The most controversial UFC signing of late has without a doubt been former WWE pro wrestling superstar CM Punk. His former colleague Brock Lesnar has proved that pro wrestlers can hold their own in the Octagon and even capture a UFC title. Still, Lesnar recently decided to close the door on MMA for good and rather stay in the wrestling business. Punk says, many guys in the WWE locker room would love to do it the other way around and are dreaming of an MMA career themselves; they just don’t have the bravery to pull the trigger on it.
“There’s a lot of guys in pro wrestling that just kind of have this MMA fantasy and they never act on it. I’m acting on it. I don’t want to be one of those guys who sits there and goes, ‘I could have done that or I should have done that.’ I can, so I’m doing it.”
Several superstars from the wrestling circuit have indeed shown interest in MMA in the past, including all-time greats such as The Rock and The Undertaker. But it’s not just the lack of a do-or-die attitude that prevents other pro wrestlers from transitioning, says Punk. He feels the main reason that not more of them have already made the move to MMA in the past, is the fact that they were able to make a lot more money in WWE.
“A lot of guys say it. I think The Undertaker said it, I think there’s a ton of guys out there, if the money was different in the ’90s, they would have done it,” Punk said.
(Transcription via foxsports.com)
CM Punk is currently training for his first UFC fight under Duke Roufus at Roufusport Academy. His debut is expected for the end of 2015. You can watch the whole interview above.
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