Why did Brock Lesnar leave WWE in 2020?

Brock Lesnar hasn't been seen on WWE television since WrestleMania 36 in 2020. In his last match for the company, he lost to Drew McIntyre in the main event of WrestleMania 36 in the Performance Center behind closed doors.

Since then, he hasn't made his return, and his on-screen advocate Paul Heyman has aligned with Roman Reigns on SmackDown. PWInsider reported in late August 2020 that Brock Lesnar's WWE contract had expired, with neither party making an effort to renew it.

"Former WWE and UFC Champion Brock Lesnar is currently a free agent as his most recent deal with World Wrestling Entertainment has expired without the two sides locking in a new contract."

Rather than Brock Lesnar outright leaving WWE, his contract simply expired. The company didn't make an effort to start the dialogue. It was reportedly because WWE didn't want Lesnar, a larger-than-life megastar, wrestling in the Performance Center in front of no audience.

It marked the end of an eight-year run for Brock Lesnar in WWE. He made his return to the company in 2012 on the RAW after WrestleMania 28. Under his WWE contract, Brock Lesnar competed at WrestleMania every year.

Brock Lesnar has wrestled every member of the Shield at #WrestleMania... Which of these was the best match? pic.twitter.com/UQnnxiXWcv

— ChanMan (@ChandranTheMan) January 31, 2021

Is Brock Lesnar expected to return to WWE?

The big question has always been about when Brock Lesnar will return to WWE. A few years ago, there would have been a lot of speculation about Lesnar returning to UFC.

From the look of things, that chapter of his life is over. Brock Lesnar's negotiations with UFC resulted in Vince McMahon offering a lucrative contract. Brock Lesnar is expected to return to WWE at some point in 2021.

Normally, Brock Lesnar only wrestles in select pay-per-views such as the Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, and SummerSlam. In recent years, he has appeared in WWE's Saudi Arabia shows as well.

6️⃣ years ago today, a car door found its way into the WWE Universe, courtesy of @BrockLesnar. 😱😮 pic.twitter.com/qPXrsFgdnN

— WWE Network (@WWENetwork) July 6, 2021

Andrew Zarain of the Mat Men podcast revealed that the only hurdle for Brock Lesnar's return to WWE is a storyline in place for him and not a contractual issue.

Despite WWE making massive cuts last year, the company usually doesn't compromise when it comes to offering Brock Lesnar a satisfactory contract.

Zarain revealed that Lesnar's WWE return is inevitable, as have several other reports from different outlets.