Former UFC Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar thought long and hard about where to take his professional life next, ultimately he decided to stay put. Lesnar announced Tuesday on SportsCenter that he signed a deal to stay in the WWE, a move that officially closed the door for any hopes of a return to MMA.

"It was just hard. It was hard for me and it is hard to talk about it, but the fighter inside of me wants to compete," Lesnar said in an interview with Michelle Beadle, "The father, the husband"¦you know, I'm an older caveman now. I make wiser caveman decisions. So I'm here to say my legacy in the octagon is over. However, my legacy this Sunday at WrestleMania will not be my last."

"That's why I wanted to come here. I wanted people to hear me. It was a hard decision to make. It took me a year. I've thought about this for a year. At the end of the day, it's all about me wanting to have fun," he added.

On Sunday's WrestleMania 31 in Santa Clara, California, Lesnar is scheduled to face Roman Reigns in the organization's biggest annual pay-per-view event. His previous WWE contract was going to end on March 30, and as noted by Kevin Iole, UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta and UFC president Dana White made no secret they had planned to speak with Lesnar had he become contractually free.

"I am very happy for him," White told Yahoo Sports, "He has been a standup guy from the day I met him, and I think he made the right decision."

Before trying at his hand in MMA back in 2007, Lesnar had expressed his displeasure with the hectic traveling schedule required by professional wrestling, when he came back to the WWE, he was offered a contract that allowed him to work on a limited schedule.

"This wasn't an overnight decision. This was a long and heartfelt decision. You weigh out the pros. You weigh out the cons. At the end of the day, last night, old Vince McMahon put the offer on the table that I couldn't refuse. That's really what it comes down to: Business and money and health and well being," Lesnar said.