Last July, in the co-main event of UFC 200, former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar made a successful return to the Octagon with a unanimous decision defeat of Mark Hunt. Given that Hunt has long stood out as one of the UFC’s 10-best heavyweights, and that Lesnar had not competed in mixed martial arts almost five years, this was a pretty impressive feat.

Regrettably, it was later announced that Lesnar had failed both in-competition and out-of-competition drug tests. The former champ popped for the substance clomiphene, an estrogen blocker often used to counterbalance the testosterone boost caused by steroid use. This unfortunate twist stamped a big, ugly asterisk beside his defeat of Hunt.

Lesnar is not admitting guilt, however. Instead, he and his legal team are suggesting that his positive test could have been the result of either his eye medication or his foot cream. Both products are now being tested in a lab in hopes of exposing clomiphene as an ingredient, though the substance has not been found in either thus far.

Lesnar’s attorney Howard Jacobs explained the situation in a statement to MMAJunkie.com. That statement reads as follows:

“We are still investigating this matter (which investigation includes the ongoing testing of products used by Mr. Lesnar prior to the date of the positive test). To provide further detail, I am advised that the testing laboratory (Korva Labs) initially tested an eye medication, which was negative for either clomiphene or clomiphene metabolites. Subsequent testing has been conducted on a foot cream; that testing has included three separate extraction attempts, all of which have failed. A fourth extraction attempt is being made by Korva Labs this week.

As you may be aware, testing of such creams can be a difficult process, as the extraction process can be significantly complicated by both a complex matrix and interfering substances. Until a successful extraction can be accomplished, this product cannot be tested for contamination with clomiphene or clomiphene metabolites. For this reason, the extraction failures to date provide no indication as to whether or not this cream is contaminated with clomiphene or clomiphene metabolites.”

At the moment, Lesnar’s punishment is a mere indefinite suspension, which is really just a slap on the wrist considering he is currently under contract with WWE and has no plans to return to MMA. His win over Hunt has also not been effected by this controversy.

Do you believe foot cream could be the catalyst for Lesnar’s failed test? Sound off, PENN Nation!