Brock Lesnar is a man with a taste for the finer things in life. When Lesnar craves a dehydrated meat based snack treat he opens up a bag of Jack Links beef jerky. At lunch time and in need of a sandwich, Lesnar goes to his local Jimmy John’s gourmet sandwich shop. So what do you get besides officially endorsed food based items for the man who has and eats everything? The WWE gave Lesnar hope, a dream, but most importantly a boatload of cash.
A Viking’s ship worth of money coupled with Lesnar’s lack of desire to get punched in the head for living, has the “Beast Incarnate” resigning with the WWE. Heading into the WWE’s biggest week of the year and with Lesnar set to headline their signature event in WrestleMania 31, the pro wrestling organization really needed this win. Prior to Lesnar announcing his return to the WWE, rumors sat and hovered over the current champ with often times behind the scenes contract negotiations overshadowing the storyline in the ring.
Speaking with the Associated Press Lesnar revealed more about the UFC’s last ditch effort to get him to resign with them.
More than a year after Lesnar first began working on an MMA comeback, he decided his long-term health was more important than his hunger to return to competitive sports.
The UFC didn’t allow Lesnar to shut the octagon door easily: Lesnar said he turned down an offer worth “10 times” what he was making earlier in his MMA career.
Lesnar continued.
UFC Chairman Lorenzo Fertitta even attempted to increase the temptation when Lesnar phoned Fertitta and UFC President Dana White to tell them his decision while driving into the parking garage at ESPN’s downtown Los Angeles studios.
Although the UFC doesn’t disclose the financial results of its pay-per-view shows, White has said Lesnar is the biggest PPV draw in MMA history.
“Lorenzo said to me, ‘Can we sharpen our pencil? Can we double it'” Lesnar said. “I said, ‘It’s not about that. I’m calling you to tell you where my heart is, and it’s not about the money.’
For the UFC with nearly every single one of their top pay per view draws gone from the promotion’s 2009-2011 “Boom Period”. Team Zuffa really needed Lesnar for at least three to four more big money box office days. Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, BJ Penn, Anderson Silva, Georges St. Pierre, and now officially Lesnar are all ripped from the UFC’s pay per view playbook.
At UFC 141 in December of 2011, Lesnar’s last reported payout from the UFC featured a base salary of $400,000 dollars plus pay per view points along with completely on the up and up “locker room/thanks for being a good solider” bonuses. Sources with knowledge of UFC contracts as well as basic multiplication skills inform MiddleEasy that “10 times” $400,000 dollars is equal to $4,000,000. That’s four Million with a capital M for Mr. Brock Lesnar.
Lesnar could’ve bought so many free sandwiches with four million Dana White dollars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZTm51RZfbs
