UFC welterweight veteran Matt Brown doesn’t like CM Punk’s chances in the UFC.
Matt Brown is not impressed with CM Punk. On FOX Sports’ Great MMA Debate podcast, “The Immortal” sounded off on the former WWE star and questioned whether he was cut out to make the walk to the Octagon.
“What’s his name? That f**king wrestler guy. That f**king punk guy. He’s injured now. He’s puss-ing out again,” Brown said.
Brown’s reaction came after Punk — real name Phil Brooks — announced that he would be on the sidelines again after suffering a back injury. It’s been over a year since Punk signed with MMA’s premiere promotion and the 37-year-old is still yet to make his professional debut. Brooks injured his shoulder in October and will now undergo surgery for a herniated disc.
Brown can relate to Punk’s pain, as the former TUF contestant suffered the same injury in 2013 and was forced to pull out of his scrap with Carlos Condit.
“It’s a f**king horrible thing when it happens,” Brown said. “I’m going to guess that he already got the epidural steroid injection. They put it down your spine to relieve the inflammation. If not, I don’t think he would have been walking. If it’s bad enough he’s having surgery I don’t know that he would have been walking into the cage like that [on Feb. 6]. It’s possible he just gutted it out and walked up there.
“Regardless, that’s bad. I didn’t have to get surgery and that s**t is never the same. When you get surgery it’s never the same again.”
The 35-year-old doesn’t think Brooks’ WWE experience will prepare him for the Octagon jitters he says all fighters inevitably face.
“This guy, he ain’t no fighter. People don’t understand what it’s like sitting in that locker room for two to three hours knowing a guy down the hall is going to try to f**king murder you. That feeling in indescribable. The nerves, people call it fear. That feeling is not to be envied. Personally, I do envy it but that’s what separates a fighter from everyone else.
“Conquering that fear takes something different than I think most people have and I question whether CM Punk has that or not.”
Punk was ringside for UFC Fight Night 82 to scope out Looking for a Fight star Mickey Gall. Gall choked out Mike Jackson in the 1st round and was announced as Brooks’ first opponent. The two stared off in the Octagon and Brown believes the showdown was very revealing.
“Now he’s got to face this kid in the ring right after,” said Brown. “You could see there wasn’t any showmanship on CM Punk all of a sudden. There wasn’t any s**t talking, no flashiness. All of sudden it’s this humble guy and reality is setting in when you’re facing your opponent for the first time. It’s looking at you in the face. That’s only going to grow as the fight gets closer.
“In the locker room, that’s when it all comes to fruition. All that s**t creeps into your mind. Mark Coleman calls it ‘the worm of doubt.’ That kind of s**t? I don’t know if CM Punk is made for that. I don’t think pro wrestling gets you ready for that.”
Brown last fought at UFC 189 where he picked up a guillotine choke over Tim Means and is slated to face Demian Maia at UFC 198 on May 14th.
(Transcripts via David St. Martin of MMA Fighting)