Brock Lesnar is embroiled in a feud with Goldberg in the WWE, but it looks like we'll have to wait to see who he mixes it up with next in the Octagon, if he ever returns to the UFC.
In a press release, USADA has announced that the former UFC heavyweight champion was handed a one year suspension for failing two drug tests in July, in relation to his UFC 200 bout against Mark Hunt. Lesnar will be eligible for a return to the Octagon on July 15, 2017, which will be exactly one year after the provisional USADA supspension began.
Lesnar tested positive for clomiphene and its metabolite, 4-hydroxyclomiphene, in an out-of-competition drug test June 28 and in an in-competition test on fight night, July 9. Lesnar received the maximum one year sanction under the UFC’s anti-doping policy.
As we reported last month, Lesnar was also suspended one year and given a $250,000 fine by the Nevada Athletic Commission. He defeated Mark Hunt by unanimous decision at UFC 200 on July 9, but the official result was changed to a no contest by the NAC.
As stated in the release, any athlete serving a suspension must remain in the USADA drug-testing pool until the ban is completed. If Lesnar were to retire, the ban would be frozen until at which time Lesnar might decide to come out of retirement. He would then be re-entered into the drug-testing pool. We've seen Lesnar retire from UFC before, in 2011, only to have him come out of retirement for UFC 200.
Meanwhile, Mark Hunt has been threatening both UFC and Lesnar with a lawsuit, stating that he was not treated fairly or properly compensated for facing an opponent who tested positive for a performance enhancing drug.
