Brock Lesnar: I’m officially closing the door on MMA

AFTER months of debate, WWE world heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has finally revealed where his future lies.

Brock Lesnar: WWE or UFC?

IT’S official, Brock Lesnar is staying with the WWE.

The only man to win the world heavyweight championship in both the WWE and UFC has declared he will never return to the Octagon.

“I’m officially closing the door on MMA,” Lesnar announced on ESPN’s SportsCenter on Wednesday. “I resigned last night with the WWE ... the offer on the table I just could not refuse.”

There has been months of conjecture around Lesnar’s future as the end of his previous contract with the WWE expired after WrestleMania 31 on Monday.

But the man known as “The Beast” declared this WrestleMania won’t be his last.

“I was born to be an entertainer,” Lesnar said. “I have fun doing it. I could go back to the Octagon, and what am I going to gain? I was the UFC heavyweight champion of the world.”

"My legacy in the Octagon is over. However, my legacy at @WrestleMania this Sunday will NOT be my last." @BrockLesnar pic.twitter.com/T0ai5nezGi

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) March 24, 2015

Lesnar sent the rumour mill into overdrive by attending the Ronda Rousey-headlined UFC 184 in Los Angeles last month.

He admitted he had thought long and hard about returning to compete for the UFC heavyweight championship, which he won in 2008 before his mixed martial arts career was stalled by a battle with diverticulitis.

“Due to my illness, my career got cut short ... (but) the fighter inside of me didn’t want it to end that way. I didn’t want it to be like that. I didn’t want to leave the UFC on a losing streak. That’s just the competitive guy inside of me,” Lesnar said.

“For the last two and a half months I’ve been training to get back into the Octagon and felt physically great but something lacked mentally — and that’s not good.”

Lesnar lost his final two fights in the UFC to Cain Velasquez and Alistair Overeem (pictured above).

Lesnar spoke to UFC bosses Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta, WWE owner Vince McMahon, his wife, Rena, and close friends before making his decision.

“The older you get, the wiser you become and I didn’t want to be that guy that retired and came back. There was a lot of different things that went through my mind,” Lesnar said.

“This just wasn’t an overnight decision. This was a long, heartfelt decision where you weigh up the pros, you weigh up the cons and at the end of the day, last night, old Vince McMahon put the offer on the table that I couldn’t refuse.

“When it comes down to business and money and health and wellbeing I’ve been on both sides of the spectrum. I’ve been in a bad position with my health. I’ve been in a bad position with my money. Now I’m in a great position with both — and I’m happy. I love what I’m doing. I work a limited schedule. I work part-time with full-time pay, which everybody wants, but you can’t have, just me. So I’m happy. I love being in the squared circle, I always have.”

BREAKING: @BrockLesnar has re-signed with @WWE and is "closing the door on a UFC career" pic.twitter.com/n6xYDpSgwN

— XFINITY Sports (@XFINITYSports) March 24, 2015

Lesnar returned to the WWE in 2012 after an eight-year hiatus and will defend the world heavyweight championship belt at WrestleMania 31 in California on Monday against Roman Reigns.

Lesnar said he wanted to make his intentions known before the flagship event on the professional wrestling calendar.

“I wanted to be fair to the fans ... to know that on Sunday at WrestleMania, I’m going home with that damn belt,” he said.

BUSINESS JUST PICKED UP!!! @BrockLesnar IS STAYING WITH @WWE !!!

— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) March 24, 2015

.@BrockLesnar is a global attraction. Happy to have him re-sign a multi-year contract with @WWE. @espn @MichelleDBeadle

— Triple H (@TripleH) March 24, 2015