Biography
Brock Edward Lesnar is an American professional wrestler, former mixed martial artist, amateur wrestler, and professional football player. Currently signed with WWE, he is the reigning WWE Champion in his seventh reign. Considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers ever, he is the only individual to have held the primary heavyweight titles in WWE, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Lesnar competed in amateur wrestling at the University of Minnesota, securing the NCAA Division I national championship in 2000. He soon joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, later renamed WWE in 2002), rising to fame in 2002 by winning the WWE Championship at age 25, becoming the youngest performer to capture the title. In 2004, Lesnar left WWE to join the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL) but was released during the pre-season. He won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in 2005 while with NJPW and re-signed with WWE in 2012; his 504-day reign as Universal Champion ranks as the seventh-longest world championship run in WWE history. He has also won the Royal Rumble twice, the Money in the Bank ladder match, the King of the Ring tournament, and headlined multiple pay-per-view events, including WWE's premier event WrestleMania four times (XIX, 31, 34, and 36); notably, he ended The Undertaker's undefeated WrestleMania streak in 2014. Lesnar began his MMA career in 2007, signing with the UFC in 2008. He quickly captured the UFC Heavyweight Championship but was sidelined by diverticulitis in 2009. Upon returning in 2010, Lesnar defeated Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Shane Carwin to unify the heavyweight titles, becoming the only undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion. Following a series of losses and further health issues with diverticulitis, Lesnar retired from MMA in 2011. He returned in 2016, defeating Mark Hunt; however, the victory was overturned to a no-contest after Lesnar tested positive for clomiphene, a banned substance under UFC's anti-doping policy. He retired from MMA for a second time in 2017. A major box office draw, Lesnar participated in some of the highest-selling pay-per-view events in promotion history, headlining UFC 91, UFC 100, UFC 116, and UFC 121.
