Brock Lesnar didn't let a four-and-a-half year layoff bother him as he ground Mark Hunt down to claim a dominant unanimous decision victory in the co-main event of UFC 200 today.
Lesnar (6-3), a former UFC heavyweight champion who has flirted with the NFL but has made his name in the WWE, came out of retirement for the bout with Hunt.
The giant cross-code athlete, known for his hulking physique and freakish power, lent on his wrestling-heavy approach for which Hunt had few answers.
Lesnar claimed round one with some dominant wrestling and ground strikes and although Hunt kept the bout standing in the second, as he landed a couple of strong shots, he couldn't drop the beast.
The third frame was Lesnar at his best as he wore Hunt (12-11-1) down and threw a bunch of vicious strikes as he earned a 10-8 score from all three judges who scored the bout 29-27 to Lesnar.
Questions then flowed to Lesnar about what he would do in the future but he had no firm plans, other than to return to his WWE commitments.
"Let's get one thing clear: Brock Lesnar does what Brock Lesnar wants to do," he said in his own post-fight press conference, sporting a welt under his left eye.
"It's way too soon to discuss my fighting future. I have no idea."
Lesnar, who turns 39 on Tuesday, was the headline act of UFC 100 in 2009 and could fight again in the octagon given his competitive nature.
"There were a lot of nerves but you've got to keep an open mind," Lesnar said. "This is a mental game."
As for Hunt, it was a blow to his momentum following two first-round knockout wins over Bigfoot Silva (19-9-1) and Frank Mir (18-11).
"I couldn't get out of first gear and that was it," Hunt said.
The 42-year-old recently signed a new six-fight deal with the UFC and he has been vocal about his desire to earn a title shot.
But the way Lesnar was able to bully him with his wrestling won't have won him many plaudits from the matchmakers.
Hunt's popularity Down Under and in Japan will mean he is always a drawcard to headline an event but a title fight may prove hard to come by.
