Five years away from the cage did a lot of good for WWE and UFC star Brock Lesnar, as his heralded return was a dominant one. Mark Hunt is a top ten heavyweight with heavy hands and the ability to knock any opponent down, but he was the one being manhandled by the much stronger Lesnar. After the fight Hunt would lament that he wasn’t sure how Lesnar is as strong as he is at 265 pounds, and he has a point. Lesnar is a freak of nature, a physical specimen that makes grown men around him look like prepubescent boys.

When Lesnar left the UFC five years ago on a losing streak, it was because of his struggles with diverticulitis, an ailment that left him lacking power, stamina, and the ability to take a kick to the gut. Heading into this fight, Lesnar was an underdog in large part because of his time away from the cage, the fact that the fight was announced without much lead up time, and the fact that he had left on a losing streak. When his match was elevated to semi-main event status after the Jon Jones-Daniel Cormier fight was dropped after Jones tested positive for performance enhancers, Lesnar knew his dominance would be on display for all to see.

One interesting aspect of this fight was that Lesnar is actually contracted with WWE, a form of entertainment based around “fake” fighting. Normally someone contracted with WWE would not be allowed to take part in a UFC match, but Lesnar is not like other people. Not only would Lesnar create a bit of crossover appeal, but he would also, likely, bring legitimacy to the WWE. When I say likely it is because Lesnar had to have done this knowing that he was likely to be the winner. Lesnar is not unintelligent, and he does not like looking like a fool, so if he thought he wasn’t going to win he would have never stepped foot back into that octagon.

Now the question that remains is how long it will be until Lesnar makes a full-fledged return to UFC. He is contracted at least through August for WWE, but details of his contract are scarce and he has left the WWE before to pursue other ventures. After the fight, Lesnar said that he does what he wants, and there aren’t many statements holding more truth than that. If there is one thing Lesnar has proven throughout his life, it is that he does what he wants.

With his time in WWE numbered, it would be smart for the WWE to get what they can out of him. They’ve already advertised Randy Orton as his opponent for Summerslam, but what if they book him to lose to one of their new stars the night after at Raw? Then when he decides to spurn WWE for greener pastures once again, they will be left with more than just their hands in their pockets, they will be left with a bonafide superstar that can remind everyone time and again that he beat the baddest man on the planet.