When they announced that one of my favorite wrestlers signed with the UFC I was very skeptical. The last thing I wanted was to see my favorite WWE performer face down on the canvas. It was like watching my friend Rich Franklin fight Cung Le or Anderson Silva. I was sick to my stomach, disappointed, and of course I felt very down about what it did to his career. CM Punk may not go that route and I would like to publicly apologize for doubting him after seeing how hard he works.
Punk is a true athlete and he looks the part at all times. His work ethic, drive, and eternal quest to be the #1 guy is now, and will carry him through to a winning record. I think even Phil Brooks aka CM Punk will tell you he is under no illusions he will be UFC champion, but I can tell you he is determined to prove his detractors wrong. I was one of them and it was a mistake.
Brooks is training with guys who have his best interests in mind and it shows. His sparring sessions have reportedly been outstanding and he has even convinced great fighters that he can be great himself. A hard sell since he just rolled in from WWE without any hesitation despite having no prior experience in cage fighting. That confidence alone should scare the hell out of his opponents.
CM Punk has a high threshold for pain reportedly and his work in WWE may well be proof of that. Rumors of concussions, botched moves he has been on the receiving end of that would have killed a guy like me, but he pushed through. I think if he loses it will be by decision or submission. I definitely do not think he will be lying flat on his back admiring the lights. It’s MMA and anything is possible in the UFC with the skill sets of some of their fighters. Punk will be fine.
In closing, I doubted Phil Brooks and I admit when I was wrong. Even if he should lose he will at least have proven along the way that he is the athlete Dana said he was. Just because he does not have Lesnar’s pedigree outside of pro wrestling does not mean he doesn’t have the skills to pay the bills.
And hey…he’s married to AJ Lee. Instant win. Phil Brooks you win, sir. You win. Even though you blocked me on Twitter because I doubted you..you win.