The Undertaker once showed up at a UFC event and witnessed Brock Lesnar suffer a one-sided stoppage defeat inside the octagon. The two WWE icons also had a brief interaction in the aftermath of Lesnar’s loss.
The Undertaker’s Appearance at UFC 121, Run-In With Brock Lesnar After His Knockout Defeat
Lesnar — an NCAA Division I heavyweight champion, WWE megastar, and American Football veteran — made his MMA debut in 2007 and his UFC debut in 2008. After losing to mixed martial arts great Frank Mir, he swiftly cemented himself as one of the top UFC heavyweights.
Lesnar captured the UFC heavyweight title and also avenged his loss to Mir by knocking the BJJ savant out in their rematch. Nevertheless, Lesnar’s health was adversely affected by his battle with diverticulitis.
“The Beast Incarnate” lost his UFC heavyweight belt via first-round TKO against Cain Velasquez. Their match headlined UFC 121 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on Oct. 23, 2010. Incidentally, multi-time WWE Champion and pro wrestling legend, The Undertaker (real name: Mark Calaway), was in attendance for the Lesnar vs. Velasquez matchup.
Later, The Undertaker was being interviewed by MMA journalist Helwani, and Lesnar happened to be making his way backstage. The Undertaker appeared to pause the interview midway and asked Lesnar, “You wanna do it?”
When questioned about the brief conversation, he affirmed that it was something “personal.”
In the following years, pro wrestling and MMA fans speculated about whether the brief interaction was indicative of a potential real-life feud between the two WWE legends. Lesnar departed the UFC after losing his next fight, getting knocked out by Alistair Overeem in December 2011, and returned to the WWE in 2012. He even ended The Undertaker’s legendary WrestleMania win streak in WWE.
Speaking to Helwani in 2020, The Undertaker shed light on the time he crashed UFC 121 and confronted Lesnar. “The Dead Man” suggested that he had no personal animosity with the ex-UFC heavyweight kingpin but was sent to encourage the latter to return to the WWE.
Referencing then-UFC president (now-UFC CEO and president) Dana White and then-WWE chairman Vince McMahon, The Undertaker said, “I was there to pick a fight. Yeah, I was there. I was sent there personally to pick a fight. And I was unaware that Dana [White] had no clue what was gonna happen, which I felt horrible about. You know, after the fact, I thought there had been some kind of discussion between him and Vince [McMahon].
“At that time, Brock [Lesnar] was so hot in the MMA world. So obviously, it’s like, ‘You know what? Why not try?'”
The WWE great appeared to jestingly suggest that the media storm precipitated by that interview was Helwani’s fault. He asserted, “There was no personal animosity, really. But it was basically me saying, ‘Alright. You left our world. I’m gonna come into your world, and I’m gonna call you out.’ That was it.”
Furthermore, The Undertaker clarified that he wasn’t there to challenge Lesnar to an MMA fight but to a pro wrestling match.