Off ‘deathbed,’ Lesnar gives serenity a try

The closer Brock Lesnar gets to his return to action, the more he's showing flashes of his cranky old self.

He ripped down a promotional poster bearing the image of his opponent, took an unnecessary cheap shot at a former nemesis and snapped at media posing questions he didn't like.

There is one key difference, however. For much of the week, Lesnar has donned what could pass as a smile if one didn't know better.

He certainly has reason to be happy.

Lesnar spent two weeks in a hospital bed in November after being stricken with diverticulitis, an intestinal illness. Months after winning the undisputed heavyweight title with a dominant victory over Frank Mir, Lesnar was being fed intravenously and wondering if he would ever again have the chance to compete in the octagon.

"To wake up every day on all them drugs and not be able to put any food in your mouth, yeah, you definitely take a different approach on life," he said. "You realize there's nothing more important in life than your family, and you really find out who your friends are when you're laying on what felt like (my) deathbed.

"I wasn't sure if I really wanted to fight again. Everything was in the air because I'd lost (42 pounds)."

Lesnar, a 32-year-old former professional wrestler, eventually recovered and will finally take on interim champion Shane Carwin in the main event of UFC 116 on Saturday at the MGM Grand.

The bout was postponed twice due to Lesnar's illness.

"It just feels good to be here. It feels like an eternity. I've been through a lot this year. I just feel fortunate and excited for Saturday night," said Lesnar, who has won three straight fights after losing his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut. "From Nov. 6 being in the hospital to being here and healthy and ready to defend the title, it's pretty remarkable."

Not everyone is fully convinced of Lesnar's new introspective attitude.

"He's jovial. I can see he's different," UFC president Dana White said with a smile. "He's Brock, dude, trust me. Not much is going to change. All the fighters, no matter who you are, it's mandatory if I need you to go to Best Buy out in somewhere (for an appearance) or I need you to travel. I don't send him anywhere. I keep him with as little human interaction as possible. That's a fact."

Whether the new perspective on life is a lasting one, Lesnar insists he will be a better fighter after the time away.

"I think the setback actually has been a good thing because it allowed me to sit back and really focus on my diet and the way I trained. I brought some different things to the table," he said. "When I pulled the pin on this fight last October, I really regrouped and kind of rejuvenated myself. It's been very refreshing, and I've really come leaps and bounds. It's been a great thing. I'm excited to fight."

Lesnar said he replaced the mass he lost the right way and has been eating better than he has in his life.

Ordinarily, he has to cut from 10 to 12 pounds of water weight on the day of weigh-ins. Lesnar said he was down to the heavyweight limit of 265 pounds Thursday, the eve of the weigh-in.

He says he now has a specific goal in mind as he prepares to resume his career.

"When I got the green light (to return to competition) on Jan. 5, I had to sit back and analyze my whole life and my pursuit of greatness in this sport," he said. "You have to evolve. I didn't just take a backseat. I approached this as a new chapter in my life. I want to go down as the greatest heavyweight in the world."

That's precisely where Lesnar could be with a win over Carwin, who is 12-0 with 12 first-round stoppages.

Lesnar said if his illness couldn't derail him, Carwin has little chance.

"I could have just said, 'This is going to be too hard.' I'm not that guy. I could have just hung it up, stayed at home and been a family man," he said. "It's not how I want my career to end. If this thing's going to stop, I want it to be on my terms. I just don't see Shane Carwin as being a guy that's going to stop this freight train."

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