Projecting Impact of Brock Lesnar UFC 200 Win or Loss on WWE Career

At UFC 200, the list of things at risk for Brock Lesnar will be longer than most fighters. His image as a WWE colossus, his momentum as a Superstar and a spot on the SummerSlam marquee are all threatened by a poor showing.

In pursuit of a fat paycheck and writing a better ending to his UFC career,  Lesnar is strapping on his gloves for another MMA fight. As the powerhouse himself announced on ESPN's SportsCenter on Monday morning, he will face Mark Hunt at the UFC 200 pay-per-view. 

The Beast Incarnate is only briefly venturing into the Octagon, though.

WWE told Bleacher Report, "Brock Lesnar remains under contract to WWE; however, he has been granted a one-off opportunity to compete at UFC 200. Following this milestone event on July 9, Brock will return to WWE for SummerSlam on Sunday, August 21, live on WWE Network."

This is certainly an event that will generate a surplus of buzz for Lesnar and WWE as a result, but there are reasons to be nervous.

Lesnar hasn't competed since 2011. He is old by MMA standards at 38. And he ended his last fight leaning against the cage, his arms covering his face, helpless against a barrage of hard shots from Alistair Overeem.

Jeremy Botter of FloSports is clearly not betting on Lesnar to take home the win in the big man's UFC return:

Botter isn't alone. Lesnar doubters are everywhere, armed with the images of his failures.

And should he lose at UFC 200, that result will have an impact even when he returns home to pro wrestling. 

The Impact of a Loss

A key part of Lesnar's appeal as a WWE wrestler is that he boasts a legitimacy born from his days as a dominant college wrestler and as a UFC champion. There isn't a wide gap between the real Lesnar and the monster he plays onscreen. 

When he steamrolls a foe on the WWE stage, it's easy to believe the story being told. 

Should Hunt embarrass him on July 9, Lesnar's aura will be damaged to a degree. Fair or not, some will underplay his accomplishments in the cage. CBS Sports' Dennis Buckholder pointed out that a loss could hurt his perception:

But it won't be like WWE fans will start viewing Lesnar as a chump. Far from it.

Before he charged back into pro wrestling in 2012, the audience saw Cain Velasquez bloody Lesnar in a first-round walloping before Overeem smashed him a year afterward. Lesnar's return to WWE was still a triumphant one; he still boasted a resume his peers couldn't match.

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With that mind, another loss won't send Lesnar into a tailspin, but it will dampen his image some. The worse the loss, the more that will be true.

There is also the very real possibility that Lesnar emerges from his fight with Hunt hurt. The Beast Incarnate's opponent has him beat in experience and won't be dealing with a five-year gap between fights.

A busted rib or concussion would alter WWE's SummerSlam plans. There is only about a six-week turnaround from his transition from the cage to the squared circle.

The Impact of a Victory

No one will be rooting for Lesnar more than Vince McMahon. The chairman and CEO of WWE already has a marquee star at his disposal, but should the powerhouse topple Hunt at UFC 200, Lesnar's stock would rise. And as a result, so would WWE's.

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The sports entertainment company so often trumpets its athlete's accomplishments in the sports world, from constant mention of Dolph Ziggler's college wrestling record at Kent State to talk of Baron Corbin's brief stint in the NFL. Best believe that WWE would milk the fact that Lesnar is fresh off a win at a huge UFC event as much as it possibly can.

The narrative of Lesnar's MMA career would shift in a positive way, giving WWE a happy ending to tout during its promotion of the big man going forward.

Suddenly, SummerSlam would be a bigger event. As would any future WWE pay-per-view featuring Lesnar on the card. All the momentum and buzz he creates for the company now would get dialed up a notch with an impressive showing in the Octagon.

The one potential aftereffect that WWE has to hope doesn't come to pass is that besting Hunt leaves Lesnar eyeing more MMA fights. As he said on SportsCenter, retiring from UFC haunted him:

Diverticulitis proved to be a surprise opponent for Lesnar during his last UFC run. Now healthy and basking in the confidence born from taking down Hunt, perhaps he seeks more action in the cage, taking away from his time in the WWE world.

Win or lose, though, Lesnar will have more people talking about him and about WWE.

His face will be on ESPN and mainstream outlets far more heading into UFC 200. Expect more appearances on SportsCenter and big-time interviews where mentions of SummerSlam follow talk of fighting Hunt. That kind of attention is good for WWE business.

That is the only certainty as Lesnar again braves a dangerous sport that wasn't kind to him the last time around.