his standing in the WWE will only continue to improve. Lesnar is a legitimate beast and even in the scripted world of Professional Wrestling, it makes no sense for him to be anything but a dominating force.
If he loses, he still has the WWE to fall back on and is still being paid a hell of a lot of money for his time. He’s on a limited schedule so there's little strain on his body. His matches are booked in a similar way and he wrestles in any stipulation matches that involve weapons.
Plus, the WWE Universe should be treated to a Paul Heyman promo about Lesnar's UFC appearance win or lose.