Last year, if a Bobby Lashley fan were to ask UFC President Dana White about the former ECW Champion’s prospects of fighting in the Octagon, he would not have liked the answer. Even as Brock Lesnar proved that one’s past as a professional wrestler does not limit his ability to dominate in the Octagon, White never seemed especially high on Lashley.
That stance has changed. Now 4-0 and coming off a quick submission victory over veteran fighter Bob Sapp, Lashley finds himself under Dana White’s looking glass.
“People have been asking me about him,” said White to CBS Sports. “Yes, we’re watching him.”
Though Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley, a fight between two former pro wrestling champions with freakish physiques, is a natural sell, Lashley is presumably quite a few bouts away from a possible UFC deal, let alone a shot at the UFC Championship. Lashley has been taking a gradual approach to the sport in order to properly develop his skills, and a consequence has meant that Lashley has not yet faced an opponent who poses a serious threat.
His next fight, for instance, is scheduled for October against Ron Waterman, a mixed martial arts journeyman and former WWE developmental talent.
Nonetheless, it appears that there is a reason for Lashley to continue honing his skills–an opportunity to fight in the Octagon.