Lesnar granted exemption from 4-month testing notice for returning fighters

Returning to MMA after years away from the sport presents plenty of challenges to Brock Lesnar, but one major hurdle has already been cleared.

Fighters coming out of retirement normally have to provide four-months notice to the UFC to allow for random drug testing from the United States Anti-Doping Agency in the lead-up to a comeback fight, but Lesnar has been granted an exemption for a bout with Mark Hunt at UFC 200 on July 9.

On Saturday, the UFC officially announced that the former heavyweight champion would fight again after a four-and-half-year layoff.

The UFC Anti-Doping policy includes a clause allowing fighters to be granted an exemption "in exceptional circumstances or where the strict application of that rule would be manifestly unfair to an athlete."

In a statement released to Yahoo Sports, the UFC provided further clarification on the matter, explaining that Lesnar's status as a current WWE performer required him to get their permission first, which rendered him "unable to officially start the Anti-Doping Process any earlier."

Lesnar is now in the testing pool as of Monday.