Brock Lesnar announced on Tuesday during an ESPN SportsCenter appearance that he is done with his MMA career, but in a follow-up interview, he shocked fans when he mentioned what exactly he turned down.
After announcing that he is staying with WWE, signing a new, long-term contract extension with the pro wrestling promotion, Lesnar spoke with the Associated Press and revealed specifics of the offer he received from the UFC.
Lesnar claims the UFC offered him “ten times” what he was making during his first run with the promotion, and when that wasn’t enough, he turned down an offer from Lorenzo Fertitta to double that figure.
“Lorenzo said to me, ‘Can we sharpen our pencil? Can we double it'” Lesnar said. “I said, ‘It’s not about that. I’m calling you to tell you where my heart is, and it’s not about the money.’
“And then in the back of my mind, I’m thinking, ‘Well, yeah, it is about the money, but I don’t have to beat myself up for it.’ To prepare for another MMA fight, we’re talking 16, 18 weeks of pure hell, and then the cage door shuts and it’s on.”
Brock Lesnar defends his WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns this Sunday in the main event of WrestleMania 31, live on pay-per-view and on the WWE Network.
