Brock Lesnar welcomes his promotion to main-event status at UFC 200

“Merry Christmas to Brock Lesnar,” Brock Lesnar said Thursday, reacting to news that Jon Jones’ positive drug test has elevated Lesnar’s comeback heavyweight fight against veteran Mark Hunt to main-event status at Saturday’s UFC 200.

“It’s a milestone for the company and it’s a milestone for me,” Lesnar said. The fighter also headlined UFC 100 in 2009, with a victory over Frank Mir.

Lesnar, a WWE performer, has been out of the octagon for more than five years. The WWE says Saturday’s event will be a one-time appearance for Lesnar before his return to that organization for the Aug. 21 SummerSlam event in New York.

Former light-heavyweight champion Jones (22-1) was dropped from a rematch with champion Daniel Cormier Wednesday night after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency reported Jones submitted a sample positive for a performance-enhancing substance that he declined to identify in a Thursday morning news conference.

“I’ve been in the business long enough — the entertainment industry, the fight game — the show still goes on,” Lesnar said at an appearance at T-Mobile Arena, where UFC 200 will take place. “I’m thankful I’m here.

“It’s an unfortunate state of events, it’s unfortunate for D.C. [Cormier].

“Guys work hard going through training camps, putting lots of time in, and [Cormier] is the guy who really gets the short end of the stick. It’s really unprofessional of anybody this caliber to let something happen like that.”

Fans attending Lesnar’s session applauded loudly at that. The USADA allows fighters to submit a list of health supplements they require for approval.

Lesnar, known for being reclusive, said he only learned of Jones’ ouster Thursday morning.

A skilled wrestler, the former UFC heavyweight champion is expected to seek a fight on the canvas against the heavy handed, No. 8-ranked Hunt.

“It doesn’t matter if I’m at the start of the show or at the end of the show, I’ll tell you one thing, I’m going to leave it all in the octagon,” Lesnar said.

“I’m a big believer that life is all about timing, that things happen for a reason. This feels right.”

He again talked around a question about what his future in the UFC will be should he win, telling a reporter, “That’s my business, not yours… I don’t know what the future holds for me.”

Lesnar said six weeks of training should ensure a capable performance, explaining that his lifelong attitude of “living in the moment” motivates him to put on an entertaining performance.

He’s declared himself completely recovered from the intestinal illness that forced him to leave the UFC.

“Mark Hunt’s excited, I’m excited. We’re not going to hold anything back,” Lesnar said. “We’ll see who’ll be the last man standing.

“I grew up with a wrestling coach who told me, ‘You’ve got to lose before you know how to win.’ There isn’t one human being out there who’s gone undefeated.

“Some days, I like to think I’m super-human. That’s the way I walk this earth.”