The former WWE legend may not fight in the UFC again, but that doesn’t mean his MMA career is over.
CM Punk was on the Ariel Helwani show this afternoon to clear up his status in the world of mixed martial arts. After two decisive losses in the UFC, we’d say there’s little interest in seeing the former WWE legend fight in the Octagon again. But there’s a big wide world outside of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and it sounds like Punk is willing to explore it.
“I don’t think it’s UFC or bust,” Punk told Helwani. “I’m definitely in a weird position, you know what I mean? There are other places out there, but would I go? Should I go?”
As far as Punk is concerned, he has no problem using his name and fame to secure spots that are perhaps above his skill level.
”Deserves got nothing to do with it,” he said. “I still look at it like the world’s my oyster. I’m fortunate enough to kinda pick and choose. I’d be the first to admit – you know me, I’m brutally honest – it probably doesn’t make a lot of sense for me to fight in the UFC again. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.”
Punk admitted he’s been too busy working on film and TV projects to talk to anyone else, and he’s still under contract with the UFC regardless.
“If there’s a deadline [on that] it’s coming up at the end of the year,” he said.
But while a return to the cage is still uncertain, he was pretty definite about one thing: he’s not going back to pro wrestling.
“That’s like an escape hatch,” he said. “There’s nothing left that interests me in wrestling.”