Win or Lose, Why Brock Lesnar's UFC 200 Fight Is Beneficial for WWE

Brock Lesnar pulled off the biggest win for himself this year, which incidentally works for all sides involved.

Lesnar agreed to terms with the UFC to fight at UFC 200, where he will slug it out with Mark Hunt in a heavyweight bout. It will be Lesnar’s first fight since December 30, 2011, when he lost to Alistair Overeem at UFC 141.

Lesnar will try to secure his legacy in mixed martial arts for the first time since his full recovery from diverticulitis.

There’s one slight wrinkle in Lesnar’s UFC deal: He’s still under contract with WWE.

We last saw Lesnar on WWE television defeating Dean Ambrose at WrestleMania 32.

Nevertheless, the UFC gets its former heavyweight star back for one night only. Lesnar gets to go out on his own terms. However, the biggest winner coming out of this is none other than WWE.

Win or lose, Lesnar’s UFC 200 fight is beneficial to WWE. In fact, the announcement couldn’t have arrived at a better time.

For starters, timing is everything. This announcement comes on the heels of WWE’s announcement of splitting up the rosters between Raw and SmackDown.

UFC 200 goes down Saturday, July 9, and the WWE draft will reportedly unfold two days later on July 11.

SmackDown will go live on Tuesdays beginning on July 19. Either show will have the luxury of Lesnar, who will once more have gone to battle in the Octagon.

Second, Lesnar brings the WWE name to the mainstream again.

Lesnar made media rounds on ESPN to promote his fight with Hunt and reveal the reasons behind his return. Keep in mind WWE and ESPN already have a great working relationship with Jonathan Coachman, who interviews WWE Superstars every Tuesday.

Lesnar brings WWE to more people who watch ESPN and the UFC. At UFC 200, wrestling fans will most likely be watching. The question is whether any MMA fans will head over to Monday and Tuesday nights after Lesnar’s fight.

Third, this could open the door to bring more UFC stars to WWE. We already saw Ronda Rousey in a WWE ring at WrestleMania 31. According to Anthony DiMoro of Forbes, WWE is pushing for Rousey to wrestle in a WWE ring at WrestleMania 33.

Who knows which other UFC fighters will appear at a WWE event? Maybe UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor brings his fiery persona to Raw. Perhaps Jon “Bones” Jones appears at a main event for SummerSlam.

Despite what happens, the doors are open for future business to happen. Let’s not forget how it worked for the Attitude Era when Mike Tyson clashed with Stone Cold Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels in 1998.

It could work again—this time with the UFC. 

Finally, this brings us to Lesnar’s star power. He’s an attraction who only arrives once in a lifetime. Fans will line up to see him compete, whether it’s in the Octagon or the squared circle.

Lesnar has headlined both UFC and WWE events, including WrestleMania. Wherever he goes, he is the main event.

Fans flock to see him. The UFC crowd did so when he was the UFC heavyweight champion. The WWE Universe did so during his first run in 2002 and continues to do so today.

Lesnar’s return to WWE, whenever that may be, must be one of epic proportions. Once again, it separates him from the rest of the WWE Superstars. Whether he wins or loses, how Lesnar handles his fight at UFC 200 will create intrigue and interest.

The world will want to see Lesnar after his potential war with Hunt, and the only place for that is WWE.

WWE will have Lesnar after UFC 200. It’s WWE Creative's responsibility to capitalize on Lesnar’s inevitable return. The world awaits his next move, and WWE has an opportunity that is ripe for the taking.