Why Did Brock Lesnar Fail to Join the Military?

Nov 19, 2021 | 10:30 AM EST

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If you want to know what a complete athlete is, just look at Brock Lesnar. The Beast Incarnate has proved his dominance all over the world. Whether it is in Japan, in UFC, or in WWE, Lesnar has always been the hot topic.

You might not know that Lesnar joined the US National Guard before he started his wrestling career. But no matter how strong and passionate you are about your goals in life, you certainly need some luck on your side. Lesnar certainly did not have luck on his side while fulfilling his dream of serving in the military.

Was Brock Lesnar in the military?

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Brock Lesnar joined the US National Guard at the age of 17. A military recruiter spotted Lesnar when he visited Lesnar’s school. Soon after that, he got Brock signed up. So, you can now understand why Brock Lesnar has such a superb physique.

Lesnar is a true patriot at heart and wanted to battle it on the front lines. But he did not have the permission as he was partially colorblind. The Beast Incarnate then had to settle for a desk job. Unfortunately, he did not even get that job after failing to pass the typing test. Soon after that, Lesnar left the army. His color blindness had a major part to play in his exit from the army.

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Why did Brock Lesnar stop fighting?

Brock Lesnar had a serious interest in pursuing a career in NFL since his childhood days. Following his match against Goldberg at WrestleMania XX, Lesnar thought of fulfilling his childhood dream of playing in the NFL. The former WWE Universal Champion impressed everyone at the NFL Combine. But unfortunately for Lesnar, he met with an accident that ultimately brought the curtain down on his NFL career.

Lesnar again had to take time off and pulled out of the fight against Shane Carwin at UFC 106 on November 21, 2009. This was because the former UFC Heavyweight Champion was suffering from mononucleosis and diverticulitis. However, Lesnar underwent surgery and made his return to the Octagon at UFC 116 on July 3, 2010, to become the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion.

After losing his UFC Heavyweight Championship to Cain Velasquez, Lesnar was scheduled to face Junior Dos Santos in the thirteenth season of The Ultimate Fighter. But that match never took place as Lesnar had to withdraw because of his second encounter with Diverticulitis.

However, the Beast Incarnate again underwent surgery and returned to action against Alistair Overeem. Unfortunately for Lesnar, he lost not only the match but also suffered some serious damage to his surgically repaired stomach. But he was not fully recovered yet from Diverticulitis and that stopped the former UFC Heavyweight Champion from fighting inside the octagon until UFC 200.

When did Lesnar retire?

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Brock Lesnar announced his retirement from UFC for the first time in 2011 following his match against Alistair Overeem. This was because he was severely suffering from diverticulitis. But to everyone’s surprise, Lesnar made his way back inside the octagon.

On July 9, 2016, Lesnar battled Mark Hunt at UFC 200. But soon the former UFC Heavyweight Champion got suspended after the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) confirmed Lesnar tested positive for clomiphene twice. On February 14, 2017, Brock announced his retirement for the second time.

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However, we saw a glimpse of Lesnar in UFC again on July 7, 2018, at UFC 225, when he challenged Daniel Cormier for a fight. But unfortunately, the fight never took place. Dana White reported Brock did not want to fight and noted Lesnar was ‘done’ with MMA.