Home
Just read this on MMA Junkie after a UFC post on Facebook:
UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar (4-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) says through a "miracle" of medicine, he will avoid surgery and return to the octagon this summer.
Lesnar, along with UFC president Dana White made the announcement on this morning's addition of ESPN's "SportsCenter."
The appearance was the heavyweight champion's first interview since being forced out of action with a series of ailments.
The ailment, which Lesnar confirmed was initially diagnosed as mononucleosis and then diverticulitis (or as Lesnar clarified in layman's terms, "a hole in my stomach"), has kept the champion out of action since July 2009 and forced the massive wrestler out of a scheduled November UFC 106 headliner with Shane Carwin.
Lesnar said he lost nearly 40 pounds after missing nearly three weeks of training camp and during an 11-day hospitalization and was told by multiple doctors that surgery was unavoidable. The champion said he continued to hold out hope that he could avoid an invasive procedure – which he says would have been career-ending – and through what he classified as "a miracle," a follow-up appointment on Jan. 5 showed his body had begun to heal itself.
"[The doctors] were dumbfounded," Lesnar said. "They couldn't find any problem in my stomach. It's just a miracle to me.
"I actually had to go to the doctor yesterday before I came out here and get another CT scan on my stomach because I just still can't believe it."
While an exact date for Lesnar's return was not announced, White said he hope to have his champion back in the octagon "this summer."
As Lesnar recovers, the UFC has booked an interim title fight at UFC 111 between former champion Frank Mir and top challenger Carwin, who was slated to face the champion before his illness struck. White said the winner of that contest would be in line for the first crack at Lesnar.
Should the winner of that fight prove unable to compete, White said the UFC 110 bout between fellow contenders Cain Velasquez and Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera would serve as a backup plan.
Both Lesnar and White will take part in a media conference call later today to further discuss the situation. Stay tuned to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) for the latest on Lesnar's impending return
UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar (4-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) says through a "miracle" of medicine, he will avoid surgery and return to the octagon this summer.
Lesnar, along with UFC president Dana White made the announcement on this morning's addition of ESPN's "SportsCenter."
The appearance was the heavyweight champion's first interview since being forced out of action with a series of ailments.
The ailment, which Lesnar confirmed was initially diagnosed as mononucleosis and then diverticulitis (or as Lesnar clarified in layman's terms, "a hole in my stomach"), has kept the champion out of action since July 2009 and forced the massive wrestler out of a scheduled November UFC 106 headliner with Shane Carwin.
Lesnar said he lost nearly 40 pounds after missing nearly three weeks of training camp and during an 11-day hospitalization and was told by multiple doctors that surgery was unavoidable. The champion said he continued to hold out hope that he could avoid an invasive procedure – which he says would have been career-ending – and through what he classified as "a miracle," a follow-up appointment on Jan. 5 showed his body had begun to heal itself.
"[The doctors] were dumbfounded," Lesnar said. "They couldn't find any problem in my stomach. It's just a miracle to me.
"I actually had to go to the doctor yesterday before I came out here and get another CT scan on my stomach because I just still can't believe it."
While an exact date for Lesnar's return was not announced, White said he hope to have his champion back in the octagon "this summer."
As Lesnar recovers, the UFC has booked an interim title fight at UFC 111 between former champion Frank Mir and top challenger Carwin, who was slated to face the champion before his illness struck. White said the winner of that contest would be in line for the first crack at Lesnar.
Should the winner of that fight prove unable to compete, White said the UFC 110 bout between fellow contenders Cain Velasquez and Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera would serve as a backup plan.
Both Lesnar and White will take part in a media conference call later today to further discuss the situation. Stay tuned to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) for the latest on Lesnar's impending return
