Brock Lesnar notifies the UFC of his retirement from MMA
Brock Lesnar has retired from mixed martial arts again.
UFC officials confirmed to FOX Sports on Tuesday that Lesnar has notified the promotion of his retirement from the sport following his last fight against Mark Hunt this past July in Las Vegas.
Lesnar has made no public statement regarding his retirement, but he has also been pulled from the UFC's drug testing pool with USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency), who oversees the company's anti-doping policy. MMAFighting.com first reported the news.
Lesnar was suspended by USADA for one year after he tested positive for clomiphene and its metabolite, 4-hydroxyclomiphene, both of which are banned substances, in a pre-fight and post-fight test surrounding his fight with Hunt at UFC 200.
As part of the agreement with the sanctions levied on Lesnar as punishment for the violation of the UFC's anti-doping policy, he was required to remain in the USADA drug testing pool during the length of his suspension.
"Pursuant to the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, all UFC athletes serving a period of ineligibility for an anti-doping policy violation are required to remain in the USADA registered testing pool and make themselves available for testing in order to receive credit for time served under his or her sanction," USADA officials said in a release announcing Lesnar's suspension in January.
"Furthermore, if an athlete retires during his or her period of ineligibility, the athlete’s sanction will be tolled until such time the athlete notifies USADA of his or her return from retirement and once again makes him or herself available for no-advance-notice, out-of-competition testing."
Because he retired, the remaining time left on Lesnar's suspension would still need to be served if he decided to make a return to the UFC at some point in the future.
This is the second time Lesnar has retired from the UFC after he called it a career following a loss to Alistair Overeem in 2011. Following his previous retirement, Lesnar went back to professional wrestling after signing a new deal with the WWE.
Last year, Lesnar made a surprise return to action with a fight booked against Hunt, which he originally won by unanimous decision. The fight was then overturned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after Lesnar was suspended and fined $250,000 for the failed drug tests surrounding his return to the Octagon.
If this really is the end of Lesnar's UFC career, he would retire with a 5-3 (1) record overall, including his previous stint as champion from 2008 until 2010.
While his UFC career appears to be at an end, Lesnar remains with WWE as one of the company's top superstars as he prepares to meet Bill Goldberg at WrestleMania 33 in April.
