After medical "miracle," champ Brock Lesnar plans summer return to UFC action
UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar (4-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) says through a "miracle" of medicine, he will avoid surgery and return to the octagon this summer.
Lesnar, along with UFC president Dana White, made the announcement on this morning's addition of ESPN's "SportsCenter."
The appearance was the heavyweight champion's first interview since being forced out of action with a series of ailments.
The illness, which Lesnar confirmed was initially diagnosed as mononucleosis and then diverticulitis (or as Lesnar clarified in layman's terms, "a hole in my stomach"), has kept the champion out of action since July 2009 and forced the massive wrestler out of a scheduled November UFC 106 headliner with Shane Carwin.
Lesnar said he lost nearly 40 pounds after missing nearly three weeks of training camp and during an 11-day hospitalization and was told by multiple doctors that surgery was unavoidable. The champion said he continued to hold out hope that he could avoid an invasive procedure – which he says would have removed a portion of his colon and would have been career-ending – and through what he classified as "a miracle," a follow-up appointment on Jan. 5 showed his body had begun to heal itself.
"[The doctors] were dumbfounded," Lesnar said. "They couldn't find any problem in my stomach. It's just a miracle to me.
"I actually had to go to the doctor yesterday before I came out here and get another CT scan on my stomach because I just still can't believe it."
While an exact date for Lesnar's return was not announced, White said he hoped to have his champion back in the octagon "this summer."
As Lesnar continues his recovery, the UFC has booked an interim title fight at UFC 111 between former champion Frank Mir and top challenger Carwin, who was slated to face the champion before his illness struck. White said the winner of that contest will be in line for the first crack at Lesnar.
Should the winner of that fight prove unable to compete, White said the UFC 110 bout between fellow contenders Cain Velasquez and Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera will serve as a backup plan and provide Lenar's first foe.
Lesnar, who said he has already put about 30 pounds of mass back on his frame, said the traumatic, roller-coaster ride of the past six months has forced him to take a different view on life.
"I believe the mind is a powerful thing," Lesnar said. "I was put in a position, and I had to view my life and the world in a different (manner). I had a different take on life. When you have everything taken away from you, and you're laying helplessly in your hospital bed, not sure if I'm going to even get back in the octagon, something that I've grown to just love to do – this is my life."
Despite the changes, Lesnar wanted to clarify that one thing has remained the same.
"Lets be clear with that: I still am the UFC heavyweight champion," Lesnar said.
UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar (4-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) says through a "miracle" of medicine, he will avoid surgery and return to the octagon this summer.
Lesnar, along with UFC president Dana White, made the announcement on this morning's addition of ESPN's "SportsCenter."
The appearance was the heavyweight champion's first interview since being forced out of action with a series of ailments.
The illness, which Lesnar confirmed was initially diagnosed as mononucleosis and then diverticulitis (or as Lesnar clarified in layman's terms, "a hole in my stomach"), has kept the champion out of action since July 2009 and forced the massive wrestler out of a scheduled November UFC 106 headliner with Shane Carwin.
Lesnar said he lost nearly 40 pounds after missing nearly three weeks of training camp and during an 11-day hospitalization and was told by multiple doctors that surgery was unavoidable. The champion said he continued to hold out hope that he could avoid an invasive procedure – which he says would have removed a portion of his colon and would have been career-ending – and through what he classified as "a miracle," a follow-up appointment on Jan. 5 showed his body had begun to heal itself.
"[The doctors] were dumbfounded," Lesnar said. "They couldn't find any problem in my stomach. It's just a miracle to me.
"I actually had to go to the doctor yesterday before I came out here and get another CT scan on my stomach because I just still can't believe it."
While an exact date for Lesnar's return was not announced, White said he hoped to have his champion back in the octagon "this summer."
As Lesnar continues his recovery, the UFC has booked an interim title fight at UFC 111 between former champion Frank Mir and top challenger Carwin, who was slated to face the champion before his illness struck. White said the winner of that contest will be in line for the first crack at Lesnar.
Should the winner of that fight prove unable to compete, White said the UFC 110 bout between fellow contenders Cain Velasquez and Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera will serve as a backup plan and provide Lenar's first foe.
Lesnar, who said he has already put about 30 pounds of mass back on his frame, said the traumatic, roller-coaster ride of the past six months has forced him to take a different view on life.
"I believe the mind is a powerful thing," Lesnar said. "I was put in a position, and I had to view my life and the world in a different (manner). I had a different take on life. When you have everything taken away from you, and you're laying helplessly in your hospital bed, not sure if I'm going to even get back in the octagon, something that I've grown to just love to do – this is my life."
Despite the changes, Lesnar wanted to clarify that one thing has remained the same.
"Lets be clear with that: I still am the UFC heavyweight champion," Lesnar said.
