The “CM Punk” Phil Brooks project was fun(?) while it lasted in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
This, of course, didn’t take place all too recently as Brooks’ presumably final fight as a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter took place at UFC 225 in June 2018. Unfortunately for the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) star, Brooks went winless in his two UFC appearances, which began with a first round rear-naked choke loss to Mickey Gall in September 2016 before it ended with a unanimous decision opposite Mike Jackson. The latter, however, was eventually overturned to a no-contest when Jackson tested positive for marijuana. So, if there’s any win in MMA for “Chick Magnet Phil,” I guess that’s it.
His paychecks weren’t bad at all either…
In 2024, UFC and WWE now work closer together than ever before as they’re under the same TKO Group Holdings umbrella. The merger news’ initial announcement last year scared fans of both companies because of the crossover potential. Well, before things became official, current WWE superstar, Cody Rhodes, was already considering following in Brooks’ footsteps.
“I actually told my wife. I told my wife I wanted to do one fight,” Rhodes told ESPN (h/t Fightful). “I told her this two years ago. I think I was looking for some sort of massive financial windfall, I don’t know what it was, but I told her I wanted to do one fight and she absolutely let me know that would not be happening. Unless you convince her, it’s not going to happen. Maybe it’s for the best.
“Give me the worst guy possible,” he concluded when asked the type of opponent he’d want. “Give me a freebie upfront, for sure.”
Coincidentally, as of late 2023, Rhodes and Brooks are both back under the same roof and working together in WWE for the first time since 2014 when Brooks left the company and said he’d never go back. History always finds a way to repeat itself, doesn’t it?