Brock Is Back: Brock Lesnar To Return This Summer

UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar and UFC President Dana White announced this morning that Lesnar will return to the octagon this summer. 

Lesnar and White went on SportsCenter to announce the intimate details of the mysterious illness that has sidelined the champion since October. Lesnar went on to explain his 11-day hospital stay included a diagnosis of diverticulitis, an intestinal illness that caused Lesnar to lose 40 pounds and knocked him out of fighting condition for months.

In October, Lesnar was forced to cancel his UFC 108 match with Shane Carwin after feeling very ill for weeks. In early November, he was diagnosed with mononucleosis, an illness Lesnar disputed on air this morning, claiming he already suffered from it when he was young.

Lesnar recognized doctors for saving his career and his quality of life with a measured approach that allowed the "hole in my stomach," as Lesnar stated, to heal without surgery. Lesnar stated that had he undergone surgery to remove part of his colon, his career would be over.

"The doctors said I had a lottery ticket. It's a miracle,'' Lesnar said on air.

White did not set a concrete return date for Lesnar, but announced that the heavyweight champion will return "this summer."

In the meantime, former champion Frank Mir and Carwin are booked for an interim title fight slated for UFC 111 in March. 

If either of those two are unable to fight Lesnar this summer, the winner of a February match between Cain Velasquez and Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera at UFC 110 will serve as the alternate to fight Lesnar and determine the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion.