Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight kingpin Brock Lesnar is "proud" to be back with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), a company he left in 2004 to try his hand in the National Football League (NFL).

The Minnesota Vikings were not impressed.

Good thing, too, or Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) may have never gotten the opportunity to have Lesnar bring so many mainstream eyeballs to the sport of cagefighting, which continued to enjoy its upward trajectory with "The Brockness Monster" riding shotgun.

Unfortunately the brightest stars burn out the quickest -- and Lesnar was no exception.

But his success, as well as the success ZUFFA enjoyed during his employ, has been a springboard for his return to professional wrestling, where he's embraced his role of former UFC Heavyweight Champion as part of an angle that brings "legitimacy" back to the WWE.

Here's what Lesnar said on Monday Night RAW.

"Proud? I'm proud of everything I do. Let me tell you a little story. Eight years ago I left this company. I was a WWE Champion. Took this company to heights it had never seen before. Left the company, went to the UFC and became UFC Heavyweight Champion of the world. Their success was on my blood, sweat and tears. Proud? Damn right I'm proud."

It's interesting to note that last night's theme was how the powers that be wanted to "bring legitimacy back to the WWE," a message heavily pushed on the April 9 edition of its flagship show, by bringing a former UFC champion back into the fold.

While everything in pro wrestling is scripted (duh), I still find it interesting that WWE head cheese Vince McMahon would embrace an angle that at its core, says WWE is illegitimate compared to UFC. Unless the plan is to have Lesnar get his ass kicked from here to Topeka.

Take that, UFC!

Anything is possible inside the squared circle, but for now, Lesnar is walking around bragging about how the UFC rode him like a camel into the land of mainstream success, which ironically, came thanks to his success as a WWE Champion.

Who says you can't go home again?

More on Lesnar's pro wrestling return here and here.