Former two-division MMA star Daniel Cormier has revealed unsettling details about why his long-hyped bout with Brock Lesnar never happened—hinting that the WWE megastar may now be *blacklisted* by UFC’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings.
Speaking on the Mighty Cast podcast, Cormier opened up about the missed clash that never came to fruition, offering a rare peek behind the business curtain of mixed martial arts. What seemed like a done deal years ago now appears to have unraveled in a way that effectively shut the door on Lesnar’s UFC future.
” Brock played us, man, ” Cormier said bluntly.
According to the former Olympian, Lesnar had initially shown sincere interest in returning to the UFC for a heavyweight showdown—possibly after Cormier’s 2018 match with Derrick Lewis in Madison Square Garden, which was seen as a warm-up for the Lesnar clash. But at the last minute, WWE stepped in with a more lucrative offer, making the choice between cage and scripted ring an easy one for Lesnar.
” The WWE paid him more to stay, ” Cormier explained.
While that kind of business decision is not uncommon, Cormier hinted at something much deeper at play. When asked about a potential future WWE–UFC crossover involving Lesnar, his response was unsettling:
” Brock is on the ban list right now. “
He refused to go into detail, saying only: “I ain’t telling you on air what Brock did.” The cryptic answer has ignited speculation about behind-the-scenes conflicts involving Lesnar and UFC’s current ownership. Though nothing has been confirmed publicly, the implication is clear: Lesnar’s ties to TKO—parent company of both UFC and WWE—may have been severed for reasons beyond money or matchups.
The timing lines up with Lesnar’s disappearance from WWE programming. He hasn’t appeared since losing to Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam in August 2023 despite reportedly being slated for a return at the 2024 Royal Rumble. That comeback was abruptly cancelled and his travel plans scrapped days before the event. In April 2024, WWE’s Chief Content Officer Triple H said:
” Brock is not gone from WWE. He’s just home being Brock. “
But in August 2024, Triple H’s tone had changed significantly, telling the *Daily Mail*:
” You’d have to ask Brock Lesnar that. Brock does his own thing. He’s up in Canada watching his kids play hockey and enjoying life. If and when he decides that he would like to do something we’d be open to the conversation. But we’ll see. “
The murkiness surrounding Lesnar’s status deepened when he was later named in Janel Grant’s trafficking lawsuit against Vince McMahon and WWE. Though Lesnar is not a defendant in the case, his name being attached to such a high-profile legal matter may have contributed to his exclusion from both companies’ plans.
For Cormier, the failed matchup with Lesnar represents a massive missed payday and a lost opportunity to cement his legacy against one of the most recognizable names in combat sports. Lesnar’s UFC return against Mark Hunt in 2016, though marred by a failed test, still pulled in massive pay-per-view numbers—highlighting the promotional gold that such a match could generate.
Instead, Cormier was left to close his career with a trilogy against Stipe Miocic, retiring without the kind of mega-event that could have redefined his run in the heavyweight division.
Lesnar, meanwhile, appears to be in exile—possibly self-imposed, possibly corporate. Whether due to legal baggage, executive fallout or shifting business priorities, his absence from both wrestling and MMA feels less like a break and more like a silent exit.
UFC continues evolving under TKO’s umbrella, the story of Brock Lesnar remains a cautionary tale about how star power, business and backroom politics can turn even the most hyped matchup into a forgotten footnote.
