White: Lesnar is returning to octagon

UFC president Dana White weighed in on the future of WWE star Brock Lesnar on a “UFC tonight” broadcast. “Brock Lesnar’s coming back. I don’t know when, but yes he is.”

The UFC heavyweight division is getting a bump.

UFC president Dana White said April 5 former heavyweight champion and current WWE star Brock Lesnar is returning to the octagon.

On “UFC Tonight” on April 5, White said “Brock Lesnar’s coming back. I don’t know when, but yes he is.”

That’s big news for Stipe Miocic and his camp. The champ and Eastlake North graduate — who’s defended his belt a UFC heavyweight record three straight times — is running out of contenders to fight. In Miocic’s last bout, he defeated Francis Ngannou by majority decision to set the record for title defenses by a heavyweight.

On July 7 at UFC 226 in Las Vegas, Miocic will square off vs. light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier in the main event. Cormier is moving up a weight class and recently said he expects to be in the 230-pound range. He’s just 5-foot-11. Miocic is 6-4, and weighs about 245 pounds.

If Miocic defeats Cormier, the buzz for a Miocic-Lesnar super fight will undoubtedly heat up, and that should make White excited. A fight of that magnitude would generate millions.

Lesnar has spent the last two years in the WWE, where he is the current heavyweight champ. His WWE contract is believed to expire after Wrestlemania 34, where the champ will take on Roman Reigns on April 8 in New Orleans.

Lesnar last fought in the UFC in 2016. He defeated Mark Hunt by a majority decision at UFC 200, and reportedly earned $2.5 million. Days after that bout, Lesnar tested positive for performance enhancing drugs, and returned to the WWE.

Miocic said this in 2016 about Lesnar testing positive: “I’m the champ. I don’t care what (Lesnar) does. Unfortunately for him, he did some things he shouldn’t have done. He’ll probably be gone for a long time and probably won’t fight again (in the UFC).”

Lesnar is 40, and is 6-3, 265 pounds. He was an NCAA heavyweight champion at the University of Minnesota. Lesnar’s first venture into the UFC was from 2007 to 2011, until he returned to fight Hunt. That majority decision victory was later overturned when he failed his drug test.