Beat Frank Mir at UFC 100 and then rampaged around the cage like a crazy person.
For a moment, it looked like Brock Lesnar was about to re-invent the UFC's heavyweight division. A massive wrestler with hands so big they required custom-made gloves, Lesnar was like a modern Mark Coleman.
Even more exciting for the UFC's brass, his pro wrestling fame made him the biggest drawing card that the sport had ever seen. Every Lesnar fight was an event. The bouts were more than athletic contests; they were enormous town-hall meetings about him.
His pro wrestling roots and cocky persona made him a natural villain for traditional MMA fans. For traditional wrestling fans? His real life success was manna from heaven for a fake sport that was constantly looking for legitimacy.
Diverticulitis stopped the big man in his tracks. After getting sick, he was never the same fighter. Eventually, after consecutive losses, he called it quits, returning to the WWE for another run. But his absence was noticed, at least by book keepers. The UFC has yet to replace him as its top pay-per-view attraction.
