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Brock Lesnar is known as a legend as he became the only person to win championships in the WWE, UFC, and the NCAA. The wrestler and MMA fighter has risen in the athletic world since his debut in the WWE in 2002. The fighter achieved early and moved on to the UFC, where he became one of the best-selling athletes in history.
Lesnar has benefited monetarily from both the WWE and the UFC. While he is still a ‘free agent’ in the WWE and has retired from the UFC, his starting salary records for his WWE annual contract seem to be much lesser than what he earned for his debut match in the UFC. With such a start to his wrestling career at WWE, did he lose out on a golden payday by walking away from the UFC?
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How Much Did Brock Lesnar Earn From WWE?
Professional wrestler and MMA fighter Brock Lesnar started training for the WWE (then WWF) in 2000. He was trained under Paul Heyman in the Ohio Valley Wrestling unit, the developmental territory for WWE wrestlers. Lesnar reportedly earned the reputation of being a prodigy with his NCAA training.
Gerald Brisco, who worked with WWE’s Talent Relations department, reportedly knew immediately that Brock Lesnar was the ‘Next Big Thing’ in the sport. Brisco mentioned toWWEthat after training and being one of the best in the class at the time, which also had John Cena and Randy Orton in the same class, Lesnar wanted to either go to the main roster or leave the promotion once and for all.
Also read:Vince McMahon Allegedly Used Janel Grant to Bring Brock Lesnar Back into WWE
Lesnar made his debut in 2002 and according toThe Things, signed an annual contract of $25,000. Lesnar became the youngest Undisputed Champion in the history of WWE at the age of 25, after which he reportedly renewed his contract for $1 million annual pay. He left the WWE in 2004 to pursue a career in football, but he had to retire after receiving an injury. He then began a career as an MMA fighter in the UFC.
In 2012, Brock Lesnar returned to WWE and has been appearing in the ring since then. His salary has reportedly increased to $12 million a year, according toSporting News. Lesnar reportedly earned $500,000 per headliner appearance.
Also read:“He’s so big, he did steroids”: Joe Rogan Feels Bad For “The Biggest Genetic Freak” in Sport, Brock Lesnar For Not Getting Enough Credit After Everything
Was Brock Lesnar Better Off At The UFC?
Brock Lesnar joined the UFC as an MMA fighter in 2008 when he faced off against Frank Mir. Lesnar lost his debut match but soon went on to become the UFC Heavyweight Champion after defeating Randy Couture. The fighter then continued to be on the Octagon till 2010, when he had his first retirement. He then returned in 2016 and fought till 2018 until he retired again.
According toThe Sports Daily, Brock Lesnar earned $250,000 for his first match in the UFC, which was as much as his first yearly contract at the WWE. The Beast Incarnate had an extended contract with a $1 million annual payout after he won his WWE Undisputed Championship, but he soon left the promotion for better prospects.
By the time Lesnar became a champion at the UFC, his pay scale exponentially increased with his last UFC match in 2016 earning him $2.5 million. Throughout his UFC career, the figure has reportedly earned around $5 million in total. However, the Beast now earns $12 million a year at the WWE, which he seems to be sticking to.
While his first match at the UFC was much greater compared to his annual payout with the WWE when he started his career, his earnings with the latter have increased after his return. Despite a great run at the UFC, wrestling still seems to be much more lucrative for the Beast and has resulted in him earning a better payday.
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2416
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
