CM Punk was the featured guest on Fox Sports Live Wednesday night, talking about the shocking announcement that he has signed a multi-fight deal with UFC to compete in 2015.
The interview was more of the same that we’ve been hearing recently: he wants to fight at Middleweight, he hasn’t chosen a training camp yet, etc. There were a few interesting notes, in particular a comparison of WWE CEO Vince McMahon to UFC President Dana White. A complete recap of the interview is below.
-Punk says he’s surprised by the amount of positive support on social media in regards to his new UFC contract. He says he’s never met Robbie Lawler, but appreciates the kind words and welcome to the sport.
-In regards to the hate that he “doesn’t deserve” his spot in the MMA world, Punk says that he doesn’t mind it from the fighters, because that’s the “fight game” and the name-calling is “what they’re supposed to do”.
-He was again asked about his weight. He still doesn’t know but they’re aiming at 185. Punk says he’s been challenged by people from every single division trying to get some exposure for themselves. Obviously most of those fights are out of the question.
-A training camp is still not set in stone, although he wants to make sure he’s in a camp that will build him up, and not with people that are intentionally trying to break him down. He wants to remain near Chicago but is willing to make sacrifices to get the best camp possible.
-When asked what Jiu-Jitsu belt he is, Punk reveals he’s never even gotten his blue belt, and that obviously paints a target on his face. For him, it’s more of a thing where he hasn’t had time to train consistently, but he doesn’t believe in being “better” than other people just because of a belt color.
-Change of pace, he’s asked about Chicago sports. He’s excited about Jon Lester getting signed to the Cubs, and of course raves about the success of the Blackhawks.
-Punk was asked about the differences between Vince McMahon and Dana White. He said they are probably similar, but thus far he feels like he’s been treated well and has zero complaints, and don’t anticipate having any in the future. He was very P.C. and didn’t say anything bad about his former boss, except that he can be suborn because he has his “vision” of the way things should be done. Punk did mentioned that Kurt Angle probably would have went to MMA if he could go back and make the decision earlier.
-Daniel Cormier is his favorite current fighter (after himself, he said sarcastically).
-In closing, Punk says he’s excited for his fans that love fighting and want to see him learn and grow and compete. He’s also excited for his haters, who will get to see him get beaten up.
-At the announce desk, Dominick Cruz says the UFC has nothing to lose by this signing. It’s definitely a “best for business” decision. He does wonder if the UFC is a good place to have your first attempt at fighting. Miesha Tate says she’s excited about the eventual fight, and will be watching to see what happens.
