Brock Lesnar returning for UFC 200

Brock Lesnar is returning for UFC 200.

Lesnar, 38, is a main draw for WWE and remains under contract with the professional wrestling organization. He said returning to mixed martial arts was a difficult decision, but it's not a step away from WWE. He is still scheduled to appear at the Aug 21 pay-per-view event "Summerslam."

"I'm a crossover athlete. I'm the modern-day Bo Jackson, people," Lesnar said on SportsCenter Monday.

Lesnar said he was granted a one-off opportunity exception to accept the fight at UFC 200, which is setting up as a grand celebration. But Lesnar's opponent for the July 9 card, Mark Hunt, is 12-10-1 and had a knockout victory in the first round against Frank Mir in his last fight. Hunt is known as one of UFC's biggest hitters. Lesnar was once one of UFC's most popular draws.

"I've never turned down a fight in the UFC," Lesnar said. "Even when I was champ, I never turned down a fight. When I was fighting to be a champ, I never turned down a fight. If (UFC president) Dana White called me and said, 'You have opponent X, Y or Z, which do you want?' -- he never gave me those options.

"I'm a grappler at heart. [Hunt] is a heavy hitter. I think that's what the people want to see. The UFC ultimately culminated because we're going to put guys with opposing disciplines against each other. I think I match up very well. If Mark ends up on the ground, the fight's over."