Will we see a CM Punk MMA fight night in the UFC now that the WWE wrestler is no longer tied down?
In a related report by The Inquisitr , even though it’s long been speculated that Brock Lesnar’s UFC return may be coming soon , Dana White seems to think Brock wants to make it happen but there’s still some lingering issues holding the beast back.
CM Punk vs Triple H was supposed to be one of the highlights for WrestleMania 30 , but since that match seems unlikely it’s speculated that Randy Orton , Dave Batista , Brock Lesnar , and Undertaker will somehow take up the slack. The WWE executives are apparently unsure how to handle CM Punk quitting them over being unhappy about their plans for WM 30. Vince McMahon is reportedly personally trying to lure Punk aka Phillip Brooks back into the ring while Triple H is just staying away from the whole issue. (Maybe they should have Michelle Beadle ask nicely? ) There’s even rumors the whole thing is a hoax created as part of the WWE storyline and CM Punk will be back for WrestleMania 30 in some overly dramatic fashion.
Regardless of rumors, CM Punk’s WWE contract would have run out in July and some commentators believe that Punk should be given a chance in the octagon:
“[I]t goes without saying that Punk’s ability and success in the scripted world of professional wrestling does not mean he has the skills needed to compete at the highest level of mixed martial arts. However, Punk is not your stereotypical muscle-bound wrestler whose fake punches and pandering would go nowhere inside a UFC octagon. Rather, Punk has trained MMA in the past and has made no secret that he is a big fan of the sport.”
Rener Gracie is the man who has been training CM Punk in Brazilian jiu-jitsu these past four years. And he agrees that the UFC would be a good idea:
“With the little time he’s had with me spread out over so many years, he’s made remarkable progress. There’s no telling how successful he would be if he devoted himself full time to the training…. He can go get some fights, knock some fools out and choke some dudes. If he dedicates himself full time, there is no limit. He has the intangibles.”
But if anyone would know about CM Punk’s UFC plans you’d think it would be Dana White . While the two met recently, White isn’t saying yay or nay to the possibility:
“He quit [the WWE]? Really? No, he hasn’t said a word to me [about fighting in the UFC]. He hasn’t reached out to me. I was with him all night in Chicago, he never said a word about it. He just showed up. We talked about a lot of things, fighting was not one of them. I like him, he’s a great guy. It’s a little late to get into the game, but who knows if he can fight? I don’t know. We’ll see what happens, but I like him a lot. He’s a nice guy.”
Would you like to see a CM Punk UFC fight night?