Former UFC Champ Says CM Punk Is ‘Improving’ All The Time
Although it’s been almost 19 months since former WWE superstar Phillip “CM Punk” Brooks competed in the only fight of his mixed martial arts (MMA) career – a submission loss to Mickey Gall at September 2016’s UFC 203 – his octagon run isn’t over.
The pro-wrestling champion has been rumored to be returning at June’s UFC 225 from his hometown Chicago and has been linked to a fight with fellow 0-1 pro Mike Jackson, a part-time fighter and a journalist who also lost to Gall.
But the allure of seeing Brooks compete in the UFC may be long gone, as he’s only competed the one time since his crossover to MMA was announced at UFC 181 in December 2014, and he showed little if any indication that he would be able to cut the mustard as a true pro fighter in any sense.
Apparently, it’s not a lack of trying, however. Former UFC 155-pound champion Anthony Pettis, who trains with Punk at Milwaukee’s Roufusport, insisted on a recent appearance on The MMA Hour Brooks has not stopped training endlessly and is getting better over time:
“I see him every day, man. That guy’s in the gym every day. He’s probably one of the hardest workers in the gym. He’s always there, always improving, and yeah, he’s definitely gotten better. You put that much time into [the game], you’re going to get better. He’s working the gi, he’s working no-gi. He’s training with top-level UFC guys inside his weight class, so I think we should see a better performance.”
While Brooks’ debut was understandably labeled a huge bust due to his failure to mount any significant offense, ‘Showtime,’ who will meet Michael Chiesa at April 7’s anticipated UFC 223, said Brooks took little time off and was back training right away as he continues to put in the time necessary to improve:
“He never stopped. Like, he didn’t take a break,” Pettis said.“He was right back at it. I think he had a couple injuries, but he was right back at it.
“It doesn’t surprise me. He’s a competitor, man. And he loves the grind. I don’t know what else he’d be doing if he wasn’t doing this. He’s just, he’s always in the gym. So in the short time I’ve known him for his first fight to this fight, it’s the same, the dude is just pushing hard, man. He’s grinding, he’s getting better, he’s putting the mat time in, and there’s no way around getting better besides putting the mat time in.”
Brooks’ work ethic undoubtedly has to be admired, as he attempted to become a pro fighter past his athletic prime.
Yet at almost 40 years old, his window to compete with the best fighters is closing fast, and possibly rapidly. He may fight Jackson at UFC 225, but that’s not exactly the high-profile bout the UFC was probably expecting out of the pro-wrestling great when they signed him nearly four years ago.
Do you believe Pettis’ assessment that Punk is getting better every day, or is his UFC tenure already fizzled?
