Heavyweight Lesnar Signs with UFC

Best known as a pro wrestling star for the WWE, Brock Lesnar (Pictures) stormed his way into mixed martial arts in June, making his professional debut on K-1's "Dynamite!! USA" card at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

On the strength of his 69-second trouncing of Min Soo Kim (Pictures), the physically gifted heavyweight, who in 2000 was an NCAA champion wrestler for the University of Minnesota, has entered the UFC.

"If you want to go with the NFL of the fighting game, it's the UFC, and it was an easy choice for me," said Lesnar in a prepared statement. "Obviously I don't think I'm ready for a title shot right away, but I will be there, and I'm not gonna turn down any opponent because I'm here to prove myself. I'm not here to pick and choose my fights. I'll fight whomever they want. I don't make the fights; that's not my job. I've got one job to do and that's to fight."

Lesnar makes his home out of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., and works with Sean Sherk (Pictures)'s trainer Greg Nelson.

"For me, my amateur roots and everything, I've always loved this sport," said Lesnar during Saturday's UFC 77 broadcast from Cincinnati, Ohio, where he watched from cage-side. "I've always wanted to participate in it, and I thank God that I'm able to do this."

No date or opponent was announced for the 30-year-old Lesnar's UFC debut.

"I don't think there are any other pro wrestlers that can make the transition to MMA, except for Brock Lesnar (Pictures)," UFC president Dana White was quoted as saying in a prepared statement. "And if you look at his amateur wrestling credentials, his size, and what he's done, this guy can end up being a force in the heavyweight division of the UFC."