History of Brock Lesnar in Timeline
Brock Lesnar is an accomplished American professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, amateur wrestler, and former American football player. He is most recognized for his career in WWE, with three separate tenures from 2000-2004, 2012-2020 and 2021-2026. Notably, Lesnar is the only individual to have captured the primary heavyweight championships in WWE, UFC, NJPW, IGF, and NCAA, demonstrating his exceptional versatility and success across various combat sports.
July 12, 1977: Brock Lesnar's Birth
On July 12, 1977, Brock Edward Lesnar was born. He would later become a successful professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, amateur wrestler, and professional American football player.
1997: 5th at NJCAA
In 1997, during his freshman year at Bismarck State College, Brock Lesnar placed 5th in the 275 lb. division of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
1998: NJCAA All-American and Heavyweight Champion
In 1998, Brock Lesnar was the NJCAA Heavyweight Champion and an All-American.
1998: NJCAA Heavyweight Championship Win
In 1998, during his sophomore year at Bismarck State College, Brock Lesnar won the 275 lb championship at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
2000: Signing with WWF and OVW Assignment
In 2000, Brock Lesnar signed a developmental contract with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and was assigned to its Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) territory.
2000: NCAA Championship and WWF Signing
In 2000, Brock Lesnar won the NCAA Division I national championship in wrestling and subsequently signed with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
2000: NCAA Division I Heavyweight Championship
In 2000, Brock Lesnar won the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I heavyweight wrestling championship during his senior year.
January 2001: Arrest in Louisville
In January 2001, Brock Lesnar was arrested in Louisville, Kentucky, on suspicion of possessing illegal substances, but the charges were dropped when the substances were identified as legal hormones.
2001: Dark Matches
In 2001, Brock Lesnar participated in numerous dark matches before being called up to the main roster.
March 18, 2002: Television Debut on Raw
On March 18, 2002, Brock Lesnar made his television debut on Raw, accompanied by Paul Heyman, interfering in a Hardcore Championship match.
2002: Main Roster Call-Up
In early 2002, Brock Lesnar was called up to the main roster of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
2002: WWE Championship Win
In mid-2002, Brock Lesnar rose to prominence by winning the WWE Championship at age 25, becoming the youngest performer to achieve this feat.
January 19, 2003: Royal Rumble Win
On January 19, 2003, at the Royal Rumble, Brock Lesnar defeated Big Show to enter the Royal Rumble match, which he won by last eliminating The Undertaker.
2003: Royal Rumble Win
In 2003, Brock Lesnar won the Royal Rumble match, earning a title shot at WrestleMania XIX.
2003: DVD Release: Here Comes the Pain
In 2003, WWE Home Video released a DVD chronicling Lesnar's career, entitled "Brock Lesnar: Here Comes the Pain".
2003: Feud with Goldberg Begins
In late 2003, Brock Lesnar began a cross-brand feud with Goldberg, who interrupted a backstage interview at Survivor Series.
January 25, 2004: WWE Championship Defense Against Hardcore Holly
On January 25, 2004, Brock Lesnar retained the WWE Championship against Hardcore Holly at the Royal Rumble.
April 17, 2004: Motorcycle Accident
On April 17, 2004, Lesnar was involved in a motorcycle accident when a minivan collided with his motorbike, resulting in a broken jaw and left hand, a bruised pelvis, and a pulled groin.
June 11, 2004: Minnesota Vikings Workout
On June 11, 2004, the Minnesota Vikings worked out Lesnar, but his groin injury, sustained in the April motorcycle accident, hampered his performance.
August 30, 2004: Release from the Vikings
On August 30, 2004, Lesnar was released by the Minnesota Vikings after playing in several preseason games as a defensive tackle.
2004: Departure from WWE and Joining NFL
In 2004, Brock Lesnar left WWE to pursue a career in the National Football League (NFL) with the Minnesota Vikings, though he was later cut from the team during pre-season.
2004: Cover of Flex and Muscle & Fitness
In 2004, Lesnar was featured on the covers of Flex and Muscle & Fitness magazine.
2005: Signing with NJPW and IWGP Heavyweight Championship
In 2005, Brock Lesnar returned to wrestling by signing with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
January 4, 2006: IWGP Title Defense Against Shinsuke Nakamura
On January 4, 2006, Brock Lesnar defended the IWGP title against Shinsuke Nakamura at the Tokyo Dome event.
January 14, 2006: Favorable Ruling
On January 14, 2006, Judge Christopher Droney indicated he would rule in favor of Lesnar in the WWE contract dispute unless WWE presented a sufficient argument by January 25th.
April 29, 2006: Lesnar Announces Intent to Join K-1 Hero's
On April 29, 2006, after the final match of the K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Las Vegas, Lesnar announced his intention to join K-1's mixed martial arts league, Hero's.
May 6, 2006: Marriage to Sable
On May 6, 2006, Brock Lesnar married fellow WWE performer Rena Greek, also known as Sable.
July 2006: Stripped of IWGP Championship
In July 2006, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) stripped Brock Lesnar of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship due to visa issues that prevented him from returning to defend it.
June 2, 2007: First Official MMA Match
On June 2, 2007, Lesnar's first scheduled fight against Hong-man Choi was replaced by Min-soo Kim, whom Lesnar submitted with strikes in 1:09 of the first round to win his first official MMA match.
June 29, 2007: Loss of IWGP Title to Kurt Angle
On June 29, 2007, Brock Lesnar lost the IWGP title to TNA World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle at the debut event of the Inoki Genome Federation (IGF).
February 2, 2008: UFC Debut at UFC 81
On February 2, 2008, Lesnar made his debut with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) at UFC 81 against former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir, wearing 4XL gloves due to his large hands, and losing the fight due to submission.
2008: Minneapolis' City Pages Cover
In 2008, Lesnar was featured on the cover of Minneapolis' City Pages magazine.
July 11, 2009: UFC 100 Victory
On July 11, 2009, at UFC 100, Lesnar defeated Frank Mir via technical knockout and becoming the Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion. Lesnar also made disparaging comments about Bud Light after the match and promoted Coors Light instead, later apologizing at the post-fight press conference.
2009: Endorsement Deal with Dymatize Nutrition
In 2009, Lesnar signed an endorsement deal with Dymatize Nutrition. A CD containing footage of Lesnar training was included with Dymatize's "Xpand" product.
January 2, 2010: Rescheduled Fight at UFC 108
On January 2, 2010, Lesnar's fight with Shane Carwin, originally scheduled for November 21, was to be rescheduled for UFC 108 due to Lesnar's illness, where he criticized Canadian health care after seeking treatment in Canada. However, Lesnar never actually fought at UFC 108.
January 2010: UFC Return Announcement
In January 2010, Lesnar announced on ESPN's SportsCenter his scheduled return to the UFC in the summer.
2010: UFC Undisputed 2010 Cover Athlete
In 2010, Lesnar was the cover athlete for the UFC Undisputed 2010 video game.
May 2011: NRA Annual Meeting Appearance
In May 2011, Brock Lesnar attended the NRA's annual meeting, where he discussed his passion for hunting and his role as a spokesman for Fusion Ammunition.
May 2011: Highest-Paid MMA Athlete
In May 2011, ESPN's magazine reported that Lesnar was the highest-paid athlete in MMA, earning $5.3 million, including bout salaries and estimated pay-per-view bonuses.
December 15, 2011: Hunting Infractions Charge
On December 15, 2011, Brock Lesnar was charged with hunting infractions related to a November 19, 2010 trip to Alberta, ultimately pleading guilty to improper tagging of an animal.
2011: Return and Retirement from MMA
In 2011, Lesnar announced his return to MMA, which culminated in a fight against Alistair Overeem at UFC 141 on December 30. However, after losing to Overeem, Lesnar retired from MMA, citing his struggles with diverticulitis.
2011: Publication of Autobiography
In 2011, Lesnar co-wrote an autobiography with Paul Heyman, titled "Death Clutch: My Story of Determination, Domination, and Survival", which was published by William Morrow and Company.
2012: MMA-Oriented Gimmick
In 2012 after his WWE return, Lesnar focused on an MMA-oriented gimmick, sporting MMA gloves during his matches and adding the Kimura lock as a submission hold.
2012: WWE Return
In 2012, Brock Lesnar re-signed with WWE, marking his return to the company.
2012: Re-release of "Here Comes the Pain" DVD
In 2012, the DVD "Brock Lesnar: Here Comes the Pain" was re-released as a three-disc DVD and two-disc Blu-ray collector's edition to tie in with Lesnar's WWE return, expanded to include new matches and interviews.
2012: Last Wrestling Match until WWE Return
June 29, 2007 marked Brock Lesnar's final professional wrestling match until his return to WWE in 2012.
January 28, 2013: Attack on Vince McMahon
On January 28, 2013, Brock Lesnar returned on Raw and attacked WWE chairman Vince McMahon, resulting in a scripted pelvic injury.
2013: Feud with CM Punk
In 2013, Brock Lesnar began a feud with CM Punk after attacking him on the June 17 episode of Raw, following tension between Punk and Paul Heyman. The feud culminated in a match at SummerSlam.
2013: Inspiration for Armored Titan
In 2013, Hajime Isayama, the author of Attack on Titan, revealed on his blog that he drew inspiration from Lesnar for the character of the Armored Titan.
January 26, 2014: Dominant Win at Royal Rumble
On January 26, 2014, Brock Lesnar had a dominant win at the Royal Rumble, leading to an open contract for a match at WrestleMania XXX.
2014: Ending The Undertaker's WrestleMania Streak
In 2014, Brock Lesnar ended The Undertaker's undefeated WrestleMania streak, marking a significant moment in wrestling history.
January 25, 2015: Retains WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Royal Rumble
On January 25, 2015, Brock Lesnar retained the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in a match against John Cena and Seth Rollins at the Royal Rumble.
March 2015: Closing the Door on MMA
In March 2015, Brock Lesnar stated he was closing the door on MMA.
March 24, 2015: Lesnar Re-signs with WWE
On March 24, 2015, Lesnar revealed in an interview on SportsCenter that he had re-signed with WWE and officially closed the door on a return to MMA, despite being offered a deal "ten times more" than what he had made previously.
2015: Match of the Year Slammy Award
In 2015, the Hell in a Cell match between Lesnar and The Undertaker was voted "Match of the Year" during the Slammy Awards.
January 11, 2016: Lesnar attacks The New Day, The League of Nations, Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns
On January 11, 2016, Brock Lesnar made his return on Raw, unleashing attacks on The New Day, The League of Nations which included Sheamus, King Barrett, Rusev, and Alberto Del Rio, and Kevin Owens. He concluded his rampage by delivering an F-5 to Roman Reigns.
June 4, 2016: Return to UFC Announced
On June 4, 2016, UFC announced that Lesnar would return at UFC 200 on July 9, with WWE confirming it had granted him a one-off opportunity.
July 15, 2016: Notification of Anti-Doping Violation
On July 15, 2016, Lesnar was notified of a potential anti-doping policy violation by USADA stemming from an out-of-competition sample collected on June 28.
2016: Release of "Eat. Sleep. Conquer. Repeat."
In 2016, a new home video was released on DVD and Blu-ray, as well as a collector's edition, called "Brock Lesnar: Eat. Sleep. Conquer. Repeat." and includes accomplishments from his second run in WWE.
February 14, 2017: Lesnar Notifies UFC of Retirement
On February 14, 2017, it was reported that Lesnar had notified UFC that he was retiring from MMA for the second time.
July 2017: Eligibility to Return
Lesnar was scheduled to be eligible to return to competition in July 2017, following his suspension.
July 7, 2018: Challenge to Daniel Cormier
On July 7, 2018, Lesnar stormed the cage after the main event at UFC 226 and challenged the new UFC Heavyweight Champion, Daniel Cormier.
January 2019: Unpaid Fine
As of January 2019, Lesnar had yet to pay the $250,000 fine imposed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
January 6, 2020: Lesnar declares himself entrant number one at Royal Rumble
On January 6, 2020, Brock Lesnar returned on Raw and announced his participation as the first entrant in the Royal Rumble match, asserting that no one else deserved the opportunity at the WWE Championship.
September 2020: Potential Fight Offers
In September 2020, Dana White mentioned he could organize a fight between Lesnar and Jon Jones, and Scott Coker expressed interest in booking Lesnar to fight Fedor Emelianenko.
March 2022: Confirmed Retirement
In March 2022, Lesnar once again confirmed that he would stay retired from MMA.
October 2022: Lesnar feuds with Bobby Lashley
In October 2022, after returning to WWE, Brock Lesnar engaged in a feud with Bobby Lashley, leading to matches at Crown Jewel, Raw Is XXX, and Elimination Chamber.
2022: Royal Rumble Win
In 2022, Brock Lesnar won the Royal Rumble match for the second time in his career.
January 2025: Janel Grant lawsuit impacts Lesnar's WWE status
In January 2025, Janel Grant amended her complaint in her lawsuit against WWE, explicitly naming Brock Lesnar as the UFC/WWE talent involved. As a result, Lesnar was removed from the Royal Rumble and subsequently from WWE's creative plans and promotional materials.
August 3, 2025: Lesnar returns at SummerSlam
On August 3, 2025, at SummerSlam, Brock Lesnar made a surprise return after a two-year absence, attacking John Cena after his match. This happened despite the ongoing Janel Grant lawsuit.
January 31, 2026: Lesnar participates in the Royal Rumble
On January 31, 2026, Brock Lesnar entered the Royal Rumble match as the 22nd entrant, eliminating multiple competitors before being eliminated by Cody Rhodes and LA Knight.
May 7, 2026: Lesnar moved to alumni section on WWE.com
On May 7, 2026, Brock Lesnar's profile was moved from the superstar section to the alumni section on WWE.com, fueling speculation about his retirement.
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