Brock Lesnar’s return to the UFC and UFC 200 was huge news but not big enough to get him the main event slot in Las Vegas.
Lesnar’s three-round bout with Mark Hunt was expected to be high on the card, potentially the co-main event to the Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier rematch, but after the news that Jones cannot compete, Lesnar has been thrust into the main event.
Jones, the pound for pound best mixed martial artist in the world has been on a road to redemption in the last year and had been looking to culminate that by regaining his UFC Light Heavyweight championship.
After it was announced he failed a USADA drugs test for an unnamed banned out of competition supplement, Jones was pulled from the UFC 200 main event.
WWE helping to promote the event
It was announced very quickly after the Jones announcement that Lesnar and Hunt would be taking over the main event spot. It now means that Lesnar is and has been the main event for two of the UFC’s biggest events, UFC 100 and now UFC 200.
The WWE were expected to help promote UFC 200, not like it needs much promoting, in exchange for allowing the UFC to use Lesnar and for them to also promote WWE SummerSlam. This has now been ramped up since the announcement of Lesnar now being in the main event.
The WWE is also expected to inquire about using Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania. This is something the WWE have been pushing for since last year, and allowing Lesnar to return to the UFC is expected to help sway the UFC into releasing Rousey to the WWE at some point.
A dangerous task for Lesnar
While Brock Lesnar is a beast, taking on Mark Hunt will be no easy task. Lesnar has the edge in pure wrestling skills but Hunt is one, if not the best knockout puncher in the UFC. The King of the Walk Off Knockout, Hunt will look to upset the return of Lesnar to the Octagon.
There hasn’t been any bad blood between the pair, just two fighters who seemingly respect each other. There was no trash talk during the UFC 200 press conference, just a handshake and a nod of respect.