Long layoff nothing new to Lesnar

The former heavyweight champion has already been through a similar stretch of inactivity in his career.

Lesnar went almost a full year between fights when he was first stricken with diverticulitis, before returning to get a submission victory over Shane Carwin in July 2010.

His most recent battle with the intestinal ailment kept Lesnar out of action since he lost the heavyweight title to Cain Velasquez in October 2010.

Lesnar will return Friday night to face former Strikeforce and Dream heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem in the main event of UFC 141 at the MGM Grand.

“I’ve had plenty of time to train and, being healthy once again, I’m motivated. I’ve been able to just work on a lot of different things,” Lesnar said. “This is a sport that you have to evolve in, and you have to get better if you are going to stay on top in this organization.”

Lesnar showed a new wrinkle in his game in his first return from illness, surviving a first-round beatdown by Carwin and rebounding to win via an arm triangle choke.

The submission maneuver demonstrated what Lesnar learned in his time away.

This time, he says his improvement has come in more general terms.

“(I) put lots of hours in the octagon in training. Lots of sparring and lots of grappling and lots of jiu-jitsu sessions,” he said. “I am excited for it, and I can’t wait to get back into the octagon.”

He said the most valuable lessons he carried over from his first layoff were mental.

Lesnar said he learned to adapt and stay focused on what was important through the process of recovering from surgery and working his way back to action.

The pay-per-view broadcast will begin at 7 p.m. Friday, as the UFC returns to the later time slot after a brief experiment with a 6 p.m. start time.

■ LESNAR’S PLEA — Lesnar’s legal troubles in Canada appear to be behind him after his lawyer appeared on his behalf and pleaded guilty to hunting infractions in Alberta, according to the Canadian Press.

In exchange for the plea to an improper tagging violation, charges of illegal possession of wildlife and leaving meat to rot were dropped.

Lesnar was fined $1,725 and suspended from hunting for six months.

■ OVEREEM GOOD TO GO — Overeem was granted a conditional license to fight by the Nevada Athletic Commission on Dec. 12 after explaining why he took several days to respond to a request for a pre-fight drug test in late November.

He had to submit a urine sample in the United Kingdom, which came back clean. He was also supposed to submit to another test when he arrived in Las Vegas for the fight, plus another on fight night, and two more at random times over the next six months.

It was thought the results of the test he was to take upon arriving in town would be back before the fight, but that no longer appears to be the case.

Overeem arrived Monday and submitted a sample soon after he landed. It is doubtful those results will be back by Friday.

NAC executive director Keith Kizer originally believed Overeem would get to Las Vegas late last week, but said there is no issue with the timing of the test.

“We have more on him than we have on most athletes,” Kizer said. “Most guys wouldn’t have had any tests. It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s certainly better than where we would have been a year ago or two years ago or any time before that.”

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.