USADA: Not Confirming if Lesnar Re-Enters Pool

Rumors are swirling regarding former UFC heavyweight champion and current WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar and a return to the MMA promotion.

The latest word is that Lesnar will appear at UFC 226 and challenge the winner of Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier. He would then have the fight for the heavyweight championship — potentially at the UFC’s end-of-the-year pay-per-view event, UFC 232 in late December in Las Vegas.

In order for such a thing to happen, Lesnar will have to agree to return — which may or may not first require his WWE contract expiring. Then, Lesnar will have to sit out from competition for six months to serve the rest of his USADA suspension that stems from failed tests connected to his UFC 200 fight with Mark Hunt.

Some attention in the MMA community has turned to USADA’s list of tested athletes. But MMA reporter Damon Martin says he reached out to the association, but they will not say if Lesnar has re-entered the testing pool or not.

Just FYI — I reached out to USADA to see if Brock Lesnar had asked to be re-entered into the testing pool. USADA informed me they couldn’t confirm a fighter coming out of retirement any longer until the fighter makes it public first.

— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) June 16, 2018

I’m assuming if Lesnar re-entered the testing pool that his name would show up on the reports like everybody else but that’s the first time they’ve ever said they couldn’t confirm that information about a fighter retiring or coming out of retirement

— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) June 16, 2018

The UFC has been protective about news regarding Brock Lesnar and the promotion. After Ariel Helwani leaked Lesnar’s return hours prior to the main card for UFC 199, Helwani and his crew were thrown out prior to the main event and banned from future events — until the UFC removed the ban a few days later after widespread support of Helwani.

It should be noted that USADA has a few situations where they can keep the name of a tested fighter private, as TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter found out.

An interesting observation from the Q2 USADA athlete testing history.

A mysteriously named “Contender 1” has been tested twice.

Also interesting to note that both Chris Holdsworth and John Hathaway have been getting tested by USADA over time, so neither is officially retired. pic.twitter.com/ZjJiDtFBpF

— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) June 14, 2018

I received comment from USADA:

“Contender 1” is Elias Garcia, who was featured on Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight and his name was withheld to avoid spoiling the show’s outcome before it aired. https://t.co/83LMDES9rU

— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) June 16, 2018

Original Story: MMA Mania