Issue 148
December 2016
CM Punk isn’t going to be the next UFC welterweight champion – or champion of any weight class for that matter.
He’s never going to stand and trade with Robbie Lawler, shoot a double on GSP or sweep Demian Maia. And I – like him I’m sure – am cool with that.
When Punk, or Phil Brooks as his mother named him, stepped into the Octagon in Cleveland, Ohio at UFC 203, I was excited, optimistic, apprehensive and even a little jealous. His performance didn’t really matter to me. What mattered was the story.
It was captivating.
Maybe that’s because Mr Brooks and I are of similar age. But I think most guys who enjoy MMA, who are glued to weekly UFC broadcasts, secretly harbor a dream to fight inside the Octagon. We’ve all thought about it.
What music would be playing when we walk out, the nickname Bruce Buffer would be screaming at us, the opponent we mistakenly figure we could actually defeat. It’s all a pipe dream, of course. At least for most mortal men.
But CM Punk isn’t your average MMA fan, is he? He’s was a hugely successful pro wrestler who cultivated a lucrative fanbase. That’s what allowed him, aged 37, to climb inside the Octagon for his MMA debut.
He did what most of us – especially those touching 40 – will only ever dream of.
Most UFC fans have never pulled on a pair of gloves to hit a bag or mitts – never mind get into a structured and officiated fight. For the majority of armchair enthusiasts, the closest they will ever get to a fight is in their own heads.
So when someone else with zero fight experience gets to live that dream for real it’s tangible. Ultimately, it was a masterstroke by the UFC.
The signing of a marquee WWE star makes economic sense in terms of attracting young fans to get their first taste of MMA. It worked when Brock Lesnar powered through the heavyweight division. Greasing the wheels for fan progression from pro wresting to mixed martial arts.
On paper, it’s bulletproof.
But by signing CM Punk – even though his debut was delayed by two years while he, lets face it, learned how to throw a punch, take a shot on the chin and defend a takedown – the UFC captured the attention of fans around the world.
The fans who can’t fight. It was almost like Here Comes the Boom for real – although Punk was at least a more realistic mixed martial artist than Kevin James.
I have fought. I’ve also trained some form of martial arts my entire life. To achieve what CM Punk did at his age with his background (or lack of) is nothing short of inspirational.
Sure, he took his licks, both en-route to the Octagon and when he finally climbed inside it, but that simply amplified the authenticity of MMA.
You can’t play at fighting professionally.
Whether Brooks will ever fight again we just don’t know. And, frankly, I don’t really care.
But kudos to you CM Punk for having the cojones to do what most middle-aged men could only dare to dream about. You took your shot and for that, I salute you.
DAFT PUNK
- But PPV numbers don’t lie
CM Punk was taken down, beaten up and choked out by Mickey Gall at UFC 203 in Ohio in 134 seconds, but a PPV buyrate between 425-475K showed he was a hit with fans. Maybe we’ve not seen the last of him in the Octagon.
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