WWE veteran Brock Lesnar, 49, has announced his retirement from professional wrestling, concluding a career that spanned 26 years. The announcement came on Tuesday during an appearance on ESPN's The Pat McAfee Show, following his defeat to Oba Femi at SummerSlam in Minneapolis.
Lesnar, a 10-time WWE champion and former MMA star, stated that his loss at SummerSlam marked the definitive end of his in-ring career. "I’m here today to let the world know that I am retired and I wanted to say a big thank you to everybody," Lesnar told McAfee and co-host AJ Hawk. "Saturday was a very emotional day for me."
He indicated that despite feeling he still had something left to give, Saturday's match was his final appearance. "I still had some fuel in the tank, but Saturday for Brock Lesnar, that's it. That's it for me in the squared circle and for everything else too," Lesnar added.
Lesnar's wrestling journey began in 2002 after a successful college career. He quickly rose through the ranks of WWE, becoming one of the organization's biggest stars. His initial tenure ended in 2004, with Lesnar citing burnout, injuries, and creative dissatisfaction as reasons for his departure.
He returned to WWE in 2012, accumulating several championship titles. After a seemingly definitive retirement at WrestleMania 36, Lesnar returned to the ring again in 2021.
In 2023, Lesnar was named in a sex trafficking lawsuit filed by former WWE employee Janel Grant against WWE co-founder Vince McMahon. This led to his removal from the WWE roster and event plans, resulting in a two-year absence from the organization. He returned at SummerSlam in August 2025, with the Grant lawsuit reportedly still active at the time. His appearance at SummerSlam was followed by a handful of matches before his official retirement.
Beyond wrestling, Lesnar pursued a career in professional football. He participated in the NFL Scouting Combine but a motorcycle accident that resulted in a broken jaw and hand temporarily halted his progress. Despite the injuries, the Minnesota Vikings signed him as a defensive tackle in July 2004, though his time with the team was brief.
Following his NFL aspirations, Lesnar transitioned to mixed martial arts. He began fighting for K-1 in April 2006, winning his debut bout. He later signed with the UFC in 2008, where he achieved significant success. Despite an initial loss, UFC President Dana White supported Lesnar, who went on to become the UFC heavyweight champion in November 2008 after defeating Randy Couture. Lesnar had eight fights in the UFC, winning four, losing three, and one ruled a no-contest due to a failed drug test.
"So I just wanted to give a shout-out to everybody in this universe that has followed me since I was a little kid, all the way till Saturday," Lesnar said in his retirement announcement. 
