While the members of the UFC’s boardroom are all still exchanging high-fives over securing the services of Phil Brooks, also known as former WWE superstar CM Punk, members of major sanctioning bodies are not nearly as enthusiastic.
Speaking with Fox Sports’ Elias Cepeda, members of the Nevada State Athletic Commission and the New Jersey Athletic Commission both expressed concerns over Brooks and cast some doubt on his ability to get a license.
“The matchup would matter a great deal,” said Bob Bennett of the NSAC. “We are not going to put someone with no fight experience in the cage against a specialized MMA fighter…if he’s had no prior fights, that’s obviously something that would concern us.”
Larry Hazzard of the NJAC echoed the same sentiment.
“We would have to take a close look at it,” Hazzard said. “Normally, we require some type of background as either an amateur or a professional. This would certainly raise a red flag.”
Many, many professional wrestlers own legitimate combat sports backgrounds. While crossover stars like Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley found success in mixed martial arts with their amateur wrestling skills, even full-time pro wrestlers like Jack Swagger (a Division I All-American out of University of Oklahoma) and Dolph Ziggler (who wrestled alongside Gray Maynard at St. Edward High School and went on to break the Kent State University career wins record) have true competitive wrestling experience. That, however, isn’t the case with Brooks.
Brooks’ combat sports experience is limited to karate in his teenage years and a recent Brazilian jiu-jitsu hobby. While he is likely in strong physical shape, given his years with the WWE, his credentials simply don’t match even those of UFC freshmen.
In order for any given fight to be legal, a bout must be approved by the region’s athletic commission. While the UFC rarely has issues in getting fights approved, troubles do occasionally arise (the most recent example being a bout between Dennis Siver and Taylor Lapilus being denied by the Swedish Mixed Martial Arts Federation).
That said, if UFC President Dana White‘s early statements that Brooks would face a comparably inexperienced fighter prove true, there is little reason to believe that the fight wouldn’t happen.
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