Phil Brooks, better known to his fans as CM Punk, announced in late 2014 that he will join the UFC from WWE. The decision shocked many. He will make his long awaited UFC debut against Mickey Gall.
Punk has no MMA, collegiate wrestling or kickboxing experience. There has been a great deal of speculation as to whether will be able to be successful in the most competitive MMA promotion in the world.
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However, he fired back. "I won't be the same guy from the show”, in reference to how amateur he looked in the initial episodes of the Evolution of Punk documentary series.
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Here we look forward to the five things we can expect from his debut.
#1 It is a huge Publicity Stunt after all
CM Punk was one of the most bankable stars in the WWE roster. And the people at the UFC utilized his popularity to their advantage. Although Punk is taking his decision to join UFC very seriously, the same cannot be said for Dana White and Co. They announced his arrival as soon as he left WWE. That generated mega press coverage.
Similarly, Georges St-Pierre is the best welterweight fighter ever. And a potential comeback has been generating more news coverage than the entire welterweight division. This shows exactly what the bosses at the UFC want.
Punk is good for business.
And he has been in the spotlight ever since. He has not been able to prepare for his MMA debut right away and that might prove costly. But it will be foolish to say that Punk won’t be successful.
However ultimately, it is the name of the fighter that sells. That’s the harsh truth.
#2 He is Compromising His Health
Let’s be honest. CM Punk is no freak of nature like Brock Lesnar, who made his transition from WWE to UFC smoothly. Punk has been riddled by injuries throughout his career. He was supposed to make his debut at UFC 199 and it has been shifted to UFC 203 mainly because of fitness issues.
UFC recently released a video of Punk training really hard. But it is a completely different story once he is in the Octagon. There is a big ‘if’ whether Punk will be able to sustain the grueling punches and blows.
And his body has taken more wear and tear than most pro fighters endure in their entire career.
#3 Brock Lesnar’s advice might help
Phil “CM Punk” Brooks stunned the world when he announced in 2014 that he will join UFC. Many of us were, and still are skeptical about how will it turn out to be. But, Punk was an aggressive fighter in WWE and he is known for his never-say-die attitude.
And he has always been a showman. And for advice, he has turned to none other than Brock Lesnar.
Punk told MMAFighting.com "[Lesnar] offered his help,he said, ‘Anything. You got a stupid question, you want to bug me, go for it.' So I do. I asked him what the hardest thing for him to do was, because obviously he's a freak athlete but something had to be difficult for him.
And I find it's the exact same thing I'm having difficulty with, and that's learning to let go.”
Punk will probably rely heavily on his abilities on the ground. And it will be interesting to see how much he has adapted to the grueling world of MMA. But Lesnar is an old warhorse who made an effortless transition from WWE to UFC and back.
So Punk might want to follow him.
#4 Punk needs to win
CM Punk will be facing Mickey Gall, a younger, faster and more experienced fighter with several years of martial arts training. If Punk fails to win the clash, then fans will lose interest in him. And Punk has signed an eight fight contract with UFC.
Most low-level fighters get cut after two straight losses in the UFC.
However, the trump card for Punk is that he has been training in a world-class gym under Duke Roufus, and that gives him a slight edge. But the question remains whether Punk will be able to adapt to UFC level competition in such a short time.
#5 Expect Mickey Gall To Be Aggressive
CM Punk has been mostly humble in the build up to the match as WWE experience doesn’t count once you are in the UFC. And during a recent press conference he taunted Gall for the amount of money the latter would pocket from the match.
It is true that Punk is the main draw for the event, but Gall is relatively unknown in the MMA world. And this fight against Punk will give him the exposure he needs. He is much younger, and has his reputation at stake.
CM Punk will be a star regardless of a loss, but the same cannot be said of Mickey Gall. Expect him to come out all guns blazing.
