Interviewer Tells CM Punk ‘You Are Not A UFC Fighter,’ Heated Exchange Follows
CM Punk appeared on TSN’s Off The Record with Michael Landsberg Thursday to talk about his future with the UFC. In the 15-minute interview, Landsberg not only mocked CM Punk’s eventual UFC debut, but he asked him a lot of WWE questions which Punk had already answered on Colt Cabana’s podcast, which clearly annoyed Punk.
Near the end of the CM Punk interview, Landsberg asked Punk if he was getting annoyed at his questions, and Punk answered by saying the following.
“[Your questions] are very wrestling-centric, and I’m here to talk about UFC. But no, you’re doing your job, and now you’re asking me if I’m p***ed off, and it’s okay, you have an agenda.”
Landsberg responded to Punk, and claimed that he didn’t have an agenda, and said to Punk “What am I going to ask you about UFC? You’re not a UFC fighter.”
Before Landsberg asks Punk if he’s getting annoyed with the questions, Landsberg shows a clip of CM Punk’s friend Chael Sonnen walking off of the show a couple of years ago after Sonnen had a heated exchange with Landsberg. Landsberg refused to talk to Chael about what he was actually there to promote. So, this isn’t the first time this has happened.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYLwcYhWwu4
Right as the interview started, TSN cut to a pre-produced piece mocking CM Punk signing with the UFC, and poking fun at who his first opponent will be. TSN’s list of potential UFC debut opponents for Punk included Jose Canseco, Drake, Justin Bieber, and Chef Boyardee. After that point, Punk was clearly annoyed, and Landsberg’s multiple WWE questions didn’t improve Punk’s morale.
At the midway point of the interview, Landsberg tells CM Punk that he’s crazy to think that he’s never going back to wrestling, and tells Punk that even Bret Hart went back. Again, something that clearly annoyed Punk, as he’s heard that many times before, and is likely getting sick of hearing it.
Michael Landsberg isn’t the first show host to openly mock CM Punk before and during an interview during Punk’s media tour yesterday. Dan Le Batard, host of ESPN’s DLHQ, called CM Punk a “fake fighter that is now going to try real fighting.” Le Batard also scoffed at the idea of CM Punk ever being punched in the face for real during his time in WWE, and, like most of the other interviewers, didn’t take CM Punk seriously at all.
During Punk’s appearance on Sirius XM’s Opie with Jim Norton yesterday morning, which was the only show that took Punk seriously, Punk said that there have actually been shows that have asked him “You know in the UFC they punch you in the face for real, right?” Punk said that he responded to that question by telling the person who asked him that “Oh no, I’m gonna have to call Dana White and tell him the deal is off now.” So, by this point, it’s pretty clear what the media’s general response to the UFC signing CM Punk is.
[Image via TSN]
