White on Brock Lesnar: 'We Don't Have a Deal, He's Not Coming Back Anytime Soon'

Dana White has been blowing hot air into the "Brock Lesnar returning to MMA" balloon for a long time now. At the UFC 169 press conference, though, he let all the air right out.

When asked about a return, and whether or not something was already in the works, White flatly said "Brock Lesnar is not coming back...we don't have a deal. He's not coming back anytime soon."

Ouch.

Talk of the former UFC heavyweight champion was once again reignited when former Strikeforce champ Alistair Overeem called out Lesnar, following a strong win over Frank Mir. While Lesnar has been out of the cage for a long while, he remains one of the biggest names in the UFC Rolodex, and a return fight would be a guaranteed draw in a time where Zuffa is desperately seeking stars to replace Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva.

While White referenced an earlier discussion he had with TMZ, where he said Lesnar was pondering a second go in the UFC, following a first run mired by the debilitating intestinal disease, diverticulitis, it seems the door has been officially slammed shut on the notion of a Lesnar return. 

Talk of Lesnar coming back to the UFC started up in December 2013. When he instead reemerged with the WWE, it seemed like the entire story was simply a ploy to hype his return to professional wrestling. White, however, kept the hints coming, teasing fans mercilessly with the possibility of a return.

Alas, the UFC will apparently remain Lesnar-less for the foreseeable future. The heavyweight division, though, is quite strong at the moment, so fans can at least look forward to some exciting matchups in the near future.