Phil Brooks, better known by his WWE moniker “CM Punk,” decided to try his hand at the sport of mixed martial arts back in 2016. For his big MMA debut, the former WWE superstar scored a match up inside the octagon.
Without a single fight on his record, CM Punk went toe-to-toe with Mickey Gall under the banner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) at UFC 203. Gall put on a dominant performance over his opponent, earning a submission victory early in the first round.
Punk’s debut inside the octagon inspired outrage from some fight fans and fighters alike, as the former WWE superstar had no fighting experience leading up to his octagon debut. Among them, UFC superstar and fighting phenom Nate Diaz gave his thoughts on CM Punk entering the UFC.
Speaking to MMA Junkie, Diaz said “Look, CM Punk, it’s horrible for the sport as far as I’m concerned. Great for the sport, because they are going to make a lot of money. But, I think it’s a big ol’ joke.
“I’m watching TV. I’m watching the fights. All of a sudden, this Punk guy is coming on with his slick back hair and little virgin nose. And it’s like ‘Big announcement, Punk gets a fight in the UFC.’ I don’t dig it.
“He has no fights. I know he’s a big draw. I looked him up and everyone is going to buy tickets. It is going to be great for the venue and for the UFC. But at the same time, it downgrades all the fighters.
“If I want to, I can’t go play in the NBA. Even Stefan Struve, he can’t go play in the NBA if he wants to because he feels like making a change for some publicity thing. They wouldn’t pay him no money and they wouldn’t even let him play. It’s ridiculous.
“We’re pros, right? I don’t think you should just let some millionaire WWE guy just come on over and play a little game. I’m over here busting my ass and fighting for ten years and doing my thing and having serious job that I have to do.
“This guy is going to come over and probably get paid more than everybody in the room. I don’t know if he’ll do well. He might do great. But why does he get a chance? You’re going to put an amateur in the pros? That makes us all amateurs. So, I think it’s ridiculous.”
CM Punk is now being targeted to fight Mike Jackson at UFC 225.
