Brock Lesnar
Encyclopedia
Brock Edward Lesnar (ˈlɛznər; born July 12, 1977) is an American mixed martial artist
, actor and a former professional and amateur wrestler
. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and is ranked the No.5 Heavyweight in the world by Sherdog
. Lesnar is an accomplished amateur wrestler, winning the 2000 NCAA
heavyweight wrestling championship and placing second in 1999, losing in the finals to 1999 world freestyle wrestling champion and future New England Patriots
offensive lineman Stephen Neal
.
He then gained prominence in World Wrestling Entertainment
(WWE), where he was a three-time WWE Champion
, becoming the youngest WWE Champion at age 25 with his first reign. Lesnar was the 2002 King of the Ring
and the winner of the 2003 Royal Rumble
. After leaving WWE in 2004, Lesnar pursued a career in the NFL
. He played during the preseason for the Minnesota Vikings
, but ended up being a late cut. Lesnar returned to professional wrestling at the end of 2005, and joined New Japan Pro Wrestling
, where he won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in his first match. He was stripped of the title in July 2006, although he held the physical belt until June 2007.
Lesnar started a career in mixed martial arts
and won his first fight in June 2007. He then signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship
(UFC) in October 2007. He lost his UFC debut against Frank Mir
. He captured the UFC Heavyweight Championship from Randy Couture
on November 15, 2008, then avenged his loss to Mir at UFC 100
to become the Undisputed Champion. After being sidelined from fighting in late 2009 due to diverticulitis
, Lesnar returned to defeat the Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Shane Carwin
at UFC 116
. Lesnar lost the Heavyweight belt against Cain Velasquez
at UFC 121
. He was once again stricken with a bout of diverticulitis in May 2011 and had surgery to try and cope with the ailment. In August 2011, Lesnar stated that he is ready to return to fighting in the UFC.
. He attended Webster High School in Webster, where he had a wrestling record of 33–0–0 in his senior year. Lesnar admits he graduated last of 54 students in his class. Lesnar later attended the University of Minnesota
on a full wrestling
scholarship for his junior and senior years of college; his roommate was fellow professional wrestler Shelton Benjamin
who served as Lesnar's assistant coach. Lesnar won the 2000 NCAA
wrestling championship as a heavyweight after placing second in 1999.
Prior to joining the Minnesota Golden Gophers
, Lesnar wrestled at Bismarck State College
in Bismarck, North Dakota
. Lesnar finished his amateur career as a two-time NJCAA All-America
n, 1998 NJCAA Heavyweight Champion, two-time NCAA All-America
n, two-time Big Ten Conference
Champion, and the 2000 NCAA heavyweight champion with a record of 106–5 overall in four years of college.
. He was sent to its developmental territory. Ohio Valley Wrestling
. There, he formed a tag team
known as "The Minnesota Stretching Crew" with his former college roommate, Shelton Benjamin
. Lesnar and Benjamin won the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship
on three occasions. He wrestled several dark matches in 2001 and 2002 before being called up to the main roster.
Lesnar debuted on WWF television on the March 18, 2002 episode of Raw
, the night after WrestleMania X8
, coming through the crowd and attacking Al Snow
, Maven
, and Spike Dudley
during the course of a match. He was accompanied by Paul Heyman
, who was seen giving instructions to Lesnar. When the brand extension
was introduced in the WWF, Lesnar was drafted to the Raw brand. Later, Heyman was confirmed to be Lesnar's agent
and gave Lesnar the nickname "The Next Big Thing". Brock's first feud
was with the Hardy Boyz
. Lesnar and Jeff Hardy
squared off at Backlash
in Lesnar's first official televised match. He won the match by knockout. The next night on Raw Lesnar faced off against Matt Hardy
, defeating him in the same fashion. At Judgment Day, Lesnar once again gained the upper hand on the Hardy Boyz before tagging his partner, Heyman, in to make the pin.
tournament, defeating Rob Van Dam
in the final round. This victory earned him a shot at the WWE Undisputed Championship
at SummerSlam
. On July 22, Lesnar joined the SmackDown! brand. After a quick feud with Hollywood Hulk Hogan
in August 2002, Lesnar began feuding with the Undisputed Champion The Rock. At the main event of SummerSlam, Lesnar defeated The Rock to become the WWE Undisputed Champion. With his victory at age 25, Lesnar became the youngest WWE Champion in history (a record that was previously held by The Rock and stands to date). With the WWE Undisputed Championship being defended on both brands, Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff
expected Lesnar to be able to return to Raw the following night. However, SmackDown General Manager Stephanie McMahon announced that Lesnar's contract only required him to defend the title on SmackDown!, forcing Bischoff to establish a new world championship for his brand. With the new World Heavyweight Championship
on the Raw brand, the now disputed WWE Undisputed Championship
simply became known as the WWE Championship.
Lesnar's rapid rise to the top of WWE in 2002 led to a feud with The Undertaker, which involved a match at Unforgiven
. It ended in a double disqualification leading to Lesnar retaining the title. The next month, at No Mercy
, he faced The Undertaker again, this time in a Hell in a Cell match. Leading up to the match, Lesnar broke the Undertaker's hand with a propane tank. Despite Heyman begging McMahon not to let The Undertaker use his cast as a weapon, the request was denied and the match went on as planned. In a match that saw both wrestlers and even Heyman covered in blood, it ended when Lesnar reversed an attempted Tombstone piledriver into his finishing F-5 maneuver for the win. Six days after his Hell in a Cell match with The Undertaker, Lesnar successfully retained his WWE title in a Handicap match with Heyman at the Rebellion pay-per-view against Edge
.
Lesnar's next opponent was The Big Show
. Heyman was convinced more than anyone that Lesnar could not win, trying to talk him out of defending the title. Lesnar refused and lost the championship in Madison Square Garden
at the Survivor Series
pay-per-view to Big Show, Lesnar's first pinfall loss in WWE. When the champion tried to pin the 500-pounder following an F-5, he was betrayed by Heyman who pulled the referee out of the ring allowing Big Show to capitalize and win the title. As a result, Lesnar became a fan favorite
. Following Survivor Series, Heyman made it clear that Lesnar would not get a rematch, even going so far as to sneak a special clause in his contract. At the Royal Rumble
event in January 2003, Lesnar defeated The Big Show in a qualification match. Lesnar later entered the Rumble as the No.29 entrant where he eventually won by eliminating The Undertaker.
After winning the Royal Rumble match, Lesnar spent the next two months in a scripted feud with WWE champion Kurt Angle
, who Lesnar had helped win the title and who was represented by Paul Heyman. Angle had Heyman, and Team Angle
(Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas
) behind him, but Lesnar overcame these opponents. Lesnar regained the WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania XIX
. Toward the end of the match, he botched
a shooting star press; despite having landed the move successfully several times in OVW, in this match he overestimated the distance he was capable of jumping for the move and under-rotated, slamming his head into Angle's side and ribcage. This stunned Lesnar and forced Angle to improvise the finish of the match. Lesnar suffered a severe concussion from the botched move.
Following WrestleMania, John Cena
began targeting Lesnar for almost ending his career (by using the F-5 to propel his leg into a ring post) after a previous match between the two. This led to Cena receiving a title match at Backlash
in which Lesnar successfully retained the title. Earlier at the Backlash pay-per-view, Big Show had injured Rey Mysterio badly, resulting in Mysterio being carried out on a stretcher
. This injury led to Lesnar renewing his feud with Big Show, which led to a Stretcher match at Judgment Day
for the title. Lesnar successfully retained his title with help from Rey Mysterio and a forklift
. During the scripted rivalry, on SmackDown!, Lesnar lifted Big Show over in a Superplex, which caused the ring to collapse on impact. At Vengeance
, Lesnar lost his title to Kurt Angle in a No Disqualification Triple Threat match that involved Big Show.
Prior to SummerSlam
, Lesnar became a villain
by betraying Kurt Angle, leading to a rematch at the event. Lesnar lost to Angle when Angle made Lesnar tap out to the ankle lock. A second rematch between Lesnar and Angle, an Iron Man match
, was later held on an episode of SmackDown!. Lesnar defeated Angle in a match that was said as one of the best in SmackDown! history. Angle slapped on the ankle lock with a few seconds remaining but Lesnar did not tap. Lesnar won with five falls to Angle's four, making him a three-time WWE Champion. Lesnar's first challenger for his newly won title was The Undertaker. Lesnar had previously cost Undertaker the title in a match against then-champion Kurt Angle, which granted him a shot at Lesnar's title. At No Mercy
, Lesnar defeated Undertaker in a Biker Chain match.
Lesnar realigned himself with Paul Heyman after Heyman became General Manager of SmackDown! and formed Team Lesnar with Big Show, Matt Morgan, A-Train, and Nathan Jones
for a 10-man Survivor Series match at Survivor Series
. In the climax of the match, Chris Benoit
became the second person to make Lesnar tap out. Lesnar faced Benoit in a singles bout two weeks later for the WWE Championship on SmackDown!, where Lesnar won after Benoit passed out to Lesnar's debuting Brock Lock submission hold.
from the Raw brand, a man to whom Lesnar had been compared due to their similar physiques and undefeated streaks in wrestling. Lesnar claimed in a backstage interview
that he could beat anybody in the world, leading to Goldberg interrupting the interview and introducing himself to Lesnar, shaking hands
with him before leaving with a staredown. Lesnar followed this rivalry with a feud involving Hardcore Holly
. In this storyline, Holly wanted revenge on Lesnar for legitimately breaking his neck during a previous match between the two in 2002. During that match, Lesnar went for a powerbomb
, but Holly, who has gained a reputation of being uncooperative with rookies, supposedly sandbagged mid-lift so that Lesnar could not get him all the way up. Holly compounded the difficulty of the move by not lifting up at the waist. During the struggle, Lesnar ended up dropping Holly on his head, leaving him in need of neck surgery and out of action for a year. At the Royal Rumble
in 2004, Lesnar defeated Holly to retain the WWE Championship. Later in the Royal Rumble match, Lesnar attacked Goldberg and delivered an F-5, enabling Kurt Angle to eliminate him.
In February, Lesnar faced Eddie Guerrero
for the title at No Way Out
. During the match, Goldberg interfered in the match, allowing Guerrero to capitalize and pin Lesnar after a frog splash to win the WWE Championship. The match set up an interbrand match for WrestleMania XX
between Lesnar and Goldberg. During the feud with Goldberg, Lesnar was feuding with Raws Stone Cold Steve Austin
(who was shown suggesting to Goldberg that he attack Lesnar at No Way Out). When Lesnar attacked Austin on Raw and stole his four-wheeler
, Austin was inserted as the special guest referee for the WrestleMania match. Behind the scenes, it was widely known that the match would be Goldberg's last in WWE. Only a week before WrestleMania, however, rumors surfaced that Lesnar, too, was leaving in order to pursue a career in the National Football League
. As a result, Lesnar's match with Goldberg became a fiasco as the fans at Madison Square Garden
jeered both wrestlers with very loud and distinct chants of "na na, hey hey goodbye
" and "you sold out," with the crowd support mostly given to special referee Austin. Although Goldberg won the match, both men were given a Stone Cold Stunner
by Austin on their way out.
show in the Tokyo Dome
, which included the then-champion Kazuyuki Fujita
and Masahiro Chono
. He won the match by pinning Masahiro Chono after an F-5, which he had renamed the Verdict, since WWE owns the trademark on the F-5 name. After the match, he stated that this name was referring to his lawsuit against WWE. The match was his first pro wrestling match since leaving WWE. Lesnar is one of the few American wrestlers to have held this title.
On December 6, WWE filed a motion
for a temporary restraining order to prevent Lesnar from continuing to work with NJPW, but the court did not grant it, and thus Lesnar had two non-title victories against Manabu Nakanishi
and Yuji Nagata
. Lesnar successfully defended his championship on January 4, 2006, against former champion Shinsuke Nakamura
. On January 13, WWE once again filed an injunction against Lesnar to stop him from defending the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on March 19. Evidently this was not enforced (nor granted), as he went on to have a tag team match with Shinsuke Nakamura
against Akebono
and Riki Chōshū
at the Sumo Hall on February 19, which was won after a Verdict to Chōshū. On March 19, at the Sumo Hall, Lesnar retained his championship against former Sumo Wrestling
Grand Champion Akebono when Lesnar hit him with the championship belt and a DDT
. Lesnar went on to successfully defend his title against the winner of the New Japan Cup, Giant Bernard, on May 3, 2006, in Fukuoka. This was the first American vs. American title match in NJPW since Vader vs. Stan Hansen
in 1990.
On July 15, 2006, New Japan Pro Wrestling announced that Brock Lesnar had been stripped of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship as he would no longer be returning to defend the title due to "visa
issues." A tournament was held on July 16 to determine the new champion, which was won by Hiroshi Tanahashi
, the man Lesnar was originally scheduled to face. Lesnar continued to possess the physical IWGP Championship belt until late June 2007.
Approximately one year later on June 29, 2007, Lesnar defended his IWGP Heavyweight Championship (IGF promoter Antonio Inoki
had stated he still viewed Lesnar as the "proper" IWGP Champion, as he was not defeated for the title) against TNA World Heavyweight Champion
Kurt Angle
in a champion versus champion match. Angle defeated Lesnar with the Ankle lock to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship as recognized by IGF and TNA. and challenged him to an MMA
fight. This was Lesnar's last match as a professional wrestler.
show in 2004. In July 2005, the two sides dropped their claims and entered negotiations to renew their relationship. WWE had offered Lesnar a contract, but on August 2, 2005, WWE's official website reported that Lesnar had withdrawn from any involvement with the company. The lawsuit was then entered into settlement on September 21, but talks broke down.
On January 14, 2006, Judge Christopher Droney stated that unless WWE gave him a good argument between then and January 25, he would rule in favor of Brock Lesnar, giving him a summary judgment. This would have enabled Lesnar to work anywhere he wanted immediately. WWE was later granted a deadline postponement. On April 24, World Wrestling Entertainment announced on their official website, WWE.com, that both parties had mutually come to a settlement and on June 12, a federal judge dismissed Lesnar's lawsuit against WWE after both parties requested for the case to be dismissed.
, Lesnar sidelined his career in WWE to pursue a career in the National Football League
. This move upset many in WWE, as the company felt they had invested heavily in Lesnar. World Wrestling Entertainment confirmed Lesnar's departure on their official website WWE.com by the statement
Lesnar later told a Minnesota radio show
that he had three wonderful years in WWE, but had grown unhappy and had always wanted to play pro football, adding that he did not want to be 40 years old and wondering if he could have made it in football. In an interview about starting with the NFL, Lesnar made the statement
Lesnar played for the Minnesota Vikings
, where he created controversy in some games by starting minor fights and got heat from the Kansas City Chiefs
for a sack
on quarterback
Damon Huard
, which drew a big response from the crowd. Huard was hit hard and had to go to the sidelines and sit out a few plays. After playing in the preseason, Lesnar ended up being a late cut. He declined an invitation to play as a representative of the Vikings in NFL Europa because he wanted to be closer to home with his family.
Hero's
Las Vegas and announced his intent to join the MMA promotion. He trained with Minnesota Martial Arts Academy
under Greg Nelson, and University of Minnesota Assistant Head wrestling coach Marty Morgan. Brock Lesnar announced on August 12 in Las Vegas that he had signed a deal with the K-1 promotion. His first fight was scheduled for June 2, 2007, on the K-1 Dynamite!! USA
show against Choi Hong-man
of Korea. However, prior to the match, Choi Hong-Man was replaced by Min Soo Kim. Lesnar submitted Min Soo Kim due to strikes in 1 minute 9 seconds of the first round to win his first official MMA match.
, it was announced that Brock Lesnar had reached a deal to fight with the Ultimate Fighting Championship
(UFC). On February 2, 2008, Lesnar made his debut with the promotion in an event titled UFC 81:Breaking Point
against former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Frank Mir
. Lesnar secured an early takedown, but was deducted a point for hitting Mir on the back of the head. Following another takedown by Lesnar, Mir managed to secure a kneebar and force a submission at 1:30 of the first round. Due to the large size of his hands, Lesnar was wearing 4XL gloves for the fight, making him the second man in Nevada's combat sports history to wear such gloves after Choi Hong-man
. At UFC 82
, it was announced that former UFC Heavyweight Champion and UFC Hall of Fame inductee Mark Coleman
would fight Lesnar at UFC 87:Seek and Destroy
. Coleman was forced to withdraw from the fight due to a training injury, and Lesnar's opponent was changed to Heath Herring
. In the early seconds of the first round, Lesnar dropped Herring with a straight right. For the rest of the fight, Lesnar kept the fight on the ground and went on to win by unanimous decision.
Lesnar's next opponent was Randy Couture
for the UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 91:Couture vs Lesnar
on November 15. Lesnar beat Couture via a technical knockout
in Round 2, becoming the UFC Heavyweight Champion.
On December 27, 2008, at UFC 92
, Frank Mir defeated Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira
for the Interim Heavyweight title and was to face Lesnar for the Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 98
. Immediately after winning the Interim Heavyweight title, Mir found Lesnar in the crowd and shouted at him "You've got my belt."
However, due to a knee injury to Mir, the title unification match with Lesnar that was originally slated to be the UFC 98 main event was postponed. The news broke during the broadcast of UFC 96 that the bout had been cancelled and was replaced by Rashad Evans vs. Lyoto Machida for the UFC Light-Heavyweight Championship." Lesnar won the postponed rematch with Mir at UFC 100
on July 11, 2009, via Knockout
after dominating his opponent for the duration of the bout. The win earned Lesnar Beatdown of the Year honors from Sherdog
for 2009. It's an award he shares with Anderson Silva
after his win over Forrest Griffin
. http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/3/Sherdogs-2009-Misc-Awards-22093. During his post-match celebration, Lesnar flipped off
the crowd who had been booing him. He made a disparaging comment about the PPV's primary sponsor Bud Light, claiming they "won't pay me nothin, promoting Coors Light
instead. He then stated he might even "get on top of
[his] wife
" after the show. He would later apologize for his actions in his post-fight press conference, where he held a bottle of Bud Light.
In January 2009, Brock Lesnar signed a supplement endorsement deal with Dymatize Nutrition. A CD containing training footage of Lesnar was included with boxes of Dymatize Xpand and Energized Xpand.
On July 1, 2009, it was reported that the winner of the Shane Carwin
vs. Cain Velasquez
fight at UFC 104
would face Brock Lesnar in his second title defense on a date yet to be determined; however, the UFC then reconsidered the contendership bout and Lesnar was scheduled to defend his belt against Shane Carwin at UFC 106
on November 21.
card in which he was set to face Shane Carwin
for the UFC Heavyweight Championship due to an illness. UFC President Dana White
said that Brock had been ill for three weeks, claiming he had never been this sick in his life and that it would take him a while to recover; his fight with Carwin was rescheduled for UFC 108
in early 2010. Lesnar initially sought treatment in Canada, but later told reporters that he had received "Third World treatment" from malfunctioning equipment at a hospital in Brandon, Manitoba
, and that seeking better medical treatment in the United States saved his life. Lesnar, who describes himself as a conservative and a supporter of the US Republican Party, went on to criticize Canadian-style health care further and said that he shared his experience in an effort to speak "on the behalf of the doctors in the United States that don't want health care reform
to happen and neither do I."
On November 4, it was confirmed that Lesnar was suffering from mononucleosis
and that his bout with Carwin would have to wait a bit longer, thus the fight for UFC 108
was cancelled. On November 14 at the UFC 105
post-fight conference, Dana stated, "He's not well and he's not going to be getting well anytime soon." and that an interim title match might need to be set up. In addition to mononucleosis, it was revealed that Lesnar was suffering from a serious case of diverticulitis
, an intestinal disorder, which would require surgery. After further diagnosis, on November 16 Lesnar underwent surgery to close a perforation in his intestine that had been leaking fecal matter
into his abdomen, causing pain, abscess
es, and overtaxing his immune system to the point that he contracted mononucleosis. From the level of damage to Lesnar's system, the surgeon estimated that the intestinal condition had been ongoing for around a year.
and Shane Carwin
took place on March 27 at UFC 111
to determine the UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion, and Brock's next opponent. Shane Carwin defeated Frank Mir by KO in the first round, becoming the new Interim Champion. After the fight, Brock came into the ring and stated "It was a good fight, but he's wearing a belt that's a make believe belt, I've got the real championship belt."
Lesnar faced Shane Carwin
at UFC 116
to unify the heavyweight titles. After Carwin knocked him down early in the first round, Lesnar survived a ground and pound attack. Early in the second round, Lesnar was able to take Carwin down, attain a full mount, then move into side-control and finish the fight with an arm triangle choke. With the victory, Lesnar again became the Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion, earning his first UFC Submission Of The Night and giving Carwin his first loss.
on October 23, 2010, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California at UFC 121
. Dana White announced via SportsNation
that the UFC would be bringing back UFC Primetime
to hype up Lesnar vs. Velasquez at UFC 121
. Lesnar was defeated by Velasquez for the UFC Heavyweight Championship via TKO in the first round at UFC 121
on October 23, 2010.
, opposite to Junior dos Santos
, with the two expected to face each other on June 11, 2011 at UFC 131
. Lesnar, however, was struck with another bout of diverticulitis and had to withdraw from the bout on May 12, 2011. He was replaced by Shane Carwin
who lost against dos Santos at UFC 131
.
Lesnar underwent surgery on May 27, 2011, to help battle his problems with diverticulitis. UFC president Dana White said that Lesnar had a 12-inch piece of his colon removed and repaired.
Lesnar is slated to return from a second bout with diverticulitis at UFC 141
on December 30 in Las Vegas, where he will face former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem
in a five-round, non-title main event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
, and later joined the National Guard at the age of seventeen. In January 2001, Lesnar was arrested for receiving large amounts of what was alleged to be steroids. The charges were later dropped when it was discovered the substances were in fact a legal growth hormone
. His lawyer later described the growth hormone as a "vitamin type of thing."
Lesnar has one daughter, Mya Lynn who was born on April 10, 2002, with his ex-fiancée, Nicole. He left Nicole in 2003 in order to begin a relationship with Rena "Sable" Mero
who had been recently divorced from Marc Mero
. Lesnar and Mero were engaged in 2004, separated in 2005, then reconciled later that year and married on May 6, 2006. Lesnar has one stepchild with Mero: Mariah, a stepdaughter born to Mero and her late husband, Wayne Richardson. The couple had their first child together, a son named Turk in June 2009. The couple had their second child, a son named Duke in July 2010.
Lesnar has numerous tattoos, with the most prominent being a stylized skull in the center of his back and a large sword on his chest.
Lesnar makes an appearance in the video game WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain
, which is named after the quote that former WWE commentator Tazz
attributed to Lesnar, "here comes the pain." Other video games in which Lesnar has appeared include WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth
, WWE WrestleMania XIX
, WWE Crush Hour
, Madden NFL 06
, UFC 2009 Undisputed
, UFC Undisputed 2010
, PlayStation 2
version of Wrestle Kingdom
and most recently, WWE '12
. as a Legend. With the release of UFC Undisputed 2010
Lesnar became the first man to appear on the cover of a WWE and UFC video game as he was the cover star on Here Comes the Pain.
Lesnar was on the cover of Flex Magazine
. Lesnar was featured in Minneapolis' City Pages
in February 2008. In February 2008 Lesnar was featured on the cover of Muscle & Fitness
magazine.
WWE Home Video released a DVD in 2003 titled Brock Lesnar: Here Comes the Pain. The DVD covered Lesnar's career up to 2003 which featured some of his biggest matches. Lesnar owns an MMA clothing line called "DeathClutch".
He is known to be very conservative of his private life and avoids discussing it in interviews:
| Loss
|align=center| 5–2
|Cain Velasquez
| TKO (punches)
| UFC 121
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 4:12
| Anaheim, California
, United States
| Lost UFC Heavyweight Championship
|-
| Win
|align=center| 5–1
|Shane Carwin
| Submission (arm triangle choke)
| UFC 116
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 2:19
| Las Vegas, Nevada
, United States
| Defended UFC Heavyweight Championship; Submission of the Night
|-
| Win
|align=center| 4–1
|Frank Mir
| TKO (punches)
| UFC 100
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 1:48
| Las Vegas, Nevada
, United States
| Defended UFC Heavyweight Championship. Unified UFC Interim Heavyweight Championship
|-
| Win
|align=center| 3–1
|Randy Couture
| TKO (punches)
| UFC 91
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 3:07
| Las Vegas, Nevada
, United States
| Won UFC Heavyweight Championship.
|-
| Win
|align=center| 2–1
|Heath Herring
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 87
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Minneapolis, Minnesota
, United States
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 1–1
|Frank Mir
| Submission (kneebar)
| UFC 81
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:30
| Las Vegas, Nevada
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 1–0
|Min-Soo Kim
| Submission (punches)
| Dynamite!! USA
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:09
| Los Angeles, California
, United States
|
1Lesnar's first reign was as WWE Undisputed Champion.
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
, actor and a former professional and amateur wrestler
Amateur wrestling
Amateur wrestling is the most widespread form of sport wrestling. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games under the supervision of FILA : Greco-Roman and freestyle. Freestyle is possibly derived from the English Lancashire style...
. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and is ranked the No.5 Heavyweight in the world by Sherdog
Sherdog
Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts . The site is a member of the Crave Online network and provides MMA related content for ESPN.com.- History :...
. Lesnar is an accomplished amateur wrestler, winning the 2000 NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
heavyweight wrestling championship and placing second in 1999, losing in the finals to 1999 world freestyle wrestling champion and future New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
offensive lineman Stephen Neal
Stephen Neal
Stephen Matthew Neal is a former American football guard who played his entire career for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He is a former national champion amateur and collegiate wrestler at Cal State-Bakersfield...
.
He then gained prominence in World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWE), where he was a three-time WWE Champion
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
, becoming the youngest WWE Champion at age 25 with his first reign. Lesnar was the 2002 King of the Ring
King of the Ring (2002)
King of the Ring was the tenth annual King of the Ring professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on June 23, 2002 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio...
and the winner of the 2003 Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (2003)
Royal Rumble was the sixteenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . The event took place on January 19, 2003 at the Fleet Center in Boston, Massachusetts...
. After leaving WWE in 2004, Lesnar pursued a career in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He played during the preseason for the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, but ended up being a late cut. Lesnar returned to professional wrestling at the end of 2005, and joined New Japan Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
, where he won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in his first match. He was stripped of the title in July 2006, although he held the physical belt until June 2007.
Lesnar started a career in mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
and won his first fight in June 2007. He then signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
(UFC) in October 2007. He lost his UFC debut against Frank Mir
Frank Mir
Francisco Santos Miranda is an American mixed martial artist, as well as a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kenpō Karate, who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and a former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion...
. He captured the UFC Heavyweight Championship from Randy Couture
Randy Couture
Randy Duane Couture is a retired American mixed martial artist, Greco-Roman wrestler, actor, a three-time former heavyweight champion, two-time former light-heavyweight champion, former interim light heavyweight champion and UFC 13 tournament winner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
on November 15, 2008, then avenged his loss to Mir at UFC 100
UFC 100
UFC 100 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 11, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
to become the Undisputed Champion. After being sidelined from fighting in late 2009 due to diverticulitis
Diverticulitis
Diverticulitis is a common digestive disease particularly found in the large intestine. Diverticulitis develops from diverticulosis, which involves the formation of pouches on the outside of the colon...
, Lesnar returned to defeat the Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Shane Carwin
Shane Carwin
Shane Bannister Carwin is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , where he was previously the UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion...
at UFC 116
UFC 116
UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 3, 2010 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States...
. Lesnar lost the Heavyweight belt against Cain Velasquez
Cain Velasquez
Cain Ramirez Velasquez is an American mixed martial artist fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion. He is a two-time All-American collegiate wrestler from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, and a Junior College National Champ at Iowa...
at UFC 121
UFC 121
UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 23, 2010 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, United States...
. He was once again stricken with a bout of diverticulitis in May 2011 and had surgery to try and cope with the ailment. In August 2011, Lesnar stated that he is ready to return to fighting in the UFC.
Early life
Brock Lesnar was born in Webster, South DakotaWebster, South Dakota
Webster is a city in and the county seat of Day County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,886 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Webster is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
. He attended Webster High School in Webster, where he had a wrestling record of 33–0–0 in his senior year. Lesnar admits he graduated last of 54 students in his class. Lesnar later attended the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
on a full wrestling
Collegiate wrestling
Collegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...
scholarship for his junior and senior years of college; his roommate was fellow professional wrestler Shelton Benjamin
Shelton Benjamin
Shelton James Benjamin is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment. Benjamin has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling in high school and at the University of Minnesota. In addition, Benjamin has acted...
who served as Lesnar's assistant coach. Lesnar won the 2000 NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
wrestling championship as a heavyweight after placing second in 1999.
Prior to joining the Minnesota Golden Gophers
Minnesota Golden Gophers wrestling
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are a Division I college wrestling team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They are a member of the Big Ten Conference and NCAA. Wrestling began at the University of Minnesota in 1910, but the first formal dual meet was not until 1921 when coach Frank Gilman led the team...
, Lesnar wrestled at Bismarck State College
Bismarck State College
Bismark State College is the third largest college in the North Dakota University System with approximately 4200 students. It is a comprehensive community college that offers two-year and four-year degree plans. BSC offers the first two years of education toward a bachelor's degree in most fields...
in Bismarck, North Dakota
Bismarck, North Dakota
Bismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city's population was 61,272 at the 2010 census, while its metropolitan population was 108,779...
. Lesnar finished his amateur career as a two-time NJCAA All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n, 1998 NJCAA Heavyweight Champion, two-time NCAA All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n, two-time Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
Champion, and the 2000 NCAA heavyweight champion with a record of 106–5 overall in four years of college.
Training and debut (2000–2002)
In 2000, after leaving college, Lesnar signed up with the World Wrestling FederationWorld Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
. He was sent to its developmental territory. Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. OVW is run by owner Danny Davis and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 until 2000...
. There, he formed a tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
known as "The Minnesota Stretching Crew" with his former college roommate, Shelton Benjamin
Shelton Benjamin
Shelton James Benjamin is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment. Benjamin has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling in high school and at the University of Minnesota. In addition, Benjamin has acted...
. Lesnar and Benjamin won the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship
OVW Southern Tag Team Championship
The OVW Southern Tag Team Championship is the tag team titles of Ohio Valley Wrestling. Created in 1997, the first champions were Nick Dinsmore and Flash Flanagan. As of 2011, the current champions are Ted McNaler and Adam Revolver, known as The Elite in their fourth reign...
on three occasions. He wrestled several dark matches in 2001 and 2002 before being called up to the main roster.
Lesnar debuted on WWF television on the March 18, 2002 episode of Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, the night after WrestleMania X8
WrestleMania X8
WrestleMania X8 was the eighteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on March 17, 2002 at the SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario. The event marked the final WrestleMania event under the WWF name...
, coming through the crowd and attacking Al Snow
Al Snow
Allen Ray Sarven is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name of Al Snow. He is best known for his work in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment and currently works for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as a road agent.-Early career:Sarven...
, Maven
Maven Huffman
Maven Klint Huffman is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment between October 2001 and July 5, 2005 under the name Maven. In 2008 he became a guest expert on the Home Shopping Network.-Early life:Maven was born to an African-American...
, and Spike Dudley
Matt Hyson
Matthew "Matt" Hyson is a retired American professional wrestler, best known for his performances in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Spike Dudley and in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Brother Runt.In ECW, he was a two-time...
during the course of a match. He was accompanied by Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman is an American entertainment producer, best known for his career in professional wrestling as a promoter, manager, commentator and journalist. He is also an occasional actor in film....
, who was seen giving instructions to Lesnar. When the brand extension
WWE Brand Extension
WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment , currently promotes its core business of professional wrestling through two "brands" named after their two major television shows Raw and SmackDown...
was introduced in the WWF, Lesnar was drafted to the Raw brand. Later, Heyman was confirmed to be Lesnar's agent
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
and gave Lesnar the nickname "The Next Big Thing". Brock's first feud
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
was with the Hardy Boyz
Hardy Boyz
The Hardy Boyz are a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of real-life brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy...
. Lesnar and Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a former two–time TNA World Heavyweight Champion...
squared off at Backlash
Backlash (2002)
Backlash was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation promotion, which took place on April 21, 2002 at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The event starred talent from the Raw and SmackDown! brands. It was the fourth event under the Backlash...
in Lesnar's first official televised match. He won the match by knockout. The next night on Raw Lesnar faced off against Matt Hardy
Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
, defeating him in the same fashion. At Judgment Day, Lesnar once again gained the upper hand on the Hardy Boyz before tagging his partner, Heyman, in to make the pin.
Main event status (2002–2003)
In June 2002, Lesnar won the King of the RingKing of the Ring (2002)
King of the Ring was the tenth annual King of the Ring professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on June 23, 2002 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio...
tournament, defeating Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam
Robert Alexander "Rob" Szatkowski , better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam , is an American professional wrestler and actor who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
in the final round. This victory earned him a shot at the WWE Undisputed Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2002)
SummerSlam was the fifteenth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on August 25, 2002 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York....
. On July 22, Lesnar joined the SmackDown! brand. After a quick feud with Hollywood Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
in August 2002, Lesnar began feuding with the Undisputed Champion The Rock. At the main event of SummerSlam, Lesnar defeated The Rock to become the WWE Undisputed Champion. With his victory at age 25, Lesnar became the youngest WWE Champion in history (a record that was previously held by The Rock and stands to date). With the WWE Undisputed Championship being defended on both brands, Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff
Eric Bischoff
Eric Aaron Bischoff is an American entrepreneur, and professional wrestling booker and on-screen personality currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
expected Lesnar to be able to return to Raw the following night. However, SmackDown General Manager Stephanie McMahon announced that Lesnar's contract only required him to defend the title on SmackDown!, forcing Bischoff to establish a new world championship for his brand. With the new World Heavyweight Championship
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
on the Raw brand, the now disputed WWE Undisputed Championship
Undisputed Championship
An Undisputed Championship is a professional wrestling term for a champion who has obtained all of the major individual championships in his field during his era...
simply became known as the WWE Championship.
Lesnar's rapid rise to the top of WWE in 2002 led to a feud with The Undertaker, which involved a match at Unforgiven
Unforgiven (2002)
Unforgiven was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment that took place on September 22, 2002, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California...
. It ended in a double disqualification leading to Lesnar retaining the title. The next month, at No Mercy
No Mercy (2002)
No Mercy was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment that took place on October 20, 2002, at the Alltel Arena in North Little Rock, Arkansas. It was the fifth annual WWE No Mercy event and featured wrestlers from the Raw and SmackDown! brand.The event...
, he faced The Undertaker again, this time in a Hell in a Cell match. Leading up to the match, Lesnar broke the Undertaker's hand with a propane tank. Despite Heyman begging McMahon not to let The Undertaker use his cast as a weapon, the request was denied and the match went on as planned. In a match that saw both wrestlers and even Heyman covered in blood, it ended when Lesnar reversed an attempted Tombstone piledriver into his finishing F-5 maneuver for the win. Six days after his Hell in a Cell match with The Undertaker, Lesnar successfully retained his WWE title in a Handicap match with Heyman at the Rebellion pay-per-view against Edge
Adam Copeland
Adam Joseph Copeland is a retired Canadian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Edge. He is currently signed to WWE under a Legends contract....
.
Lesnar's next opponent was The Big Show
Paul Wight
Paul Donald Wight, Jr. , better known by his ring name, Big Show, is an American professional wrestler and actor, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand....
. Heyman was convinced more than anyone that Lesnar could not win, trying to talk him out of defending the title. Lesnar refused and lost the championship in Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
at the Survivor Series
Survivor Series (2002)
Survivor Series was the sixteenth annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on November 17, 2002 from Madison Square Garden in New York, New York and featured talent from both the Raw and SmackDown! brands...
pay-per-view to Big Show, Lesnar's first pinfall loss in WWE. When the champion tried to pin the 500-pounder following an F-5, he was betrayed by Heyman who pulled the referee out of the ring allowing Big Show to capitalize and win the title. As a result, Lesnar became a fan favorite
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
. Following Survivor Series, Heyman made it clear that Lesnar would not get a rematch, even going so far as to sneak a special clause in his contract. At the Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (2003)
Royal Rumble was the sixteenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . The event took place on January 19, 2003 at the Fleet Center in Boston, Massachusetts...
event in January 2003, Lesnar defeated The Big Show in a qualification match. Lesnar later entered the Rumble as the No.29 entrant where he eventually won by eliminating The Undertaker.
After winning the Royal Rumble match, Lesnar spent the next two months in a scripted feud with WWE champion Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion...
, who Lesnar had helped win the title and who was represented by Paul Heyman. Angle had Heyman, and Team Angle
The World's Greatest Tag Team
The World's Greatest Tag Team is the professional wrestling tag team of Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin, who currently perform as Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team. Originally formed in World Wrestling Entertainment , they started out captained by Kurt Angle, during which time they were known as...
(Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas
Charlie Haas
Charles "Charlie" Doyle Haas II is an American professional wrestler and former collegiate amateur wrestler. He competes on the independent circuit, and is signed to Ring of Honor , where he is one-half of the reigning ROH World Tag Team Champions with Shelton Benjamin...
) behind him, but Lesnar overcame these opponents. Lesnar regained the WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania XIX
WrestleMania XIX
WrestleMania XIX was the nineteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on March 30, 2003 at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington. The event was the first WrestleMania held in the state of Washington, and the first...
. Toward the end of the match, he botched
Botch (professional wrestling)
To botch in professional wrestling means to attempt a scripted move that does not come out as it was originally planned due to a mistake, miscalculation, or a slip-up. Most botches are harmless but embarrassing, such as a wrestler simply flubbing a line or missing a cue, or falling before his...
a shooting star press; despite having landed the move successfully several times in OVW, in this match he overestimated the distance he was capable of jumping for the move and under-rotated, slamming his head into Angle's side and ribcage. This stunned Lesnar and forced Angle to improvise the finish of the match. Lesnar suffered a severe concussion from the botched move.
Following WrestleMania, John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
began targeting Lesnar for almost ending his career (by using the F-5 to propel his leg into a ring post) after a previous match between the two. This led to Cena receiving a title match at Backlash
Backlash (2003)
Backlash was the fifth annual Backlash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Entertainment...
in which Lesnar successfully retained the title. Earlier at the Backlash pay-per-view, Big Show had injured Rey Mysterio badly, resulting in Mysterio being carried out on a stretcher
Stretcher
A stretcher is a medical device used to carry casualties or an incapacitated person from one place to another. It is a simple type of litter, and still called by that name in some cases....
. This injury led to Lesnar renewing his feud with Big Show, which led to a Stretcher match at Judgment Day
Judgment Day (2003)
Judgment Day was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment that took place on May 18, 2003, at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina...
for the title. Lesnar successfully retained his title with help from Rey Mysterio and a forklift
Forklift truck
A forklift is a powered industrial truck used to lift and transport materials. The modern forklift was developed in the 1920s by various companies including the transmission manufacturing company Clark and the hoist company Yale & Towne Manufacturing...
. During the scripted rivalry, on SmackDown!, Lesnar lifted Big Show over in a Superplex, which caused the ring to collapse on impact. At Vengeance
Vengeance (2003)
Vengeance was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on July 27, 2003 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. It was the third annual Vengeance event and starred wrestlers from the SmackDown brand.Eight professional wrestling...
, Lesnar lost his title to Kurt Angle in a No Disqualification Triple Threat match that involved Big Show.
SummerSlam (2003)
SummerSlam was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on August 24, 2003 at the America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona...
, Lesnar became a villain
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
by betraying Kurt Angle, leading to a rematch at the event. Lesnar lost to Angle when Angle made Lesnar tap out to the ankle lock. A second rematch between Lesnar and Angle, an Iron Man match
Iron Man match
An Iron Man match is a professional wrestling match type that is set to go a specific amount of time, usually 30 or 60 minutes, with the competitor with the most falls at the end of that time named the victor...
, was later held on an episode of SmackDown!. Lesnar defeated Angle in a match that was said as one of the best in SmackDown! history. Angle slapped on the ankle lock with a few seconds remaining but Lesnar did not tap. Lesnar won with five falls to Angle's four, making him a three-time WWE Champion. Lesnar's first challenger for his newly won title was The Undertaker. Lesnar had previously cost Undertaker the title in a match against then-champion Kurt Angle, which granted him a shot at Lesnar's title. At No Mercy
No Mercy (2003)
No Mercy was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on October 19, 2003 at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. It was the sixth event under the No Mercy chronology and starred wrestlers from the SmackDown! brand.Nine...
, Lesnar defeated Undertaker in a Biker Chain match.
Lesnar realigned himself with Paul Heyman after Heyman became General Manager of SmackDown! and formed Team Lesnar with Big Show, Matt Morgan, A-Train, and Nathan Jones
Nathan Jones (wrestler)
Nathan Boyce Jones is an Australian actor, powerlifting champion, strongman, and retired professional wrestler...
for a 10-man Survivor Series match at Survivor Series
Survivor Series (2003)
Survivor Series was the seventeenth annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
. In the climax of the match, Chris Benoit
Chris Benoit
Christopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...
became the second person to make Lesnar tap out. Lesnar faced Benoit in a singles bout two weeks later for the WWE Championship on SmackDown!, where Lesnar won after Benoit passed out to Lesnar's debuting Brock Lock submission hold.
Feuding with Goldberg and departure (2003–2004)
The Survivor Series event marked the first time Lesnar met GoldbergBill Goldberg
Goldberg earned a scholarship to play for the University of Georgia Bulldogs football team where he served as a defensive tackle. He was taken in the 11th round, with the 302nd overall selection, in the 1990 NFL Draft....
from the Raw brand, a man to whom Lesnar had been compared due to their similar physiques and undefeated streaks in wrestling. Lesnar claimed in a backstage interview
Interview
An interview is a conversation between two people where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee.- Interview as a Method for Qualitative Research:"Definition" -...
that he could beat anybody in the world, leading to Goldberg interrupting the interview and introducing himself to Lesnar, shaking hands
Handshake
A handshake is a short ritual in which two people grasp one of each other's like hands, in most cases accompanied by a brief up and down movement of the grasped hands.-History:...
with him before leaving with a staredown. Lesnar followed this rivalry with a feud involving Hardcore Holly
Bob Holly
Robert "Bob" Howard better known by his ring name Bob "Hardcore" Holly, is a American professional wrestler. He is best known for his 15-year stint with World Wrestling Entertainment ....
. In this storyline, Holly wanted revenge on Lesnar for legitimately breaking his neck during a previous match between the two in 2002. During that match, Lesnar went for a powerbomb
Powerbomb
A powerbomb is a professional wrestling throw in which an opponent is lifted up and then slammed back-first down to the mat. The standard powerbomb sees an opponent first placed in a standing headscissors position...
, but Holly, who has gained a reputation of being uncooperative with rookies, supposedly sandbagged mid-lift so that Lesnar could not get him all the way up. Holly compounded the difficulty of the move by not lifting up at the waist. During the struggle, Lesnar ended up dropping Holly on his head, leaving him in need of neck surgery and out of action for a year. At the Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (2004)
Royal Rumble was the seventeenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on January 25, 2004 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
in 2004, Lesnar defeated Holly to retain the WWE Championship. Later in the Royal Rumble match, Lesnar attacked Goldberg and delivered an F-5, enabling Kurt Angle to eliminate him.
In February, Lesnar faced Eddie Guerrero
Eddie Guerrero
Eduardo Gory "Eddie" Guerrero was a Mexican-American professional wrestler born into the Guerrero wrestling family. He wrestled in Mexico and Japan for several major professional wrestling promotions...
for the title at No Way Out
No Way Out (2004)
No Way Out was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on February 15, 2004 at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California...
. During the match, Goldberg interfered in the match, allowing Guerrero to capitalize and pin Lesnar after a frog splash to win the WWE Championship. The match set up an interbrand match for WrestleMania XX
WrestleMania XX
WrestleMania XX was the twentieth WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on March 14, 2004 at Madison Square Garden in New York....
between Lesnar and Goldberg. During the feud with Goldberg, Lesnar was feuding with Raws Stone Cold Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
(who was shown suggesting to Goldberg that he attack Lesnar at No Way Out). When Lesnar attacked Austin on Raw and stole his four-wheeler
All-terrain vehicle
An all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...
, Austin was inserted as the special guest referee for the WrestleMania match. Behind the scenes, it was widely known that the match would be Goldberg's last in WWE. Only a week before WrestleMania, however, rumors surfaced that Lesnar, too, was leaving in order to pursue a career in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. As a result, Lesnar's match with Goldberg became a fiasco as the fans at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
jeered both wrestlers with very loud and distinct chants of "na na, hey hey goodbye
Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye
"Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" is a song written and recorded by Paul Leka, Gary DeCarlo and Dale Frashuer, attributed to a then-fictitious band they named "Steam". It was released under the Mercury subsidiary label Fontana and became a number one pop single on the Billboard Hot 100 in late 1969,...
" and "you sold out," with the crowd support mostly given to special referee Austin. Although Goldberg won the match, both men were given a Stone Cold Stunner
Stunner (professional wrestling)
A stunner is a common term in professional wrestling referring to the seated three-quarter facelock jawbreaker maneuver, predominantly used by Stone Cold Steve Austin and named for his Stone Cold Stunner finisher...
by Austin on their way out.
New Japan Pro Wrestling (2005–2006)
On October 8, 2005, Lesnar won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in a three-way match at a New Japan Pro WrestlingNew Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
show in the Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan.The stadium opened for business on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of the Velodrome which was next door to the site of the predecessor ballpark, Kōrakuen Stadium...
, which included the then-champion Kazuyuki Fujita
Kazuyuki Fujita
is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and a former amateur wrestler. He has fought in mixed martial arts promotions including PRIDE, K-1 and currently fighting in Sengoku....
and Masahiro Chono
Masahiro Chono
, is a Japanese professional wrestler. He primarily wrestles for New Japan Pro Wrestling , but has also made appearances for the now defunct World Championship Wrestling, as a member of the New World Order. Chono was also known as Mister Black Jack when he first started as a villain. He is a...
. He won the match by pinning Masahiro Chono after an F-5, which he had renamed the Verdict, since WWE owns the trademark on the F-5 name. After the match, he stated that this name was referring to his lawsuit against WWE. The match was his first pro wrestling match since leaving WWE. Lesnar is one of the few American wrestlers to have held this title.
On December 6, WWE filed a motion
Motion (legal)
In law, a motion is a procedural device to bring a limited, contested issue before a court for decision. A motion may be thought of as a request to the judge to make a decision about the case. Motions may be made at any point in administrative, criminal or civil proceedings, although that right is...
for a temporary restraining order to prevent Lesnar from continuing to work with NJPW, but the court did not grant it, and thus Lesnar had two non-title victories against Manabu Nakanishi
Manabu Nakanishi
is a Japanese professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler who competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. He currently works for New Japan Pro Wrestling. He is a former IWGP Heavyweight Champion.-Amateur wrestling career:...
and Yuji Nagata
Yuji Nagata
is a Japanese professional wrestler. He was known for his perennial tweener status, currently a solid fan favorite, and his stiff, shoot style wrestling technique....
. Lesnar successfully defended his championship on January 4, 2006, against former champion Shinsuke Nakamura
Shinsuke Nakamura
is a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist currently working for New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is a former three-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion.-Super Rookie :...
. On January 13, WWE once again filed an injunction against Lesnar to stop him from defending the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on March 19. Evidently this was not enforced (nor granted), as he went on to have a tag team match with Shinsuke Nakamura
Shinsuke Nakamura
is a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist currently working for New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is a former three-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion.-Super Rookie :...
against Akebono
Akebono Taro
is a retired American born-Japanese sumo wrestler from Waimānalo, Hawaii. Joining the professional sport in Japan in 1988, he was trained by pioneering Hawaiian sumo wrestler Takamiyama and rose swiftly up the rankings, reaching the top division in 1990...
and Riki Chōshū
Riki Choshu
Mitsuo Yoshida , better known by his stage name Riki Chōshū , is a Korean-Japanese professional wrestler who is most known for his longtime work in New Japan Pro Wrestling as a wrestler and a booker...
at the Sumo Hall on February 19, which was won after a Verdict to Chōshū. On March 19, at the Sumo Hall, Lesnar retained his championship against former Sumo Wrestling
Sumo
is a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally...
Grand Champion Akebono when Lesnar hit him with the championship belt and a DDT
DDT (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling a DDT is any move in which the wrestler has the opponent in a front facelock, and falls down or backwards to drive the opponent's head into the mat...
. Lesnar went on to successfully defend his title against the winner of the New Japan Cup, Giant Bernard, on May 3, 2006, in Fukuoka. This was the first American vs. American title match in NJPW since Vader vs. Stan Hansen
Stan Hansen
John Stanley Hansen, Jr. is an American former professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Stan Hansen. As a wrestler, Hansen was well known for his stiff wrestling style, which he attributes to poor eyesight, as he is nearly blind without glasses...
in 1990.
On July 15, 2006, New Japan Pro Wrestling announced that Brock Lesnar had been stripped of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship as he would no longer be returning to defend the title due to "visa
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
issues." A tournament was held on July 16 to determine the new champion, which was won by Hiroshi Tanahashi
Hiroshi Tanahashi
is a Japanese professional wrestler who works primarily for New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is the current IWGP Heavyweight Champion in his fifth reign.-Early life:...
, the man Lesnar was originally scheduled to face. Lesnar continued to possess the physical IWGP Championship belt until late June 2007.
Approximately one year later on June 29, 2007, Lesnar defended his IWGP Heavyweight Championship (IGF promoter Antonio Inoki
Antonio Inoki
is a Japanese professional wrestling promoter and retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist who now resides between New York City and Tokyo. He was also the founder and former owner of New Japan Pro Wrestling before selling his controlling share in the promotion to Yukes...
had stated he still viewed Lesnar as the "proper" IWGP Champion, as he was not defeated for the title) against TNA World Heavyweight Champion
TNA World Heavyweight Championship
The TNA World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is currently the highest ranked championship in TNA and is primarily defended in TNA's heavyweight division...
Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion...
in a champion versus champion match. Angle defeated Lesnar with the Ankle lock to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship as recognized by IGF and TNA. and challenged him to an MMA
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
fight. This was Lesnar's last match as a professional wrestler.
Lawsuit
Lesnar had previously signed a no-compete clause in order to be released from his contract with WWE, which prohibited him from working for any other sports entertainment or mixed martial arts companies before June 2010. Lesnar had anticipated leaving wrestling entirely, but his inability to secure a career in professional football led to him challenging this ruling in court. WWE responded by demanding damages as a result of Lesnar allegedly breaching the agreement by appearing at a New Japan Pro WrestlingNew Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
show in 2004. In July 2005, the two sides dropped their claims and entered negotiations to renew their relationship. WWE had offered Lesnar a contract, but on August 2, 2005, WWE's official website reported that Lesnar had withdrawn from any involvement with the company. The lawsuit was then entered into settlement on September 21, but talks broke down.
On January 14, 2006, Judge Christopher Droney stated that unless WWE gave him a good argument between then and January 25, he would rule in favor of Brock Lesnar, giving him a summary judgment. This would have enabled Lesnar to work anywhere he wanted immediately. WWE was later granted a deadline postponement. On April 24, World Wrestling Entertainment announced on their official website, WWE.com, that both parties had mutually come to a settlement and on June 12, a federal judge dismissed Lesnar's lawsuit against WWE after both parties requested for the case to be dismissed.
National Football League (2004–2005)
After his final match at WrestleMania XXWrestleMania XX
WrestleMania XX was the twentieth WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on March 14, 2004 at Madison Square Garden in New York....
, Lesnar sidelined his career in WWE to pursue a career in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. This move upset many in WWE, as the company felt they had invested heavily in Lesnar. World Wrestling Entertainment confirmed Lesnar's departure on their official website WWE.com by the statement
Lesnar later told a Minnesota radio show
Radio programming
Radio programming is the Broadcast programming of a Radio format or content that is organized for Commercial broadcasting and Public broadcasting radio stations....
that he had three wonderful years in WWE, but had grown unhappy and had always wanted to play pro football, adding that he did not want to be 40 years old and wondering if he could have made it in football. In an interview about starting with the NFL, Lesnar made the statement
Lesnar played for the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, where he created controversy in some games by starting minor fights and got heat from the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
for a sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
on quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Damon Huard
Damon Huard
Damon Paul Huard is a former American football quarterback. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played college football at Washington....
, which drew a big response from the crowd. Huard was hit hard and had to go to the sidelines and sit out a few plays. After playing in the preseason, Lesnar ended up being a late cut. He declined an invitation to play as a representative of the Vikings in NFL Europa because he wanted to be closer to home with his family.
Hero's (2007)
On April 28, 2006, Lesnar appeared inside the ring after the final match of K-1K-1
K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...
Hero's
HERO'S
Hero's was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion operated by Fighting and Entertainment Group, the parent entity behind kickboxing organization K-1. Grown from and branched off of K-1's earlier experiments in MMA, including the K-1 Romanex event and various MMA fights on its regular K-1...
Las Vegas and announced his intent to join the MMA promotion. He trained with Minnesota Martial Arts Academy
Minnesota Martial Arts Academy
Minnesota Martial Arts Academy is a martial arts training center in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota that was founded in 1992 by Greg Nelson, a former NCAA Division 1 wrestler at the University of Minnesota.-History:...
under Greg Nelson, and University of Minnesota Assistant Head wrestling coach Marty Morgan. Brock Lesnar announced on August 12 in Las Vegas that he had signed a deal with the K-1 promotion. His first fight was scheduled for June 2, 2007, on the K-1 Dynamite!! USA
Dynamite!! USA
SoftBank presents Dynamite!! USA was a mixed martial arts event co-promoted by FEG, the promoters of K-1 kickboxing and Hero's MMA events, and EliteXC...
show against Choi Hong-man
Choi Hong-man
Choi Hong-man , often anglicised to Hong-man Choi, is a South Korean kickboxer, mixed martial artist and former ssireum wrestler. In Asia he is called "Che Man", "Korean Monster" and "Korean Colossus"...
of Korea. However, prior to the match, Choi Hong-Man was replaced by Min Soo Kim. Lesnar submitted Min Soo Kim due to strikes in 1 minute 9 seconds of the first round to win his first official MMA match.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (2008–present)
During UFC 77UFC 77
UFC 77: Hostile Territory was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship . The event took place on Saturday, October 20, 2007 at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio...
, it was announced that Brock Lesnar had reached a deal to fight with the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
(UFC). On February 2, 2008, Lesnar made his debut with the promotion in an event titled UFC 81:Breaking Point
UFC 81
UFC 81: Breaking Point was a mixed martial arts event held on February 2, 2008 by the Ultimate Fighting Championship at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on the Las Vegas Strip....
against former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Frank Mir
Frank Mir
Francisco Santos Miranda is an American mixed martial artist, as well as a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kenpō Karate, who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and a former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion...
. Lesnar secured an early takedown, but was deducted a point for hitting Mir on the back of the head. Following another takedown by Lesnar, Mir managed to secure a kneebar and force a submission at 1:30 of the first round. Due to the large size of his hands, Lesnar was wearing 4XL gloves for the fight, making him the second man in Nevada's combat sports history to wear such gloves after Choi Hong-man
Choi Hong-man
Choi Hong-man , often anglicised to Hong-man Choi, is a South Korean kickboxer, mixed martial artist and former ssireum wrestler. In Asia he is called "Che Man", "Korean Monster" and "Korean Colossus"...
. At UFC 82
UFC 82
UFC 82: Pride of a Champion was a mixed martial arts event that took place on 1st March, 2008 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio....
, it was announced that former UFC Heavyweight Champion and UFC Hall of Fame inductee Mark Coleman
Mark Coleman
Mark Coleman is an American mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, former NCAA collegiate wrestler and former Olympic amateur wrestler. In MMA, he was the UFC 10 and UFC 11 tournament champion, the first Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion, and the Pride Fighting...
would fight Lesnar at UFC 87:Seek and Destroy
UFC 87
UFC 87: Seek and Destroy was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 9, 2008, at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.-Background:...
. Coleman was forced to withdraw from the fight due to a training injury, and Lesnar's opponent was changed to Heath Herring
Heath Herring
Heath Herring is an inactive American Heavyweight professional mixed martial artist who attained popularity fighting for PRIDE FC in Japan and most recently fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
. In the early seconds of the first round, Lesnar dropped Herring with a straight right. For the rest of the fight, Lesnar kept the fight on the ground and went on to win by unanimous decision.
Lesnar's next opponent was Randy Couture
Randy Couture
Randy Duane Couture is a retired American mixed martial artist, Greco-Roman wrestler, actor, a three-time former heavyweight champion, two-time former light-heavyweight champion, former interim light heavyweight champion and UFC 13 tournament winner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
for the UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 91:Couture vs Lesnar
UFC 91
UFC 91: Couture vs. Lesnar was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 15, 2008 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main event featured the return of UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture versus Brock Lesnar in a title...
on November 15. Lesnar beat Couture via a technical knockout
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
in Round 2, becoming the UFC Heavyweight Champion.
On December 27, 2008, at UFC 92
UFC 92
UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 was a mixed martial arts event by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on December 27, 2008 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
, Frank Mir defeated Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira is a Brazilian mixed martial artist known for his technical mastery of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he is a former UFCInterim Heavyweight Champion...
for the Interim Heavyweight title and was to face Lesnar for the Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 98
UFC 98
UFC 98: Evans vs. Machida was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 23, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
. Immediately after winning the Interim Heavyweight title, Mir found Lesnar in the crowd and shouted at him "You've got my belt."
However, due to a knee injury to Mir, the title unification match with Lesnar that was originally slated to be the UFC 98 main event was postponed. The news broke during the broadcast of UFC 96 that the bout had been cancelled and was replaced by Rashad Evans vs. Lyoto Machida for the UFC Light-Heavyweight Championship." Lesnar won the postponed rematch with Mir at UFC 100
UFC 100
UFC 100 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 11, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
on July 11, 2009, via Knockout
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
after dominating his opponent for the duration of the bout. The win earned Lesnar Beatdown of the Year honors from Sherdog
Sherdog
Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts . The site is a member of the Crave Online network and provides MMA related content for ESPN.com.- History :...
for 2009. It's an award he shares with Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva
Anderson da Silva is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He is the current UFC Middleweight Champion and the promotion's longest reigning champion. With 14 consecutive wins, Silva holds the longest winning streak and title defense streak in UFC history...
after his win over Forrest Griffin
Forrest Griffin
Forrest Griffin is an American mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC light heavyweight champion....
. http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/3/Sherdogs-2009-Misc-Awards-22093. During his post-match celebration, Lesnar flipped off
Finger (gesture)
In Western culture, the finger , also known as the middle finger, is an obscene hand gesture, often meaning the phrases "fuck off" , "fuck you" or "up yours"...
the crowd who had been booing him. He made a disparaging comment about the PPV's primary sponsor Bud Light, claiming they "won't pay me nothin, promoting Coors Light
Coors Light
Coors Light is a light beer produced by the Coors Brewing Company. It was first produced in 1978.The beer has a "Cold Certified" label which turns the mountains on the label from white to blue when the beer's temperature is lowered to 4 degrees Celsius .- Promotions :In 2008, Coors Light became...
instead. He then stated he might even "get on top of
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
[his] wife
Rena Mero
Rena Marlette Mero Lesnar , better known as Sable, is an American model, actress, and former professional wrestler. She is primarily known for her stints in World Wrestling Entertainment....
" after the show. He would later apologize for his actions in his post-fight press conference, where he held a bottle of Bud Light.
In January 2009, Brock Lesnar signed a supplement endorsement deal with Dymatize Nutrition. A CD containing training footage of Lesnar was included with boxes of Dymatize Xpand and Energized Xpand.
On July 1, 2009, it was reported that the winner of the Shane Carwin
Shane Carwin
Shane Bannister Carwin is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , where he was previously the UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion...
vs. Cain Velasquez
Cain Velasquez
Cain Ramirez Velasquez is an American mixed martial artist fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion. He is a two-time All-American collegiate wrestler from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, and a Junior College National Champ at Iowa...
fight at UFC 104
UFC 104
UFC 104: Machida vs. Shogun was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 24, 2009 in Los Angeles, California.-Background:...
would face Brock Lesnar in his second title defense on a date yet to be determined; however, the UFC then reconsidered the contendership bout and Lesnar was scheduled to defend his belt against Shane Carwin at UFC 106
UFC 106
UFC 106: Ortiz vs. Griffin 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 21, 2009 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.-Background:...
on November 21.
Illness
On October 26, 2009, it was announced that Lesnar had pulled out of the UFC 106UFC 106
UFC 106: Ortiz vs. Griffin 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 21, 2009 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.-Background:...
card in which he was set to face Shane Carwin
Shane Carwin
Shane Bannister Carwin is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , where he was previously the UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion...
for the UFC Heavyweight Championship due to an illness. UFC President Dana White
Dana White
Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...
said that Brock had been ill for three weeks, claiming he had never been this sick in his life and that it would take him a while to recover; his fight with Carwin was rescheduled for UFC 108
UFC 108
UFC 108: Evans vs. Silva was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 2, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.- Background :...
in early 2010. Lesnar initially sought treatment in Canada, but later told reporters that he had received "Third World treatment" from malfunctioning equipment at a hospital in Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...
, and that seeking better medical treatment in the United States saved his life. Lesnar, who describes himself as a conservative and a supporter of the US Republican Party, went on to criticize Canadian-style health care further and said that he shared his experience in an effort to speak "on the behalf of the doctors in the United States that don't want health care reform
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
to happen and neither do I."
On November 4, it was confirmed that Lesnar was suffering from mononucleosis
Infectious mononucleosis
Infectious mononucleosis is an infectious, widespread viral...
and that his bout with Carwin would have to wait a bit longer, thus the fight for UFC 108
UFC 108
UFC 108: Evans vs. Silva was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 2, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.- Background :...
was cancelled. On November 14 at the UFC 105
UFC 105
UFC 105: Couture vs. Vera was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 14, 2009 in Manchester, England at the Manchester Evening News Arena...
post-fight conference, Dana stated, "He's not well and he's not going to be getting well anytime soon." and that an interim title match might need to be set up. In addition to mononucleosis, it was revealed that Lesnar was suffering from a serious case of diverticulitis
Diverticulitis
Diverticulitis is a common digestive disease particularly found in the large intestine. Diverticulitis develops from diverticulosis, which involves the formation of pouches on the outside of the colon...
, an intestinal disorder, which would require surgery. After further diagnosis, on November 16 Lesnar underwent surgery to close a perforation in his intestine that had been leaking fecal matter
Human feces
Human feces , also known as a stool, is the waste product of the human digestive system including bacteria. It varies significantly in appearance, according to the state of the digestive system, diet and general health....
into his abdomen, causing pain, abscess
Abscess
An abscess is a collection of pus that has accumulated in a cavity formed by the tissue in which the pus resides due to an infectious process or other foreign materials...
es, and overtaxing his immune system to the point that he contracted mononucleosis. From the level of damage to Lesnar's system, the surgeon estimated that the intestinal condition had been ongoing for around a year.
Return
In January 2010, Lesnar announced on ESPN SportsCenter that he was scheduled to make a return to the UFC in the summer of 2010. A match between Frank MirFrank Mir
Francisco Santos Miranda is an American mixed martial artist, as well as a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kenpō Karate, who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and a former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion...
and Shane Carwin
Shane Carwin
Shane Bannister Carwin is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , where he was previously the UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion...
took place on March 27 at UFC 111
UFC 111
UFC 111: St-Pierre vs. Hardy was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 27, 2010 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, United States.-Background:...
to determine the UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion, and Brock's next opponent. Shane Carwin defeated Frank Mir by KO in the first round, becoming the new Interim Champion. After the fight, Brock came into the ring and stated "It was a good fight, but he's wearing a belt that's a make believe belt, I've got the real championship belt."
Lesnar faced Shane Carwin
Shane Carwin
Shane Bannister Carwin is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , where he was previously the UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion...
at UFC 116
UFC 116
UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 3, 2010 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States...
to unify the heavyweight titles. After Carwin knocked him down early in the first round, Lesnar survived a ground and pound attack. Early in the second round, Lesnar was able to take Carwin down, attain a full mount, then move into side-control and finish the fight with an arm triangle choke. With the victory, Lesnar again became the Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion, earning his first UFC Submission Of The Night and giving Carwin his first loss.
Losing the title
Lesnar's next defense was against undefeated top contender Cain VelasquezCain Velasquez
Cain Ramirez Velasquez is an American mixed martial artist fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion. He is a two-time All-American collegiate wrestler from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, and a Junior College National Champ at Iowa...
on October 23, 2010, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California at UFC 121
UFC 121
UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 23, 2010 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, United States...
. Dana White announced via SportsNation
SportsNation (TV series)
SportsNation is a sports-related television program that airs on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN America and ESPNews. It is hosted by Colin Cowherd and Michelle Beadle. It is based on SportsNation, the fan forum and poll section of ESPN.com...
that the UFC would be bringing back UFC Primetime
UFC Primetime
UFC Primetime is a television series currently airing on Spike TV in the United States. The show chronicles the training regimens of two UFC fighters prior to their next upcoming main event bout.-Premise:...
to hype up Lesnar vs. Velasquez at UFC 121
UFC 121
UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 23, 2010 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, United States...
. Lesnar was defeated by Velasquez for the UFC Heavyweight Championship via TKO in the first round at UFC 121
UFC 121
UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 23, 2010 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, United States...
on October 23, 2010.
Coaching on The Ultimate Fighter
On January 11, 2011, it was revealed that Lesnar would be one of the coaches of The Ultimate Fighter Season 13The Ultimate Fighter 13
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs. Team dos Santos is the thirteenth installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter....
, opposite to Junior dos Santos
Junior dos Santos
Junior dos Santos Almeida, also known as Junior Cigano , is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and the current UFC Heavyweight Champion. Dos Santos fights in the Heavyweight division, under the tutelage of former UFC and Pride Heavyweight Champion Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira and UFC...
, with the two expected to face each other on June 11, 2011 at UFC 131
UFC 131
UFC 131: Dos Santos vs. Carwin was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 11, 2011 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.-Background:...
. Lesnar, however, was struck with another bout of diverticulitis and had to withdraw from the bout on May 12, 2011. He was replaced by Shane Carwin
Shane Carwin
Shane Bannister Carwin is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , where he was previously the UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion...
who lost against dos Santos at UFC 131
UFC 131
UFC 131: Dos Santos vs. Carwin was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 11, 2011 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.-Background:...
.
Lesnar underwent surgery on May 27, 2011, to help battle his problems with diverticulitis. UFC president Dana White said that Lesnar had a 12-inch piece of his colon removed and repaired.
Highest paid MMA athlete
ESPN The Magazine, in its May 2011 issue, did a story listing the highest paid athlete based on base salary and earnings for the most recent calendar year or most recent season in 30 sports. Brock Lesnar topped the list for mixed martial artists at $5.3 million, which included his reported bout salaries and estimated pay-per-view bonuses.Return from surgery
Lesnar says he is ready to step foot back into the Octagon. He made the announcement via a video through one of his sponsors on Thursday, where he proclaimed that he's finally healthy following surgery after complications arose with his diverticulitis. According to Lesnar, following the surgery he's now healthy and back on track to return to the UFC, "I feel like a new man, healthy, strong, I feel like I used to feel."Lesnar is slated to return from a second bout with diverticulitis at UFC 141
UFC 141
UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem is an upcoming mixed martial arts event to be held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 30, 2011, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
on December 30 in Las Vegas, where he will face former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem
Alistair Overeem
Alistair Cees Overeem is a British born Dutch mixed martial artist and kickboxer, signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, Dream Interim Heavyweight Champion, K-1 World Grand Prix Champion, and made history by being the only fighter in combat...
in a five-round, non-title main event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Personal life
Lesnar grew up on a farm in South DakotaSouth Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, and later joined the National Guard at the age of seventeen. In January 2001, Lesnar was arrested for receiving large amounts of what was alleged to be steroids. The charges were later dropped when it was discovered the substances were in fact a legal growth hormone
Growth hormone
Growth hormone is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell reproduction and regeneration in humans and other animals. Growth hormone is a 191-amino acid, single-chain polypeptide that is synthesized, stored, and secreted by the somatotroph cells within the lateral wings of the anterior...
. His lawyer later described the growth hormone as a "vitamin type of thing."
Lesnar has one daughter, Mya Lynn who was born on April 10, 2002, with his ex-fiancée, Nicole. He left Nicole in 2003 in order to begin a relationship with Rena "Sable" Mero
Rena Mero
Rena Marlette Mero Lesnar , better known as Sable, is an American model, actress, and former professional wrestler. She is primarily known for her stints in World Wrestling Entertainment....
who had been recently divorced from Marc Mero
Marc Mero
Marc Mero is an American retired amateur boxer and professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation as Marc Mero and with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Johnny B. Badd...
. Lesnar and Mero were engaged in 2004, separated in 2005, then reconciled later that year and married on May 6, 2006. Lesnar has one stepchild with Mero: Mariah, a stepdaughter born to Mero and her late husband, Wayne Richardson. The couple had their first child together, a son named Turk in June 2009. The couple had their second child, a son named Duke in July 2010.
Lesnar has numerous tattoos, with the most prominent being a stylized skull in the center of his back and a large sword on his chest.
Lesnar makes an appearance in the video game WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain
WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain
WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain is a video game released on the PlayStation 2 console by THQ on October 27, 2003. It is a sequel to WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth and is part of the WWE SmackDown! WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain (Known as Exciting Pro Wrestling 5 in Japan) is a video game...
, which is named after the quote that former WWE commentator Tazz
Tazz
Peter Senerchia is a retired American professional wrestler and current color commentator best known by his ring name Tazz, originally Tazmaniac and later shortened to simply Taz...
attributed to Lesnar, "here comes the pain." Other video games in which Lesnar has appeared include WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth
WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth
WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth is a professional wrestling video game released on the PlayStation 2 console by THQ and developed by Yuke's. It is part of the WWE SmackDown! WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth (Known as Exciting Pro Wrestling 4 in Japan) is a professional wrestling video game released...
, WWE WrestleMania XIX
WWE WrestleMania XIX
WWE WrestleMania XIX is a video game released for the Nintendo GameCube by THQ in late 2003. It's the second of four annual WWE licensed video games for the console....
, WWE Crush Hour
WWE Crush Hour
WWE Crush Hour is a video game released on the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube consoles by THQ. It was one of a few WWE games that were of a different genre than the regular professional wrestling games usually produced...
, Madden NFL 06
Madden NFL 06
Madden NFL 06 is an American football video game which was released on August 8, 2005. It is also a launch game for the Xbox 360. It is the 16th installment of the Madden NFL series by EA Sports, named for noted color commentator John Madden. The product features former Philadelphia Eagles...
, UFC 2009 Undisputed
UFC 2009 Undisputed
UFC 2009 Undisputed is a mixed martial arts video game featuring Ultimate Fighting Championship properties and fighters developed by Yuke's Osaka and published by THQ. The game was released in the US on May 19, 2009, for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3...
, UFC Undisputed 2010
UFC Undisputed 2010
UFC Undisputed 2010 is a mixed martial arts video game featuring Ultimate Fighting Championship properties and fighters developed by Yuke's and published by THQ. It was released on May 25, 2010, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and for the first time PlayStation Portable...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
version of Wrestle Kingdom
Wrestle Kingdom
is a licensed professional wrestling video game by Yuke's, released in Japan for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 2. The game combines the top stars of New Japan Pro Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Noah, and freelancers....
and most recently, WWE '12
WWE '12
WWE '12 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for the PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360 systems. It is the first game in the WWE series and the fourteenth overall in the combined series. It is the sequel to WWE SmackDown vs...
. as a Legend. With the release of UFC Undisputed 2010
UFC Undisputed 2010
UFC Undisputed 2010 is a mixed martial arts video game featuring Ultimate Fighting Championship properties and fighters developed by Yuke's and published by THQ. It was released on May 25, 2010, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and for the first time PlayStation Portable...
Lesnar became the first man to appear on the cover of a WWE and UFC video game as he was the cover star on Here Comes the Pain.
Lesnar was on the cover of Flex Magazine
FLEX (magazine)
Flex is an American bodybuilding magazine, published by American Media, Inc.-History:Founded in 1983 by Joe Weider, local versions are now published throughout the world, in countries such as the UK and Australia.The premier issue was dated April 1983, and featured Chris Dickerson on the cover...
. Lesnar was featured in Minneapolis' City Pages
City Pages
City Pages is an alternative weekly newspaper serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. It features news, film, theatre and restaurant reviews, and music criticism. It is printed in a tabloid format, and is available free every Wednesday...
in February 2008. In February 2008 Lesnar was featured on the cover of Muscle & Fitness
Muscle & Fitness
Muscle & Fitness is an American bodybuilding magazine founded by Joe Weider, but now published by American Media, Inc.-History:Muscle & Fitness has a more mainstream focus than its companion publication, Flex...
magazine.
WWE Home Video released a DVD in 2003 titled Brock Lesnar: Here Comes the Pain. The DVD covered Lesnar's career up to 2003 which featured some of his biggest matches. Lesnar owns an MMA clothing line called "DeathClutch".
He is known to be very conservative of his private life and avoids discussing it in interviews:
Mixed martial arts record
|-| Loss
|align=center| 5–2
|Cain Velasquez
Cain Velasquez
Cain Ramirez Velasquez is an American mixed martial artist fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion. He is a two-time All-American collegiate wrestler from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, and a Junior College National Champ at Iowa...
| TKO (punches)
| UFC 121
UFC 121
UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 23, 2010 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, United States...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 4:12
| Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
, United States
| Lost UFC Heavyweight Championship
|-
| Win
|align=center| 5–1
|Shane Carwin
Shane Carwin
Shane Bannister Carwin is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , where he was previously the UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion...
| Submission (arm triangle choke)
| UFC 116
UFC 116
UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 3, 2010 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States...
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 2:19
| Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, United States
| Defended UFC Heavyweight Championship; Submission of the Night
|-
| Win
|align=center| 4–1
|Frank Mir
Frank Mir
Francisco Santos Miranda is an American mixed martial artist, as well as a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kenpō Karate, who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and a former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion...
| TKO (punches)
| UFC 100
UFC 100
UFC 100 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 11, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 1:48
| Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, United States
| Defended UFC Heavyweight Championship. Unified UFC Interim Heavyweight Championship
|-
| Win
|align=center| 3–1
|Randy Couture
Randy Couture
Randy Duane Couture is a retired American mixed martial artist, Greco-Roman wrestler, actor, a three-time former heavyweight champion, two-time former light-heavyweight champion, former interim light heavyweight champion and UFC 13 tournament winner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
| TKO (punches)
| UFC 91
UFC 91
UFC 91: Couture vs. Lesnar was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 15, 2008 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main event featured the return of UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture versus Brock Lesnar in a title...
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 3:07
| Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, United States
| Won UFC Heavyweight Championship.
|-
| Win
|align=center| 2–1
|Heath Herring
Heath Herring
Heath Herring is an inactive American Heavyweight professional mixed martial artist who attained popularity fighting for PRIDE FC in Japan and most recently fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 87
UFC 87
UFC 87: Seek and Destroy was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 9, 2008, at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.-Background:...
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, United States
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 1–1
|Frank Mir
Frank Mir
Francisco Santos Miranda is an American mixed martial artist, as well as a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kenpō Karate, who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and a former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion...
| Submission (kneebar)
| UFC 81
UFC 81
UFC 81: Breaking Point was a mixed martial arts event held on February 2, 2008 by the Ultimate Fighting Championship at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on the Las Vegas Strip....
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:30
| Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 1–0
|Min-Soo Kim
| Submission (punches)
| Dynamite!! USA
Dynamite!! USA
SoftBank presents Dynamite!! USA was a mixed martial arts event co-promoted by FEG, the promoters of K-1 kickboxing and Hero's MMA events, and EliteXC...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:09
| Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, United States
|
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
-
- Brock Lock (Over the shoulder single leg Boston crab – WWEWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
or a side bearhug – OVWOhio Valley WrestlingOhio Valley Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. OVW is run by owner Danny Davis and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 until 2000...
) - F-5 (WWE) / Verdict (NJPWNew Japan Pro Wrestlingis a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
) – innovated - Shooting star press – OVW
- Brock Lock (Over the shoulder single leg Boston crab – WWE
- Signature moves
-
- Backbreaker
- Double or a triple powerbomb
- Double or triple rib breaker
- Fallaway slam
- Military press drop
- Knee lift to the opponent's midsection
- Multiple suplexSuplexA suplex is an offensive move used in professional sport wrestling . The move consists of one wrestler picking up his or her opponent off the ground and then using a large portion of his or her own body weight to drive the opponent down on the mat. Nearly all suplexes have the attacker going down...
variations- Delayed double leg hook
- German
- High-lifting belly to back
- Overhead belly to belly
- Snap
- Super
- Multiple turnbuckle thrusts
- Running shoulderbreaker
- Snap scoop powerslam to either a standing or an oncoming opponent
- Spinebuster
- ManagersManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- Paul HeymanPaul HeymanPaul Heyman is an American entertainment producer, best known for his career in professional wrestling as a promoter, manager, commentator and journalist. He is also an occasional actor in film....
- Vince McMahonVince McMahonVincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
- Paul Heyman
- Nicknames
- "The Next Big Thing"
- Entrance themesMusic in professional wrestlingMusic in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment
- "Next Big Thing" by Jim JohnstonJim Johnston (composer)James Alan "Jim" Johnston is an American music composer who has been working for WWE since 1985. His work is often accredited to the names Jim Johnston, James A...
(April 8, 2002–March 14, 2004)
- "Next Big Thing" by Jim Johnston
- Ultimate Fighting ChampionshipUltimate Fighting ChampionshipThe Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
- "Shout at the DevilShout at the Devil (song)"Shout at the Devil" is the second single by the American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. Written by bassist Nikki Sixx, the song is the first single and title track of their album of the same name. The song charted at #30 on the Mainstream rock charts...
" by Mötley CrüeMötley CrüeMötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil... - "Enter SandmanEnter Sandman"Enter Sandman" is a 1991 song by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released as the first single from their eponymous fifth album, Metallica. The music was written by Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich...
" by MetallicaMetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
- "Shout at the Devil
- World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment
Collegiate wrestling
- Big Ten ConferenceBig Ten ConferenceThe Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
- Big Ten ConferenceBig Ten ConferenceThe Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
ChampionChampionA champion is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition.There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, and even further divisions at one or more of these levels, as in soccer. Their champions...
(1999, 2000) - Ranked the #1 HeavyweightHeavyweightHeavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
in the Big Ten ConferenceBig Ten ConferenceThe Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
(2000)
- Big Ten Conference
- National Collegiate Athletic AssociationNational Collegiate Athletic AssociationThe National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
- NCAANational Collegiate Athletic AssociationThe National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I Runner-up (1999) - NCAA Division INational Collegiate Athletic AssociationThe National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Champion (2000)
- NCAA
- North Dakota State UniversityNorth Dakota State UniversityNorth Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, more commonly known as North Dakota State University , is a public university in Fargo, North Dakota. NDSU has about 14,000 students and it is the largest university in North Dakota based on full time students and land size...
's annual Bison tournament- Heavyweight Champion (1997–1999)
- National Junior College Athletic AssociationNational Junior College Athletic AssociationThe National Junior College Athletic Association , founded in 1938, is an association of community college and junior college athletic departments throughout the United States. It is held as Divisions and Regions. The current NJCAA holds 24 separate regions.-History:The idea for the NJCAA was...
- NJCAANational Junior College Athletic AssociationThe National Junior College Athletic Association , founded in 1938, is an association of community college and junior college athletic departments throughout the United States. It is held as Divisions and Regions. The current NJCAA holds 24 separate regions.-History:The idea for the NJCAA was...
All-AmericaAll-AmericaAn All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n (1997, 1998) - Junior College National Champion (1998)
- NJCAA
Mixed martial arts
- Ultimate Fighting ChampionshipUltimate Fighting ChampionshipThe Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
- UFC Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Submission of the Night (1 time)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Best Box Office Draw (2008–2010)
- MMA Most Valuable Fighter (2008–2010)
- SherdogSherdogSherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts . The site is a member of the Crave Online network and provides MMA related content for ESPN.com.- History :...
Awards- Beatdown of the Year (2009)
- Fighter's Only World MMA Awards
- Breakthrough fighter of the year (2009)
Professional wrestling
- New Japan Pro WrestlingNew Japan Pro Wrestlingis a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
- IWGP Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Inoki Genome FederationInoki Genome FederationInoki Genome Federation is a professional wrestling promotion in Japan founded by Antonio Inoki in 2007.The IGF is now also the official National Wrestling Alliance territory of Japan, since Antonio Inoki is the person who holds those rights and transferred them to IGF from New Japan Pro...
- IWGP Heavyweight ChampionshipInoki Genome FederationInoki Genome Federation is a professional wrestling promotion in Japan founded by Antonio Inoki in 2007.The IGF is now also the official National Wrestling Alliance territory of Japan, since Antonio Inoki is the person who holds those rights and transferred them to IGF from New Japan Pro...
(1 time)
- IWGP Heavyweight Championship
- Ohio Valley WrestlingOhio Valley WrestlingOhio Valley Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. OVW is run by owner Danny Davis and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 until 2000...
- OVW Southern Tag Team ChampionshipOVW Southern Tag Team ChampionshipThe OVW Southern Tag Team Championship is the tag team titles of Ohio Valley Wrestling. Created in 1997, the first champions were Nick Dinsmore and Flash Flanagan. As of 2011, the current champions are Ted McNaler and Adam Revolver, known as The Elite in their fourth reign...
(3 times) – with Shelton BenjaminShelton BenjaminShelton James Benjamin is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment. Benjamin has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling in high school and at the University of Minnesota. In addition, Benjamin has acted...
- OVW Southern Tag Team Championship
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI Feud of the Year (2003) vs. Kurt AngleKurt AngleKurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion...
- PWI Match of the Year (2003) vs. Kurt Angle – a 60 minute Iron Man matchIron Man matchAn Iron Man match is a professional wrestling match type that is set to go a specific amount of time, usually 30 or 60 minutes, with the competitor with the most falls at the end of that time named the victor...
on SmackDown!, September 16 - PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (2002)
- PWI Wrestler of the Year (2002)
- PWI ranked him #1 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2003
- PWI Feud of the Year (2003) vs. Kurt Angle
- World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
- WWE ChampionshipWWE ChampionshipThe WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
(3 times)1 - King of the RingKing of the RingKing of the Ring is a professional wrestling single-elimination tournament held by WWE. The tournament was held annually from 1985 to 2002, with the exception of 1990 and 1992, and from 1993 to 2002 the tournament was produced as a pay-per-view event....
(2002King of the Ring (2002)King of the Ring was the tenth annual King of the Ring professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on June 23, 2002 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio...
) - Royal RumbleRoyal RumbleThe Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event, produced every January by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. The event was created in 1988, with its inaugural event taking place on January 24, 1988 at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario...
(2003Royal Rumble (2003)Royal Rumble was the sixteenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . The event took place on January 19, 2003 at the Fleet Center in Boston, Massachusetts...
)
- WWE Championship
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Best Brawler (2003)
- Best Wrestling Maneuver (2002) F-5
- Feud of the Year (2003) vs. Kurt Angle
- Most Improved Wrestler (2002, 2003)
1Lesnar's first reign was as WWE Undisputed Champion.