“Brock Lesnar, if you want to know what it feels like to get your ass kicked by a guy that weighs 40 pounds less than you, come meet me in the Octagon.”
And with that, Jon Jones kicked off a whirlwind of speculation that has been a part of the MMA zeitgeist for months.
Jones came back at UFC 214 and reclaimed the UFC light heavyweight championship belt he never lost in the Octagon by stopping Daniel Cormier in the third round. With that victory, “Bones” reminded fans why he is arguably the best mixed martial artist in the history of the sport. However, a contest against the massive human being known as “Brock Lesnar” would put all those skills to the test.
Lesnar, who retired from MMA in 2017, has reportedly shown interest in heading back to the UFC. Originally, there was speculation that Lesnar would make the jump back from pro wrestling to MMA after WrestleMania 34 when his WWE contract ran out, but “The Beast Incarnate” re-upped with Vince McMahon and company.
In the MMA world, Lesnar would still be subject to finishing the remainder of his punishment after testing positive for a banned substance following his UFC 200 bout with Mark Hunt. That six months and Jones’ own personal suspension means a potential bout would not be happening any earlier than late 2018.
All the logistics aside, sportsbooks have already opened odds for the massive superfight. Jones hit the board on July 31, 2017 – less than 48 hours after UFC 214 – as a hefty -350 favorite with Lesnar coming back at +265. That line has been taken down and posted several times since then but has remained largely unchanged in nearly a year.
- Jon Jones -350
- Brock Lesnar +285
