While it was only rumored for some time now, it appears that there is now some validity to former WWE Superstar CM Punk potentially heading into the MMA world. As the Inquisitr recently reported, Dana White told TMZ that he and Punk would talk if Punk was ever interested in going into MMA. White is a businessman, so he knows Punk would be a huge draw for them similar to Brock Lesnar years ago.
CM Punk could be heading into the MMA world, but it may not be with the top MMA promotion out there. Instead, there is a thought that he could go to Bellator, UFC’s chief rival. They may not be the WCW to UFC’s WWE, but they aren’t doing too bad right now. In fact, ratings are doing slightly better and the fights are getting great reviews. There was rumored talks, but nothing has been as notable as Punk’s potential move to UFC.
Twitter personality FrontRowBrian, who has broken several MMA stories, tweeted last week that UFC planned to announce at their December 17 Press Conference that they were signing CM Punk to the roster. Obviously the comment is not confirmed, but the fact that he has broken stories before could mean that he is on to something this time around. If only Punk and White had a talk about him heading to UFC, chances are neither would spill the beans on it. If this is true, Punk would be fighting in the Octagon in 2015.
FrontRowBrian claims that both CM Punk and UFC have had discussions regarding him coming in. To add to this, according to The Wrestling Observer , a reliable source within UFC claims “there is smoke to that fire.” This pretty much indicates that Punk at least spoke with UFC at some point about this. To add even more to this, former Bellator matchmaker Sam Caplan separately claimed on his “ MMA Insiders ” podcast that UFC and Punk have had discussions.
Clearly there is interest from UFC, as we saw from the TMZ comments from White. However, Bellator has “significant” interest in bringing Punk in according to sources within the company.
Obviously Bellator is a small fish that could use the star-power of CM Punk. Spike TV broadcasts live events with Bellator instead of PPVs, which has brought in many fans to their shows. However, UFC is the clear front-runner in MMA programming. Their deal with FOX as well as their ability to sign the best talent in the world allows for them to offer more to a fighter. A fighter knows they will face the best and gain the most money out of it.
It was claimed that Punk had a no-compete clause when he was fired from WWE that included TNA and UFC. Vince McMahon says that neither are competition, but both were randomly included in Punk’s no-compete, which many find to be weird. However, due to the settlement CM Punk reached with WWE, his no-compete was dropped and he can sign with either company if he chooses to.
CM Punk claims that he is done with Pro-Wrestling. That leaves the door wide open for Punk to sign with an MMA company of some sort.
Punk has been a huge fan of MMA for some time, he has also incorporated many MMA moves into his wrestling style. He has trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu through Rener Gracie, a member of the Gracie line of B.J.J. experts. He has obviously trained in a variety of wrestling styles, including Japanese Strong Style, which is known for hard kicks and punches. Of which, by the way, they make as real as possible. Due to his experience in these areas, many think Punk could be a success if he trained harder in MMA specifically.
While Punk has spoken out about being a fan of MMA, he has not announced any intention to fight.
Right now, CM Punk is the hottest free agent for Pro-Wrestling and MMA companies. Pro-Wrestling companies are probably out, but an MMA company might land Punk.
CM Punk would be a huge draw, but he has expressed that he knows what he is worth. So if UFC can offer him what he wants, which many would assume is quite a large sum, he would probably sign. If he does sign, many would wonder what Division he’d want to compete in, as he is probably able to train for three different divisions. CM Punk is a big name, and it is obvious that he is being pursued. Whoever ends up landing him will get a huge star.
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