How Brock Lesnar nearly died when doctors removed part of his intestines but he still became WWE and

BROCK LESNAR has dominated the world of combat sports for nearly two decades, but the WWE and UFC Heavyweight champion was close to death in 2011 due to a stomach condition.

Nine years ago, The Beast Incarnate took ill with a lingering diverticulitis infection that Lesnar thought he defeated two years before.

In 2009, right before his third heavyweight title defense in the UFC against Shane Carwin, Lesnar pulled out of the bout due to the infection, which inflames the walls of the intestines.

According to Bleacher Report, Lesnar fought in the UFC for more than a year without knowing he had the condition.

It felt like I had taken a shotgun blast to the stomach, and then someone poured in some salt and Tabasco and stirred it all up with a nasty pitchfork

Later detection could have led to more serious health risks and even death.

After failing to receive the proper treatment in Canada, Lesnar sought medical help in North Dakota and underwent emergency surgery for the diverticulitis.

Doctors discovered that the champion was also suffering from mononucleosis.

It was during the procedure that doctors found that feces were leaking out of Lesnar’s colon and into the rest of his body.

For two years, Lesnar thought the condition had gone, competing in two UFC fights in 2010 against Carwin and Cain Velasquez.

However, in May, 2011, the diverticulitis returned, resulting in yet another surgery in which Lesnar had a foot of his colon removed.

In his book Death Clutch, Lesnar spoke about the pain he dealt with at the time.

“I have a high threshold for pain, higher than most guys, and I couldn’t deal with it," he wrote.

“It felt like I had taken a shotgun blast to the stomach, and then someone poured in some salt and Tabasco and stirred it all up with a nasty pitchfork."

After his second surgery, Lesnar fought Alistair Overeem in 2011, but during the match his opponent targeted the mid-section resulting in a first round knockout victory for Overeem.

Lesnar stepped away from the octagon after that defeat, realizing his opponents would likely always target his abdomen as a weakness.

In 2012, Lesnar made the decision and chose his health over a career and he returned to the WWE.

Even though pro wrestling is still hard on the body, it’s proved a much safer sport for Lesnar.

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After a five year absence from MMA, Lesnar returned for one more match against Mark Hunt at UFC 200.

He scored a unanimous decision win over Hunt, although the victory was later overruled due to a failed test for a banned substance.

During his long fighting career, Lesnar has won the NCAA Division I heavyweight title, the WWE Championship five times, the UFC Heavyweight title once - and has amassed a net worth of $28million.

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