Brock Lesnar Says Playing a Heel in UFC Helped Him Dodge Media Duties During MMA Rise

TLDR

Brock Lesnar revealed on the Spittin' Chiclets podcast that he intentionally played a heel character in UFC to avoid extensive media duties, drawing from his WWE experience to control his public image. Lesnar explained that he transitioned to MMA after leaving WWE in 2004 and failing to make the Minnesota Vikings roster, ultimately capturing the UFC Heavyweight Championship in just his third professional fight against Randy Couture. He admitted that the aggressive persona fans saw was not reflective of his private personality, stating "People see the entertainment Brock Lesnar and they think that's who I am. But it's not who I am."