CM Punk Signs With UFC, WWE Wishes Him Luck on New Endeavor
Former WWE champion CM Punk will be fighting again-- not at the WWE ring, but in UFC. The 36-year-old made the announcement himself at UFC 181 last week. Fans of CM Punk are delighted that he will be back in action again by next year, but many are wondering whether this new career path is the right choice for him.
At the UFC post fight press conference, CM Punk, whose real name is Phil Brooks, said, "It was actually a really easy decision to make. Time will tell how wise of a decision it was. I'm excited. I finally feel there's something I can put 100 percent of myself into and I will get 100 percent back."
Brooks also mentioned that the deal has been in the works since November and that he has been thinking about it for quite some time now.
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"I'm not going to try to give you some inspirational message. There are a lot of kids out there who look up to me, or at least I think there are," he said. "I always tell them: do not let anyone tell you that you cannot do something. Choose a path and work towards it to the best of your abilities," he said.
Brooks is not the first WWE star to make the leap to the UFC. Brock Lesnar started at WWE before making the move to UFC where he won the heavyweight championship title.
As for the inevitable comparisons to Lesnar, Brooks said, "If someone is going to compare me to Brock Lesnar, I'll take that. I'm a little cuter, though."
Brooks' wife, WWE diva A.J. Lee supports her husband's decision and tweeted, "I am the proudest wife in the world."
As for Brooks' former employer, WWE.com posted a short message which says: "WWE wishes Phil Brooks (aka CM Punk) the best of luck in his newest endeavor."
