Intestinal issue forces Lesnar out of UFC 131

There was a time in his mixed martial arts career when Brock Lesnar looked almost invincible.

That career again has been put on hold by an intestinal issue the monstrous athlete can't shake.

The former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion has been forced to pull out of his scheduled UFC 131 main-event bout against Junior dos Santos because of a recurrence of diverticulitis, an intestinal disorder that previously forced him to miss an extended period when he battled what he called a life-threatening case in late 2009.

Shane Carwin will step in to face dos Santos on the card, slated for June 11 in Vancouver, British Columbia, with the winner probably meeting Cain Velasquez for the heavyweight belt this year.

Lesnar, the organization's biggest pay-per-view draw, said his condition is not as serious this time, but he has felt weak in training and won't be prepared to fight in less than a month.

"My health is number one, my family is number one, and it was a hard decision," Lesnar said on a conference call. "... There's nothing I can do."

Lesnar said he has felt symptoms for about three months and has tried to battle through his training camp while on antibiotics. He spent 14 hours at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota this week getting checked out and was informed he had a recurrence of the disorder.

He now must decide on a course of action for treatment.

Lesnar elected to not have surgery when he came down with the illness the first time. It is believed the dramatic procedure he would have undergone probably would have ended his fighting career.

"I have a strong faith that there is a solution to every problem," he said. "We just have to find the right solution to fix this problem."

He said despite the setback he has no intention of retiring, calling it a "speed bump." "This isn't the end of Brock Lesnar," he said.

Lesnar and dos Santos recently taped a season as opposing coaches on "The Ultimate Fighter," which is airing on SpikeTV. The fight was slated as the culmination of the season.

Carwin already was to compete at the same event against Jon Olav Einemo. This is the second UFC card to have a main event altered this week. A lightweight title bout between Las Vegan Gray Maynard and champion Frankie Edgar set for UFC 130 on May 28 was scrapped Monday after both fighters were injured in training.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509.