10 Days That Changed UFC Forever
3. 11 July 2009 - UFC 100 Serves As Pinnacle Of The Lesnar Era
When the UFC signed former WWE star Brock Lesnar in 2007 (he made his debut in the promotion the following year), it was a big deal. No one knew just how big, however.
Sure, the NCAA and WWE champion would draw eyeballs, but few could predict how many. Or how far he would go in a relatively short career. Lesnar was years removed from his WWE run, and had tried out for the NFL's Minnesota Vikings only to be cut on the final day of camp. Turning down an opportunity to play pro football in Europe, Lesnar opted to try his hand at martial arts. After a single fight, he signed on to the UFC.
The rest is history. Lesnar lost his debut match against Frank Mir, but won his next four, claiming the UFC heavyweight championship along the way. A bout with diverticulitis cut his MMA career short, and he eventually went back to WWE, only to return to the UFC for a single fight at UFC 200.
UFC 100 back in 2009 was the pinnacle of the Lesnar era. Having won the heavyweight title from Randy Couture, a rematch between Lesnar and Mir was booked at this milestone event. It turned into the biggest win of Brock's UFC run, as he took revenge on Mir (who held interim gold at the time), beating him senseless. He then cut a memorable promo after the bout, ripping Bud Light, one of the UFC's sponsors.
On a card stacked with names like Georges St. Pierre, Dan Henderson, and a young Jon Jones, Lesnar was the biggest star. For a few short years, he would remain the biggest star the sport had seen.