8 Implications Of Brock Lesnar Returning To UFC
2. Vince Holds Brock Hostage
Even if WWE are eventually resigned to losing Lesnar, their best option is to book him strongly for the rest of his run before sending him away on a big loss. He might not be part of their future, but he’s still a special performer. The fans want to see him, and Brock is one of only a handful of wrestlers who still carries a genuine superstar aura, so there’s little to gain from making him sit on the shelf.
There’s one notable exception though. Vince is a shrewd businessman, and he knows that Brock return would be a huge boost to the UFC. If he were to let ‘The Beast’ compete in MMA before the year’s end, he’d be handing Dana White & co. a huge payday, and as the UFC have effectively become WWE’s biggest competitors, Vince probably wouldn’t want to do this.
Thus, there’s a chance WWE will force Lesnar to sit out the rest of his contract on the inactive list, preventing UFC from using him until next spring. Last year’s fight against Mark Hunt only went ahead with McMahon's consent, and if they’re not interested in keeping Brock sweet, WWE have no real reason to let him go early.