Report: Brock Lesnar ‘secretly’ agrees to new WWE deal, casts doubt on Daniel Cormier title fight

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight champion, Brock Lesnar, was expected to make his Octagon return in early 2019 to challenge reigning division titleholder, Daniel Cormier, for the 265-pound strap.

Which was kind of the point of this “shit show.”

But what once appeared to be a lock for “DC’s” retirement fight is now in jeopardy after Lesnar “secretly” signed a new deal with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), prompted by the departure of the promotion’s top star Roman Reigns, who is currently batting leukemia.

Dave Meltzer at MMA Fighting has more:

With Reigns out, Lesnar got a new offer from (Vince) McMahon to replace Reigns as his top singles champion. Lesnar agreed secretly to the new deal, and won the pro wrestling championship again. The new deal is for multiple shows, but its length of time has been kept secretive. But it is known that Lesnar is scheduled as late as April of next year for WrestleMania.

The deal does allow him to take a UFC fight, but whether Lesnar really will do that during this contractual term with WWE is a bigger question. And for Cormier, with the sands of the hourglass of his career rapidly running out, and him continuing to say he’s done in March after his 40th birthday, the Lesnar fight is far less of a sure thing than it seemed a month ago.

Lesnar out, Jon Jones in?

Cormier has flip-flopped on his desire to complete a trilogy with Jones. While he originally agreed to head back down to 205 pounds for one more chance to break “Bones,” his UFC 230 win over Derrick Lewis led him to reconsider.

As for Jones, he isn't going anywhere until he gets past Alexander Gustafsson in their UFC 232 light heavyweight rematch, a battle that will be contested for Cormier’s surrendered strap. If he does prove victorious, and “DC” stays at heavyweight, then we might have this scenario play out.

It may all depend on Lesnar (sorry, Stipe).