Brock Lesnar: Potential UFC 200 Victory and Its Effect on His WWE Status

Saturday night, Brock Lesnar returns to the Octagon for UFC 200, a card advertised as the biggest in the mixed martial arts company's history.

The late suspension of Jon Jones forced UFC to alter its marketing of the event, focusing heavily on the undeniable star power The Beast Incarnate brings to the extravaganza.

Win or lose, Lesnar's value to UFC has been on full display during fight week, calling into question how it will affect his WWE status.

The recent announcement of Lesnar's SummerSlam match against Randy Orton suggests it will not make an impact in the short term, but what about further down the road? What would a win do for his confidence and desire to finish what he started in the UFC back in 2008?

With a lack of compelling matches awaiting him in WWE, will the allure of UFC win out?

Unfinished Business

Lesnar has made it abundantly clear throughout his press appearances for UFC 200 that he feels as though he has unfinished business inside the Octagon. The way he ended his career in MMA was dissatisfying. It left him with regrets, something he told ESPN.com's Arash Markazi:

"

I didn't want to be sitting on my tractor 20 years from now wondering, 'God, I wonder if I would have just fought one more time? So I'm going to take care of that speculation right now and when I'm sitting on my tractor 20 years and I can say, 'Now that was fun.'

It takes some balls man. It takes some balls to live life to the fullest. Who in the hell would do this? I'm fortunate. I really am. It takes big balls to do this, but I've always stuck my neck out there. You just lay it on the line.

"

Lesnar has been adamant with his belief his battle with diverticulitis is what cost him victories and a longer career in UFC. Now he is healthy, he sees Saturday's fight with Hunt as an opportunity to vindicate himself.

What if he does?

Would that possibly motivate Lesnar to return to UFC more frequently, chase heavyweight gold and re-establish himself as the baddest man in the sport, not to mention one of its greatest draws?

He is not ruling it out.

"It boils down to me—if I want it or not," he told Markazi.

What's Left in WWE?

Lesnar has conquered every viable main event star in WWE. He has torn through every potential dream match that exists, his memorable 16-suplex dismantling of John Cena at SummerSlam 2014 arguably his most memorable performance inside the squared circle during his latest run.

Unfortunately, WWE's inability to create new stars believably strong enough to step up and challenge The Beast Incarnate could well cost them in the long run.

Short term, we already know Lesnar will return to the ring on August 21 at SummerSlam to battle Orton. While it is a fresh match, one fans have not bore witness to since 2002, it is hardly what one would call a red-hot dream match by any stretch of the imagination.

Once the company burns through that bout, the only credible marquee bout still waiting for Lesnar is a rematch of his WrestleMania 31 classic against Roman Reigns, when neither man was declared the winner.

Beyond that, the lack of legitimate challengers to this throne as the unstoppable force of WWE, not to mention the questionable use of his star over the last year, may leave him less inclined to return to the company when his contract comes up for renewal.

Ego

Brock Lesnar is the greatest pay-per-view attraction in UFC history, according to Forbes.

The late suspension of Jon Jones forced the company to focus its promotional efforts on Lesnar, who is the most recognizable and iconic star on the card. With the much-anticipated battle between Jones and Daniel Cormier off, Lesnar's presence will be highly influential in the overall success of the event.

Event	Main Event	PPV Buys
UFC 100	Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir II	1.6 Million
UFC 116	Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin	1.06 Million
UFC 66	Chuck Lidell vs. Tito Ortiz	1.05 Million
UFC 168	Chris Weidman vs. Anderson SIlva	1.025 Million
UFC 91	Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Couture	1.01 Million

Could that sense of importance and the opportunity to add more box office records to his resume pique his interest enough to return to UFC on a full-time basis?

Every professional athlete has an ego, and Lesnar is no different.

That sense of importance could be the determining factor between staying with WWE or heading back to the company he was the face of for several years.

Looking Ahead

The future for Lesnar will be dependent upon his health. While he has insisted he feels great ahead of his UFC showdown with Mark Hunt, it is one thing to say it and another thing to put it to the test inside the Octagon. How he feels coming out of the fight will determine what direction he takes going forward.

If he holds up well and does not suffer an embarrassment Saturday night, he will have to decide whether stepping back inside the cage on a regular basis is something he wants to do.

The media appearances he has made leading up to the pay-per-view show a man in a much different place than he was the last time he appeared for the promotion. He is relaxed, having fun and enjoying the experience.

He has nothing to prove to the masses but everything to prove to himself. With so much at stake for so many of the men and women competing on Saturday's card, Lesnar's journey is one of self-fulfillment rather than professional advancement.

The schedule, the lack of physical punishment and the star treatment that comes with his WWE deal may be too good to pass up, though. He can essentially come and go as he pleases, making the minimal appearances obligated and still compete in the most important matches of the year.

He is treated like wrestling royalty, even if WWE Creative has not necessarily given him the material to work with that would elevate him to all-time greatness. That he has not been beaten cleanly in a straight wrestling match since returning to the squared circle in 2012 is a nice ego boost.

What fuels Lesnar? That is the question that will determine where he lands.

Are the competitive juices flowing? Does he have the insatiable appetite to prove he is the best, or is he the prizefighter he has referred to himself as, more concerned with money than anything?

That answer could drive him back to the sanctity of WWE or catapult him back into mainstream, pop culture conscience inside the Octagon.