If you’re Brock Lesnar, the world is your oyster right now.
The former UFC Heavyweight Champion and reigning WWE Universal Champion will be facing off against Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 34 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on Sunday, April 8th. Soon after that, things get interesting. We’ll probably see “The Beast Incarnate” in a giant sport coat talking to someone on ESPN SportsCenter about what he will be doing next.
And that’s the big question: What is Brock Lesnar going to do next?
If you’re Lesnar, you have a plethora of legitimate options to consider. You can re-sign with WWE and have an easy part-time schedule, one where you don’t have to worry about getting punched in the face. Unless, of course, you’re competing against Braun Strowman. (WWE fans will get that one)
Option number two is of course to sign with the world’s leader in mixed martial arts fighting, the Ultimate Fighting Championship. If Lesnar were to sign with the UFC, which by all accounts seems to be one of the most expected scenarios, he has a lot of interesting matchups waiting for him.
UFC’s Heavyweight scene is pretty wide open. At the very top of the division, you’ve got Champion Stipe Miocic defending his title for a record fourth time against reigning Light Heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier at UFC 226: Miocic vs. Cormier during UFC’s International Fight Week in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 7th.
Aside from that one fight, the division is full of interesting options for “The Beast Incarnate” to consider. He could attempt to avenge losses against #4 ranked Cain Velasquez or #2 ranked Alistair Overeem, something he has always wanted to do because of his belief that he wasn’t 100 percent for either of those bouts due to his life-threatening battle with diverticulitis.
Lesnar would be an interesting match for the number top-ranked contender in the division Francis Ngannou – especially after we learned about the lack of ground skills that “The Predator” has, as seen in his last fight against Miocic at UFC 220 in January.
He would also be an interesting style match-up against guys like Derrick Lewis, who is currently ranked number six, and Curtis Blaydes, who is ranked number five. In the case of Lewis, he has somewhat of a storyline already built-in after “The Black Beast” mocked the former UFC Heavyweight Champion’s past issues with USADA in a video released on social media.
The third option, which no one seems to be talking about, is Lesnar shocking everyone by signing with Bellator MMA.
Let us not forget that Bellator MMA is backed by Viacom. With the company investing in the re-branding of Spike TV to the Paramount Network, and spending money to bring in several noteable names to the Bellator MMA organization, there is always the outside chance that they could come to the table with a couple of trash-bags full of cash in hopes of signing the popular WWE Superstar.
Bellator MMA is focused on their Heavyweight scene, as the promotion is in the midst of a year-long tournament to crown the new Bellator MMA Heavyweight Champion. Chael Sonnen and Matt Mitrione have advanced to the semifinals of the tournament by defeating Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Roy “Big Country” Nelson, respectively. Sonnen will go on to face the winner of the Fedor Emelianenko vs. Frank Mir fight, while Mitrione will meet the winner of the Ryan Bader vs. Muhammad “King Mo” Lawal bout. The winners of the Sonnen vs. Fedor/Mir and Mitrione vs. Bader/King Mo fights will meet in the finals to determine the new Bellator MMA Heavyweight Champion.
So, how does Brock Lesnar fit into the mix in Bellator MMA? I’m glad you asked.
If you’re a pro wrestling fan, who wouldn’t love to see Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley in a battle of insanely big amateur wrestlers who crossed over and achieved success in the top pro wrestling and MMA organizations?
If you’re an old-school MMA fan, who wouldn’t love to see the build-up to, and the fight itself between Lesnar and Frank Mir in a trilogy bout?
How about the one-time unthinkable dream match between the former UFC Heavyweight Champion and PRIDE Heavyweight Champion in Brock Lesnar vs. Fedor Emelianenko?
If Chael Sonnen is really doing “gangster weight” fights, how much fun would a build-up to a Chael Sonnen vs. Brock Lesnar match be? My goodness! Then, how about the actual fight between those two? That would be absolutely crazy, but hey, Chael P. is usually down for crazy stuff.
You could always do Lesnar against other legends such as Mirko Cro Cop, who the promotion just signed, or other well-known past heavyweight stars such as Cheick Kongo, Roy “Big Country” Nelson, Sergei Kharitonov or Justin Wren.
Again, if your name is Brock Lesnar, the world is about to be your oyster. WrestleMania 34 goes down on April 8th, mark that date on your calendar fight-fans, because soon after, things could get extremely interesting in the MMA heavyweight landscape.
What do you think Brock Lesnar should do when his WWE contract expires? Should he sign with the UFC, Bellator MMA or re-sign with WWE? If he signs with UFC, who should he fight? Who should he fight if he signs with Bellator MMA? We want to hear from YOU! Sound off in the Comments section below!
