10 Things You Need To Know About Brock Lesnar's UFC 200 Return
1. His Opponent Will Be...
One big question remains: who will Brock Lesnar face at UFC 200?
The MMA world would no doubt love Fedor Emelianenko, the greatest heavyweight of all time. Problem is, he's fighting June 17th against ex-UFC light heavyweight Fabio Maldonado. The fact his fight is airing on UFC Fight Pass has fanned the flames of rumour regarding his involvement, but Fedor has not fought in bouts that close together in years, plus three weeks is not enough time to prepare for Lesnar.
Mark Hunt is a possibility as well, but it's questionable whether the UFC would risk putting Lesnar in against the one fighter who can knock out anyone on their roster. And why Lesnar would want to come out of retirement for a fight against Hunt, who while popular has never won UFC gold?
With Cain Velasquez already booked at UFC 200, former UFC title holder Josh Barnett is in the running - but he's set to fight Andrei Arlovski in September. Barnett, who also works in the pro wrestling world, would actually be a great choice, but the UFC may be reluctant to pull him from an already announced main event.
The more likely option - a name from the past. Shane Carwin is one possibility. Carwin came close to beating Lesnar at UFC 116. Like Lesnar, he has been out of action for years, has begun talking about a return. That would make it a fair playing field, and Carwin, a former UFC interim champ, would be a legit opponent. Junior Dos Santos, who was once supposed to face Lesnar following a coaching stint on the Ultimate Fighter, is another option, but he has remained a top five heavyweight since Lesnar left the UFC years ago.
One thing is certain - we'll know soon, as Lesnar is appearing for a sit down on ESPN's SportCenter this week, and may very well announce his opponent.
The MMA world would no doubt love Fedor Emelianenko, the greatest heavyweight of all time. Problem is, he's fighting June 17th against ex-UFC light heavyweight Fabio Maldonado. The fact his fight is airing on UFC Fight Pass has fanned the flames of rumour regarding his involvement, but Fedor has not fought in bouts that close together in years, plus three weeks is not enough time to prepare for Lesnar.
Mark Hunt is a possibility as well, but it's questionable whether the UFC would risk putting Lesnar in against the one fighter who can knock out anyone on their roster. And why Lesnar would want to come out of retirement for a fight against Hunt, who while popular has never won UFC gold?
With Cain Velasquez already booked at UFC 200, former UFC title holder Josh Barnett is in the running - but he's set to fight Andrei Arlovski in September. Barnett, who also works in the pro wrestling world, would actually be a great choice, but the UFC may be reluctant to pull him from an already announced main event.
The more likely option - a name from the past. Shane Carwin is one possibility. Carwin came close to beating Lesnar at UFC 116. Like Lesnar, he has been out of action for years, has begun talking about a return. That would make it a fair playing field, and Carwin, a former UFC interim champ, would be a legit opponent. Junior Dos Santos, who was once supposed to face Lesnar following a coaching stint on the Ultimate Fighter, is another option, but he has remained a top five heavyweight since Lesnar left the UFC years ago.
One thing is certain - we'll know soon, as Lesnar is appearing for a sit down on ESPN's SportCenter this week, and may very well announce his opponent.