There's been a lot of talk about the former WWE champion heading over to the UFC. Most people seem to hope he falls flat on his face and gets knocked out in the first round. Being a die hard fan of his during his run on top in the WWE, I hope this guy goes on to have a good career and live out another dream of his. The guy is a draw and his name brings in the dollars for Lorenzo and Dana White. There's no question about that. It'll draw a whole new group of younger viewers who'll now pay attention to the world of UFC just to watch their favorite wrestler try to succeed. Punk himself has stated he's a little crazy to be doing this, and knows there's a great chance he can fail in front of the whole world. He doesn't have to do this. But, he's showing everybody that if you want to do something then go do it.
He's not a young guy in the world of sports. He's already 36 years old and is pretty beat up from his time in professional wrestling. Will he be a bigger draw to the UFC than Brock Lesnar? We'll have to wait to see the numbers for themselves. Due to the situation, it may very well be the biggest money draw in the UFC of all time. Walking out on the WWE after going through hell for years just to work for a competitor is big news. There is no other wrestling company that is of worthy competition. So, the WWE competes with the likes of the NFL, NBA, UFC, and a whole lot of other television programs. The UFC needed a star name to replace the missing Anderson Silva and George St. Pierre. They've got it now once again.
Unlike Brock, Punk is not exactly a great athlete. They threw Brock in there because of the freak athletic nature he possessed. Being the NCAA champion and All American was an amazing background to possess. He almost made the Minnesota Vikings after only going as far as high school football in that sport. He was one of those once in a generation athletes. Brock has all the intangibles of a phenomenal athlete. There's also an outcry over Punk not having any prior experience. The guy can't afford to go through many fights before stepping up in huge UFC. It's to late to be doing it at 36 years old. So, Dana White said he would be fighting somebody who'll also debut or have one to two fights under their belt. I would call it a fight by record system. Put him in there with a new guy with not a lot of experience. Depending on how Punk handles it, he can keep fighting guys with better records as he goes along. Many guys have challenged Punk to fight him, which was to be expected because of who he is. It's the smart thing to do. Challenge the new guy with a big brand cause that's where the big money is.
Punk went through the media rounds this past Wednesday and Thursday. After listening to him on the Boomer and Carton show, he stated that although he's been training he still has to find a set camp. Many places have offered to train him, including the legendary trainer Greg Jackson. Although he wasn't a professional himself, the guy has trained GSP, Jon Jones, and Rashad Evans to name a few. You can't deny that the guy's got some tricks up his sleeve when it comes to creating champions. If I was Punk, I would relocate to his gym to get the best in top quality training possible. He's had on and off training with the Gracie family in California due to his hectic wrestling schedule. He needs to develop his strike game, having already said it's his weakest link in his game.
Punk's first fight won't be for another minimum six months. I would lean more over towards the fall. He's going to need at least six months to develop the skills of each fighting style to be more well rounded. Plus, he's going to need another two to three months to go through another camp for conditioning purposes. Being a die hard Punk fan ever since his first moment in WWE's version of ECW, I'm pulling for the guy. This can be an inspirational story for a lot of us because this guy could've just taken his ball and went home to his couch. But, he's got other things he wants to pursue. You can never hate on an individual for wanting to do what they love. However, one thing's for certain. Win, lose, or draw the guy is going to make them millions of dollars and be the new star of the promotion that they need. At the end of the day it's entertainment, and it's also a business. The more PPV buys, the more money the UFC will make. That's all that matters in the end. CM Punk is main eventing his debut fight and people will be watching. There's no doubt about that.
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