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WWE Superstar CM Punk has ‘zero regrets’ over his lackluster run in the UFC: ‘I would do it again’

CM Punk has no regrets over his lackluster run inside the Octagon. Best known for his work in the…

CM Punk has no regrets over his lackluster run inside the Octagon.

Best known for his work in the world of pro wrestling, Punk — real name Phil Brooks — walked away from the sports entertainment industry in 2014 after becoming disenfranchised by the direction of his employer, World Wrestling Entertainment.

During his time away from the squared circle, Punk signed a deal with the UFC and made his promotional debut at UFC 203 against Mickey Gall. Punk was promptly pummeled and forced to tap out via a rear-naked choke less than halfway through the opening round.

He returned two years later to take another fight against Mike Jackson. Punk fared much better the second time around and went the full three rounds, but ultimately came up short once again.

At that point, CM Punk knew it was time to lay down his four-ounce gloves for good, but don’t think for a moment that he has any regrets regarding his brief stint in mixed martial arts.

“I’m glad I did it, zero regrets,” Punk said during an appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. “I shouldn’t have fought in Chicago, easily the worst two weeks of my life (due to a court case), I couldn’t cut weight properly, but I still made weight, and I’m proud of myself for that. I’m an ambitious guy. I’m every bit of 215 pounds. My mind was, I could fight at 170 because the dudes at 185 were f*cking beasts. I get it. It’s easy to LOL, to make fun of me, some people look at me and are like ‘Oh that’s embarrassing.’

“I made the weight, I made the walk, I’m 100 percent proud of myself and I would do it again because that was me at my absolute worst and I did it.”

CM Punk’s return to wrestling has had its fair share of ups and downs

Since then, Punk has rediscovered his love for wrestling. In August 2021, he made his triumphant return to the industry with All Elite Wrestling. Sadly, his run would be cut short after engaging in an all-too-real feud with Nick and Matt Jackson, better known as The Young Bucks — and more importantly, executive vice presidents of AEW. Punk was released by the promotion in September 2023.

He returned to the WWE two months later at the company’s annual Survivor Series event. Originally, Punk was scheduled to be a big part of WrestleMania XL this weekend (April 6-7), but he suffered a tricep tear while competing in January’s Royal Rumble, forcing him to sit on the sidelines for the “Showcase of the Immortals.”

Demetrious Johnson calls CM Punk’s massive UFC paydays ‘a big spit in the face of all the champions’

CM Punk’s UFC run was memorable for all the wrong reasons. In 2016, the Punk, whose real name is…

CM Punk’s UFC run was memorable for all the wrong reasons.

In 2016, the Punk, whose real name is Phil Brooks, attempted to follow in the footsteps of Brock Lesnar, transitioning from the world of sports entertainment to mixed martial arts. Unfortunately, he failed to replicate the success of the former UFC heavyweight champion, getting absolutely manhandled by Mickey Gall in his Octagon debut at UFC 203.

Punk returned two years later only to lose a unanimous decision against Mike Jackson, though the result was ultimately overturned to a no-contest after Jackson tested positive for marijuana.

Despite failing to light up the Octagon like he often does the wrestling ring, CM Punk was heavily compensated for his pair of lackluster showings. Punk’s disclosed payout for each fight was a cool $500,000, though a report from Bloody Elbow (before being sold and stripped down to a shell of what it once was) revealed that the ‘Second City Saint’ actually banked more than a million dollars per appearance.

In the middle of a history-making run during Punk’s brief stint, former flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson was understandably frustrated once learning of Punk’s bloated fight purses. But instead of letting it eat away at him, ‘Mighty Mouse’ chose to use it as motivation.

“A big spit in the face of all the champions,” Johnson said of Punk’s UFC payouts on his YouTube channel. “At the end of the day, it’s more of a popularity contest that gets you the money in mixed martial arts than actual skill.

“A gentleman who is 0-1 in mixed martial arts, making $500,000 [per fight]. Obviously, he made that money because of his wrestling history. I’m not gonna lie to you guys, this put a chip on my shoulder, and a bad taste in my mouth because I was doing mixed martial arts my whole entire life and the most I ever made in the UFC was like $380,000 plus $40,000. It’s all public record” (h/t MMA Mania).

Demetrious Johnson looks back on CM Punk vs. Mike Jackson

“These guys belong in the amateur league,” Johnson said while rewatching Brooks vs. Mike Jackson. “They haven’t honed their skills enough yet in mixed martial arts to be on a platform like this. Every once in a while, you have these fights where you give people an opportunity to do something, and this is what you get. This belongs in an amateur-level fight [league]. But I bet CM Punk beats him in WWE wrestling.”

Now 37 years old, Demetrious Johnson is still one of the greatest fighters on the planet. Sent to ONE Championship as part of a historic trade in 2018, ‘Mighty Mouse’ has gone 5-1 inside the Circle, including a flyweight title-winning performance against Adriano Moraes at ONE on Prime Video 1 in August 2022. He has since successfully defended the title, closing out his trilogy with Moraes at ONE Fight Night 10 during the promotion’s critically acclaimed U.S. debut.

Recently, Johnson returned to the mat at the 2024 IBJJF Pan Championships in Florida. There, he took first place in the Master 2 featherweight division before adding a silver medal in the openweight tournament. Along the way, ‘Mighty Mouse’ earned a victory over a 6’3″, 250-pound competitor, proving that when it comes to jiu-jitsu, size truly does not matter.

Demetrious Johnson claims UFC CEO Dana White refused to give PPV points to flyweight fighters: ‘I didn’t get any’

Despite defending his UFC flyweight title an unprecedented 11 times, Demetrious Johnson never received pay-per-view bonuses or incentives for…

Despite defending his UFC flyweight title an unprecedented 11 times, Demetrious Johnson never received pay-per-view bonuses or incentives for being the most dominant champion in promotional history.

From September 2012 to August 2018 defeated some of the biggest names in flyweight history, including Ian McCall, Joseph Benavidez, John Dodson, Kyoji Horiguchi, Henry Cejudo, and Ray Borg. He is undoubtedly one of the pound-for-pound greatest of all time. Unfortunately, Dana White and the UFC largely ignored ‘Mighty Mouse’ and his entire division because they didn’t have the drawing power of the lightweight or light heavyweight fighters.

As a result, Johnson was never given pay-per-view points for his time as the flyweight champion, which is something that fighters across the board are typically entitled to once they rise to the top of their respective division.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Demetrious Johnson responded to an interview where the UFC claims that DJ straight-up declined to receive points in favor of a lump-sum payout.

Johnson says that’s bullsh*t.

Demetrious Johnson talks about his feud with Dana White and the UFC:

“I fought and fought, they specifically said we don’t give PPV points to flyweight guys.

When Dana White says I didn’t want PPV points, that’s not true. I asked for PPV points.

Look at CM Punk. This guy comes… pic.twitter.com/8O3GtoC3bE

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 21, 2024

“I fought and fought, they specifically said we don’t give PPV points to flyweight guys, but if you’re a lightweight,” Johnson said. “A welterweight, a middleweight, heavyweight — I have been told that once they become champion, they get $500,000 flat and it went straight into their contract that they got pay-per-view points every single time. For me, it was never that.

“If I would have gotten pay-per-view points for every single time I defended my belt… 11 title defenses. You put me on three Conor McGregor cards…”When Dana White says I didn’t want pay-per-view points, that’s not true. I asked for pay-per-view points.”

Demetrious Johnson reacts to CM Punk’s reported purse for his two UFC appearances

Johnson also took exception to the fact that current WWE Superstar CM Punk received a more favorable payout during his less-than-stellar appearances inside the Octagon.

Demetrious Johnson comments on CM Punk's UFC run

Per a report from Bloody Elbow (before the pillaging of the once-great site), CM Punk received a base salary of $500,000 for both of his fights, though it was noted that the Second City Saint actually walked away with more than a million dollars for the ass-kickings he took against Mickey Gall and Mike Jackson.

“This guy comes in and gets a base salary of 500 f*cking thousand dollars and potential pay-per-view bonuses and other financial incentives in his contract,” Johnson exclaimed. “I defended the f*cking belt 11 times and I didn’t get any of this.”

Demetrious Johnson’s run in the UFC came to an end in 2018 after he surrendered his flyweight title to Henry Cejudo. ‘Mighty Mouse’ was then moved to ONE Championship in a historic trade that sent Ben Askren to the UFC. Upon his arrival, Johnson rattled off three straight victories to win the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Tournament, setting the stage for an epic trilogy with former ONE flyweight world champion Adriano Moraes.

Johnson also competed in a first-of-its-kind special rules bout against Muay Thai icon Rodtang Jitmuangnon under the ONE banner. With alternating rounds of MMA and Muay Thai, Johnson survived the first round before submitting ‘The Iron Man’ in the second via RNC.

“It was the best decision I’ve ever made in my whole entire career,” Johnson said of his move to ONE. “If I could do it again, I would do it ten times. And here’s the thing — I have nothing against Dana White. I am a man who is happy. I’ve been successful and I believe in my skill set.”

Johnson still sits as the reigning ONE flyweight titleholder, but he has not yet decided if he will return to defend his title or retire from MMA altogether.

Dana White Disputes Reports that CM Punk is difficult to work with: ‘One of the easiest people I ever dealt with’

CM Punk is known in the pro wrestling world to be notoriously difficult to deal with, but UFC CEO…

CM Punk is known in the pro wrestling world to be notoriously difficult to deal with, but UFC CEO had nothing, but positive things to say about his experience working with the Second City Saint.

Punk blew up on the indie scene before eventually making a fairly iconic run with the WWE between 2006 and 2014. Unfortunately, much of his success with the company was overshadowed by his highly publicized criticism of the organization’s inner workings. That ultimately led to Punk walking away from WWE and the industry altogether after spending 434 days as the WWE Champion.

Looking to make his mark elsewhere, CM Punk began training for a potential career in mixed martial arts. Though he had never once fought professionally, his name was enough to earn him a contract with the UFC. Things didn’t go quite as he’d hoped with Punk going 0-2 inside the Octagon before eventually making his return to wrestling in 2021 for AEW.

Punk’s stint with All Elite Wrestling was short-lived after he found himself in backstage feuds that were all too real with Nick and Matt Jackson, known by wrestling fans as The Young Bucks. They also happen to be EVPs of AEW so it’s no surprise as to why Punk received his walking papers.

Speaking about his experience with CM Punk during an interview with Sports Illustrated, Dana White claimed that his experiences with the Chicago native were nothing short of pleasant, going so far as to call him one of the easiest people he’s ever worked with in the MMA game.

“I’ve had nothing but a great relationship with him since the day we met,” White said. “He’s a super nice guy. He’s one of the easiest people I’ve ever dealt with” (h/t MMA Mania).

Dana White Congratulated CM Punk on his Epic WWE Return

CM Punk went 0-2 inside the Octagon with the first loss coming in his promotional debut at UFC 203. Punk was dominated by his opponent, Mickey Gall, and ultimately submitted via a rear-naked choke at the 2:13 mark of the opening round.

Two years later he returned at UFC 225 for a clash with Mike Jackson. Punk survived the full three rounds, but lost a decisive unanimous decision. The result was later overturned to a no-contest as Jackson tested positive for marijuana.

“Look, those were tough fights,” White explained. “You know what else is important? Everybody that he trained with and everybody around him in his camp respected him. That spoke volumes.”

After an abbreviated run with AEW, Punk returned to the WWE at the Survivor Series last month in what was an undeniably electrifying homecoming in his hometown.

“I texted him that night after he walked out in Chicago,” White added. “It was amazing. I texted and congratulated him, it was incredible.”

Pro Wrestling Star CM Punk Cleared More Than $1 Million for His UFC Debut Against Mickey Gall

Pro wrestling star CM Punk banked over a million dollars for his UFC debut in 2016. Per a report…

Pro wrestling star CM Punk banked over a million dollars for his UFC debut in 2016.

Per a report from Anton Tabuena of Bloody Elbow, CM Punk, real name Phil Brooks, took home $1,042,736 following his debut inside the Octagon against Mickey Gall at UFC 203. Punk lost the bout via a rear-naked choke at the 2:14 mark in the opening round.

That averages out to roughly $7,781 per second.

In December 2014, a group of MMA fighters, including Cung Le, Nate Quarry, Jon Fitch, and others joined together to file a class-action lawsuit against the UFC and its parent company Zuffa LLC. These representatives are arguing that the UFC used “improper strategies” to control the market for MMA fighter services.

Nearly 10 years later, it appears that the promotion will be headed to trial on April 8, 2024 after Richard. F. Boulware, a United States District Court Judge, in the District of Nevada elevated the antitrust case to a class-action lawsuit and then denied the UFC’s appeal of that decision.

CM Punk isn’t the only former fighter to see his financials revealed

Judge Boulware also requested that all records pertaining to the UFC antitrust lawsuit be unsealed with very limited redactions for health and contact information. In the report from Bloody Elbow, one of these unsealed documents, Roger D. Blair’s re-filed expert report, included payouts made to fighters between 2011 and 2016.

The report revealed payouts for some of the UFC’s biggest stars, including Conor McGregor and former bantamweight women’s world champion Ronda Rousey. These documents detailed not just the show, win, and performance bonuses disclosed to athletic commissions and the public, but also non-disclosed payments like pay-per-view bonuses, side letters, and discretionary bonuses.

Essentially, all the payments made to a fighter related to their bouts.

Ronda Rousey’s payouts revealed in new UFC court documents:

$574,720 vs. Liz Carmouche

$1,817,907 vs. Miesha Tate

$870,969 vs. Sara McMann

$1,063,688 vs. Alexis Davis

$1,458,282 vs. Cat Zingano

$2,642,204 vs. Bethe Correia

$4,476,662 or $4,536,932 vs. Holly Holm… pic.twitter.com/2prtsLpSfT

— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) November 2, 2023

Archives: CM Punk Says Donald Trump Running For President Is “F*cking Weird (2015)

On this day seven years ago, CM Punk shared a strong take about another “cult of personality.” Recently, Donald Trump announced that he will be running for president again in 2024. But even before his first term, there were strong reactions…

Continue Reading Archives: CM Punk Says Donald Trump Running For President Is “F*cking Weird (2015) at MMA News.