Would a Brock Lesnar Loss Spell the End of the Beast on WWE TV for Months?

Every time Brock Lesnar emerges for a battle in the WWE arena, there's a chance he will hibernate in his lair for a long stretch afterward. That's simply this predator's natural pattern.

As Lesnar prepares to defend the Universal Championship against Braun Strowman at the WWE Raw pay-per-view No Mercy on Sept. 24, there's reason to believe he may slip away from the spotlight once more. Whispers of a potential UFC return, an empty dance card and the rise of a new monster point to that.

Ahead of the clash with Strowman, The Monster Among Men has been portrayed as the more dominant force of the two.

The night after SummerSlam, Strowman mauled Lesnar, stomping him into the mat and leaving him lying via a running powerslam. When the two behemoths met again three weeks later, Strowman shrugged off one of Lesnar's German suplexes and flattened the champion again.

Could Strowman be set to seize the universal title and rule in Lesnar's stead?

That thought will certainly cross many a mind en route to No Mercy. Lesnar's lack of upcoming advertised dates will make sure of that.

Raj Giri of WrestlingInc noted, "As of this writing, Lesnar is not advertised for any upcoming Raw shows, including the post-No Mercy Raw on September 25."

Speculation about Lesnar possibly returning to UFC will only further the thought that he's on his way out, should he lose.

In July, Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet reported Lesnar reentered the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) drug testing pool "so that when his contract is up, he can make the right decision about his next career move." 

However, UFC Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance Jeff Novitzky soon refuted the rumors. Novitzy told MMAJunkie.com there was "zero truth" to reports of Lesnar reentering the testing pool. 

Jon "Bones" Jones only stirred the pot when he called out Lesnar after his light heavyweight title win at UFC 214. That megabout died before the hype could begin, though, thanks to Jones' latest failed drug test.

As John Pollock of Fight Network pointed out, Jones' looming absence will up Lesnar's value inside the Octagon:

The UFC stuff, though, is mostly smoke with no fire. Lesnar still has to serve the remaining chunk of a suspension for his own failed drug test, and as Satin noted in the aforementioned report, Lesnar's WWE deal isn't done until after WrestleMania 34 next April. 

After No Mercy, Survivor Series and TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs remain as potential PPVs to showcase Lesnar this year. The former is far more likely to house The Beast Incarnate because it's a much bigger show.

But since his 2012 return, Lesnar has wrestled at only one Survivor Series event, per CageMatch.net.

Strowman's recent dominance is likely in part a means to elevate the rising star. But it has also increased anticipation for the match, leaving the result harder to predict. That's good storytelling, not necessarily a sign of a coming changing of the guard.

Lesnar as universal champ storming into WrestleMania 34 against Roman Reigns is still the safest bet of a scenario on the table. The Beast Incarnate will certainly come and go before then, but WWE will want to maximize his latest run, especially if he's not planning on inking a new deal.

It's all but a lock that he will be at January's Royal Rumble, an event he's appeared four times since 2012.

Beyond that, there's a good chance he's out of the limelight for much of the rest of 2017 as WWE enters its slowest season. When WrestleMania season kicks off ahead of the Royal Rumble, Lesnar sightings will be far more commonplace.

In the meantime, Strowman will rule the roost instead, title or no title and even after failing to topple Lesnar at No Mercy.