A new report indicates that Oba Femi is currently viewed internally as the leading candidate to challenge Brock Lesnar at WWE WrestleMania 42.
According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider Elite, WWE sources believe that Femi is the most likely opponent for Lesnar at the upcoming event. Johnson also noted that despite fan speculation about a possible clash between Lesnar and Gunther, none of the sources he has spoken with expect that match to take place at WrestleMania.
The groundwork for a Lesnar–Femi showdown was teased earlier this year during the WWE Royal Rumble 2026. During the Men’s Royal Rumble match, the two powerhouses had an intense face-off that quickly caught the crowd’s attention. Lesnar eventually eliminated Femi from the match, but the interaction sparked plenty of discussion among fans as the “Road to WrestleMania” began.
The possibility of the match gained further traction during the February 23 episode of WWE Raw, when Paul Heyman issued an open challenge on Lesnar’s behalf for WrestleMania in Las Vegas. Since then, Femi has emerged as a strong candidate to answer that challenge.
However, recent backstage reports suggest the situation may not be entirely straightforward. According to Ibou of the Self Made Sessions podcast, Lesnar has reportedly made it clear that he does not intend to lose additional matches before his eventual retirement, which has been rumored for WWE SummerSlam 2026 in his home state of Minnesota.
This stance could create complications for WWE Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque if the company plans to use Lesnar to elevate emerging stars.
“That puts WWE in a tough spot because Triple H would like to book GUNTHER vs. Brock and Oba vs. Brock at some point,” the report noted. “But if those matches happen, Brock would likely lose in both. So it creates a real dilemma.”
Due to those factors, other potential opponents have reportedly been discussed, including LA Knight, who could theoretically take a loss to Lesnar without significantly impacting long-term booking plans.
Since being called up from WWE NXT, Femi has been appearing regularly on WWE television, primarily in shorter matches designed to showcase his power and presence. Most recently, he picked up a victory over Rusev on Monday’s episode of Raw, continuing to build momentum heading toward WrestleMania season.
