The UFC’s biggest high-profile signing, Phil “CM Punk” Brooks, was recently afforded a Q&A session a mid the lead-up to UFC 182, one of the more anticipated PPV events in recent memory. The full question and answer session can be found on UFC’s Fight Pass, while the highlights of what we learned are as follows:
– Punk walked out to “Cult of Personality” (so that will probably be his fight music).
– Punk will be training at Roufusport in Milwaukee with lightweight champ Anthony Pettis and his twitter rival, Ben Askren.
– Punk understands that some people don’t agree with him being in the UFC, and some people want to see him get knocked out.
– On what the toughest aspect between now and his first fight: The actual day of the fight. Punk says he’ll be fine handling the media.
– On his motivation to leave WWE and join UFC: It’s not out of spite, Punk is trying to live his life to the absolute fullest that he possibly can.
– On if he’d fight the Green Power Ranger: He’s been challenged by a lot of people, so if he fought everyone that challenged him, he’d have a lot of fights in the UFC.
– Punk won’t be calling out anyone any time soon. He’ll be living in the gym for at least six months before taking a fight.
– Punk can’t remember what belt ranking he was in kenpo, since it was from 18-20.
– He’s never been ranked in BJJ, and he currently does more no-gi grappling.
– He told Duke Roufus, “Pretend like I know nothing,” saying on a scale from 0 to 10, with 10 being a Chris Weidman, Punk feels he’s closer to 0.
– Punk would like Rener Gracie in his corner, but Roufusport has a lot of black belts in their ranks, too.
– Chicago red hots or Vienna beef? Vienna beef.
– Punk hasn’t decided on what his walkout song will be (but see the first item).
– A guy offers to buy Punk a beer.
– Punk’s thoughts on Fedor Emelianenko: Easily a Top 5 heavyweight of all time. “Pride was where it was at, back in the day.”
– Punk doesn’t think the injuries he sustained in WWE will affect his fight.
– Punk doesn’t plan to be one and done, win or lose, but the circumstances of the fight could change his opinion.
– Punk predicts Cormier beats Jones, but it won’t be easy.
– Punk says he was contacted first, before Chael Sonnen, to call Battlegrounds MMA with Jim Ross.
– Punk still hasn’t spoken to Ben Askren about their twitter beef.
– Punk isn’t worried about suffering concussions in training or fights until they actually happen.
– Punk feels he is primarily a grappler, striking is the area he needs help with the most.
– Punk will give Bruce Buffer a GTS if he doesn’t get the Buffer 180 during his introduction.
– Punk says performing in front of a lot of people in WWE will help him the most in his UFC career.
– The business side of Punk’s first fight is on PPV.
– Punk isn’t trying to follow in Brock Lesnar’s footsteps. “Brock is an animal, and I’m a smaller animal.”
– Jon Anik wants to know if there’s anyone in the ballroom that isn’t hammered, because most dudes are stepping to the microphone with beers in hand.
– Cowboy Cerrone shows up to get a hat signed, and then give it to a kid.
– Punk didn’t ask about the female Thor.
– Who could make the transition from WWE to UFC? Punk says his wife could have a shot, plus Daniel Bryan and Samoa Joe.
– Would Punk ever fight a Diaz brother? Punk refuses to answer the man’s question because he’s wearing a LA Kings shirt. The guy then challenges Punk to a game of rock-paper-scissors, but Punk declines.
Ultimately, we didn’t learn a whole lot, except that Punk is good at dealing with drunk fans.
