Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar appears to have brought his pro wrestling career to an end after an emotional scene at WrestleMania 42.
Lesnar lost to Oba Femi during the second night of WWE’s biggest annual event, then removed his gloves and boots and left them in the ring before walking to the back. In wrestling, especially for athletes with amateur backgrounds, that move is widely viewed as a retirement signal. The crowd responded with chants of “Thank you, Lesnar” as he made his way out. WWE has made a career out of building stars for giant stages, and big-fight aura still matters when a crossover name leaves.
Former UFC champion Daniel Cormier was also shown at ringside while the scene unfolded.
An emotional Brock Lesnar taking off his gloves and boots in the ring after losing to Oba Femi. 😮 #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/kfBS4GTAac
— Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) April 19, 2026
The fans chant 'Thank You Lesnar' on his way out after his defeat to Oba Femi 🥲 #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/GV4XjNMJiD
— Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) April 19, 2026
Brock Lesnar’s UFC run added real weight to the moment
Before his MMA career, Lesnar had already become one of WWE’s biggest stars. His first run quickly turned him into a main-event attraction, and his later returns kept him in major title programs and stadium-level matches. That is a big reason this WrestleMania exit carried real weight.
His UFC history matters here too. Lesnar made his debut against Frank Mir, won the heavyweight title by stopping Randy Couture at UFC 91, and later returned from diverticulitis to beat Shane Carwin and unify the championship at UFC 116. Losses to Cain Velasquez and Alistair Overeem later ended his run as an active top heavyweight. For fans who followed both sports, his rise always stood out because combat sports rarely produce crossover stars with that kind of championship resume, especially when wrestling and high-level takedown-heavy backgrounds are part of the story.
Lesnar explained how he pushed his way into the UFC after his football tryout and K-1 appearance. He said:
“Dana White wanted nothing to do with me,” Lesnar said. “He wouldn’t return my phone calls. What happened was I fought at the L.A. Coliseum for K-1 Dynamite and then I wanted to get into the big leagues and there’s only one big league at the time and it was the UFC. My team reached out and wanted to do something with the UFC. This is the stuff you have to do. I said screw it, I bought four nosebleed tickets to the MGM [Grand Garden Arena], Randy Couture was headlining against Gabriel Gonzaga for the heavyweight championship.”
“I sat there in the stands through the entire event and as soon as Randy won that fight, I scaled the security and ran to the octagon, I grabbed Dana and I introduced myself — ‘I’m Brock Lesnar.’ We went to the back and he said ‘well listen, I’ll give you a shot.’ He gave me a one-fight deal. I said take a gamble on me.”
If this was the final walk for Lesnar in WWE, he exits as one of the rare crossover names who reached the top of both pro wrestling and MMA, and that kind of two-sport staying power is why readers still care about athletes who cross over from wrestling into the cage and back again.
