“That Was The Day..”: When Dana White Gave Brock Lesnar His Approval Amidst Uncertain UFC Future

There have been very few fighters in the history of the UFC who come from a wrestling background and still dominate the octagon. The Beast Incarnate Brock Lesnar is certainly among those persons, as he chose to test himself against what the MMA juggernaut had to offer. The transition from sports entertainment to combat sports isn’t easy and Lesnar had to struggle a lot in his initial MMA days. There were many doubters about his quest for UFC glory particularly because he had a wrestling background. UFC president Dana White had opened up in the past about many people being skeptical of Lesnar’s abilities in the octagon and how he won them all over.

Ever since his debut in the WWE in 2002, Lesnar was billed as the future face of the promotion for years to come. He surely lived up to the promise as his domination in the squared circle surprised many. However, his ambitions outgrew the promotion and he left WWE in 2004 to pursue a career elsewhere.

Brock Lesnar had his doubters in the UFC

Lesnar competed in the UFC for the first time in 2007. UFC president Dana White gave his thoughts on Lesnar’s impact in 2009 and mentioned The Beast Incarnate’s initial days in the promotion. He said, “So, after his first fight there are a lot of questions obviously. Did he come to the UFC too fast? Should he have got a lot of experience in the smaller shows before he got to the UFC. He absolutely destroyed all those questions with a second outing with Heath Herring.”

“Heath Herring is a guy who has fought all over the world and is one of the best fighters in the world in big organizations and has been in big fights before. Brock Lesnar absolutely dominated him, smashed him, beat him up for three rounds and that answered all the questions right there about him. That was the day that I said, ‘This guy absolutely belongs in the UFC and if he keeps progressing at this level, could possibly be the best heavyweight fighter in the UFC history,’” added the UFC president.

Lesnar’s performances in the UFC

The Conqueror has certainly made a career out of proving his doubters wrong. White’s comments in 2009 are a case in point. Not only did Lesnar beat Heath Herring, but he continued his MMA conquest by knocking out Randy Couture in his next fight, winning the UFC World Heavyweight Championship; adding to the many accolades in Brock Lesnar’s stellar career.

A blockbuster rematch with Frank Mir was next on the cards and the 6-times world champion implemented the learnings from his previous loss to assert his unquestionable authority in the UFC. He made short work of his opponent and added another victim to his illustrious list.

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After shining in the fight circuit, Lesnar made a return to his previous employer, WWE. He had memorable encounters with John Cena and the current WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. Although he’s not a regular fixture in the promotion, he still sets the squared circle alight whenever he’s around. The Beast has been embroiled in a hard-hitting feud with The Almighty Bobby Lashley and recently defeated him at the Crown Jewel event.

Brock Lesnar has overcome any challenge that life has thrown at him. Making a switch to the MMA world from wrestling won’t suit everyone. But as Dana White said, Lesnar proved his MMA credentials after his initial performances.

What are your thoughts on Lesnar’s stint in the UFC?

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