Stepping in to compete on the biggest stage in mixed martial arts is nothing CM Punk is taking lightly, and he’s dedicated himself to doing the necessary work to ensure he’ll be ready when that happens.
The former WWE superstar tipped the MMA world on its ear last December when it was announced he had signed with the UFC.
The news that Punk, whose real name is Phil Brooks, was leaving the squared circle to compete inside the Octagon was followed by a rush of analyst columns and social media posts listing whom the Chicago native should face in his official promotional debut.
Seven months have come and gone since Punk signed on the dotted line, and there has yet to be an opponent or date announced for his first go inside the cage. However, that hasn’t put the slightest dent in the anticipation surrounding his first bout in the UFC.
And that is all fine and well where Punk is concerned, because drawing eyes and attention is something he’s mastered during his time in the public eye.
With that said, developing the skills that will allow him to validate the buzz surrounding him is another story. Training under the guidance of Duke Roufus and alongside elite-level talent the likes of Anthony Pettis and Ben Askren has shown Punk what it takes to be successful at the highest level of MMA, and Punk is working diligently to follow the roadmap his teammates have created.
“I’m really enjoying everything about the process,” Punk told Bleacher Report. “It’s been above expectations I think because of the quality of guys I’m working with. For the quality of guys who are at the level they are at to accept me with open arms, be free with their knowledge and to help me and train me…to me that’s amazing. I expected them to be a bit more standoffish or to get blowback from some of them, but I haven’t gotten a single bit of it from the team.”
To get the job done, he’s relying on the same blue-collar work ethic that took him to the top of the professional wrestling world to transform him into a UFC-ready fighter when the time to prove himself comes around.
Even though said time is still nowhere in sight, Punk believes he and his coaches will know when everything has come together and the walk to the Octagon is ready to be made.
“It is going to be a team decision, but I’m sure there will be a point where I will know that I’m ready,” he said in regard to making his Octagon debut. “That is going to come with training every day and will happen because of the hard work I put in. But I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…Duke is my Obi-Wan Kenobi. Luke wanted to go f–k up Vader early on and he was like, ‘Nah…hold up on that. Take it easy.’ Eventually Yoda told him he had to go control his fear, and eventually Duke will let me know it’s time to go.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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