Unquestionably the UFC's biggest box-office draw during his time in the sport, champion Brock Lesnar ushered in a new era in the heavyweight category, becoming arguably the first man in the division's history to combine sheer brawn with incredible athleticism.

Competing at the 265lb mark, Lesnar walked around at over 300lbs yet he moved with the speed of a welterweight. The former WWE star had hands so big that he wore specially-made 4XL MMA mitts and, as if all that wasn't enough, he was a 2000 NCAA Division I National Champion.

Making the leap from the showbiz world of WWE into the no-easy-way-out league of MMA, Lesnar faced plenty of question marks over his ground skills, as well as his dedication to a sport that has previously faced its own fair share of battles for credibility. Those doubts seemed very real too when, after beating Min-Soo Kim in his professional MMA debut, Lesnar then dropped a naive submission loss to Frank Mir.

Defeat on UFC debut to Mir meant Lesnar was in sink-or-swim territory, but he responded magnificently, delivering the beating of a lifetime to Heath Herring before knocking out the legendary Randy Couture to claim the UFC heavyweight belt. In just four MMA fights, Lesnar had become champion.

He still had the Mir loss to avenge though, something he did in devastating style at UFC 100, forcing a second round stoppage to confirm his status as the undisputed heavyweight champion.

Lesnar's biggest battle was still to come as he then suffered an intestinal disorder that destroyed his immune system, forcing the UFC to admit its heavyweight figurehead may never set foot inside the Octagon again. However, Lesnar battled through and then showed equal courage to survive a first-round onslaught against Shane Carwin at UFC 116.

That victory highlighted a significant hole in Lesnar's game though. On his feet, he was able to be beaten to the punch and his chin was not as strong as the rest of his body. Against Cain Velasquez those weaknesses were put firmly under the spotlight, with Lesnar suffering the first TKO of his career to leave him with a battle to regain the UFC gold in the future.

A follow-up loss to Alistair Overeem, during which Lesnar looked tentative, proved to be the end as Brock immediately announced his retirement from MMA.

Career high
Beating Randy Couture to claim the UFC heavyweight title in only his fourth MMA fight. Lesnar caught Couture with a big right hand and then forced the referee to step in with a series of hammer fists to his grounded opponent.

Career low
Suffering from a devastating virus and intestinal disorder that required instant surgery. Lesnar's condition became so bad that his intestine had become perforated, putting serious question marks over his career.

Quote
"I bet you I've taken over 60 steroid tests. In college I had 15 random drug tests in two years. I've taken drug tests for the NFL, the WWE, the UFC. I must be pretty good at masking steroids. God gave me this body: Are you jealous of it or what? Give me a break. I got the genetics of - not to get into racism or anything-- but I'm built like a black man...It's all genetics. I wouldn't say we're all created equal. That's just to make the other guys feel good who don't have what you've got."

Trivia
Brock Lesnar attempted to carve out an NFL career for himself with the Minnesota Vikings but ended up being cut.