Will CM Punk Return to MMA Fighting?

Former WWE wrestler CM Punk — real name Phillip Brooks — says he isn’t finished fighting mixed martial arts matches. Punk’s statement took followers of sports entertainment, professional wrestling, and MMA by surprise. In addition to being 40 years old and past normal professional fighting retirement age, Punk’s short MMA career consisted of two embarrassing losses.

In a recent interview, Punk stated he wishes to fight MMA again. He admits his MMA career never rose above anything lackluster. He suggested he rushed to the big time too quickly. Few would argue otherwise with the assessment. Admirably, Punk noted he has no regrets about his decision to leave professional wrestling for mixed martial arts. He does mention he “jumped into the deep end,” a reference to debuting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship as opposed to a smaller organization.

In reality, the UFC represented the perfect booking for Punk. His name recognition allowed him to commandeer a solid deal with a major fight organization. From a business perspective, going to the UFC made sense. Reality struck when his lack of experience showed.

The wrestler/MMA fighter’s career doesn’t give much for fans to feel excited about a potential return. His bouts weren’t exactly classics.

Punk’s fighting record lists two matches and two losses. His debut fight in UFC 203 was a heavily hyped affair. UFC promoters hoped Punk would draw in curiosity buys. As a WWE wrestler, Punk maintained a strong following of fans. Signing Punk was a chance to attract them to the UFC. The UFC did successfully sign Brock Lesnar although Lesner displayed a successful amateur wrestling career before going into professional wrestling.

Big money thrown at Punk was for naught. He lost his first match in round one to a rear naked choke in a little over two minutes. He showed little that impressed, which was no surprise. Training footage didn’t display any professional-level skill.

The UFC booked Punk for a second fight in UFC 225. He lost on a unanimous decision after three rounds. Punk wasn’t going to become a big star or money maker for the UFC. After the bout, UFC president Dana White publicly suggested Punk should never fight again.

Punk gravitated to the UFC after disagreements and disillusionment with the WWE over pay and other issues. Punk remains under contract with the UFC, but he doubtfully will fight on the big stage once again. The UFC realizes Punk still holds some name value and moved him into a commentary role in an affiliated fight organization Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC).