Brock Lesnar Leaving WWE Raw Storylines To Focus On UFC Comeback: Report

Brock Lesnar will not be appearing on WWE television in the near future as he prepares for his second UFC comeback.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Lesnar's contract is expiring in a few days and has been written off Raw's storylines, explaining his absence last week. He is not expected to appear on Monday either.

He most recently appeared at WWE SummerSlam earlier this month where his 504-day run as Universal champion was ended by Roman Reigns. He was denied an immediate rematch by Raw GM Kurt Angle the following day when it was requested by his on-screen manager Paul Heyman.

"As far as Lesnar, his WWE contract expires in a few days," Meltzer reported last week via Cageside Seats. "He was written out of storylines when Kurt Angle refused to give him his rematch. He was pulled by WWE off the Raw show this past week because nobody could come up with an idea for him that made sense."

"If he was staying, he could destroy everyone, but they weren’t going to have [Braun] Strowman beat him since he had no matches left, and he had no matches to build up. He could go crazy and get suspended or fired, but that doesn’t do WWE any good to put more focus on him when he’s got no date to return. He is back training for fighting. He has dropped weight. He is going in with the idea of facing Daniel Cormier for the UFC heavyweight title in early 2019," Meltzer added.

That is good news for the UFC and combat sports fans who are expecting Lesnar to face Cormier for the heavyweight title in early 2019 to kick off the new year in style.

Lesnar still has to serve under the United States Anti-Doping Association (USADA) testing pool until January as a result of his failed drug tests from his first UFC comeback in 2016. The earliest he can reportedly return to the octagon is Jan. 8.

Many fans have noticed that Lesnar's physical appearance has changed in recent weeks, with Cormier himself pointing it out when he was watching SummerSlam, suggesting that the 41-year-old is actually abiding by the rules.

According to USADA's website, Lesnar has already been tested three times in 2018 so far.

His WWE contract expiry goes along with what UFC president Dana White said back in June, claiming Lesnar's contract would expire at the end of the summer. If there is no return to the squared circle planned in the near future, Lesnar may even be fighting more than once in the octagon, especially if he were to defeat Cormier.

The Minnesota native notably challenged Cormier for the heavyweight title after the latter defeated Stipe Miocic via knockout to become the second simultaneous two-weight champion under the promotion's banner at UFC 226 in July.