Despite speculation that Brock Lesnar could be on the cusp of a WWE return, UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier has claimed that WWE parent company TKO has put The Beast on a "banned list."
Talking to Demetrious Johnson, Cormier was asked if he'd ever consider stepping into a WWE ring with Lesnar. However, he immediately shot down the idea of it happening anytime soon.
"I mean, Brock is on the banned list right now. Dude, Brock got into so much trouble," Cormier stated. "You know what Brock did. I ain’t telling you on air what Brock did. We’ll get in so much trouble."
He's referring to the fact that when the lawsuit regarding Vince McMahon's alleged sexual abuse and trafficking first made headlines, the multi-time WWE Champion's name was dragged into the whole sorry affair.
In a damning exposé, McMahon was said to have offered WWE employee Janel Grant—the woman he's accused of abusing—to Lesnar as a bonus, of sorts, for signing a new deal. Texts showed that Lesnar responded positively to his boss's suggestion, though we've seen nothing to indicate they ever met (the former UFC star may have also believed he and McMahon were simply sharing a joke).
Either way, as the lawsuit rolls on, it does seem highly doubtful that WWE would want to bring Lesnar back into the fold and risk the inevitable negative mainstream media coverage that would follow.
Elsewhere in the interview, Cormier reflected on his in-cage confrontation with Lesnar at UFC 226 in July 2018, a memorable moment teasing a fight that ultimately never came to fruition.
"So Brock actually came and WWE paid him more to stay," Cormier revealed. "We danced the dance for a while. It could have been Brock and I when I fought Derrick Lewis in New York. But yeah, they paid him so much to stay."
"He was such a big star there that he could make money to go do that and do nothing but suplexes," the fighter continued. "Or go fight me in an octagon and I’m gonna try to kill him. So it was like, yeah, he made the best choice."
Asked last summer whether the former WWE Champion is likely to return, Triple H responded, "Brock kind of does his own thing. He’s up in Canada, I’m sure, watching his kids play hockey and enjoying life. If and when he decides he would like to do something, we’d be open to the conversation. We’ll see."
That echoed comments made by The Game after WrestleMania XL when he reiterated that Lesnar was not "gone" from WWE before adding, "His status is the same as it has been before. He’s just home being Brock."
You can watch the full interview with Cormier in the player below.