Former professional wrestler CM Punk has decided to venture into MMA.
The deal with UFC was announced during the UFC 181 pay-per-view broadcast on Saturday, with UFC president Dana White saying CM Punk (Phil Brooks) is looking to fight in the middleweight (185 pound) division but is open to fighting at 170 pounds, according to ESPN.
No specific date was provided for Punk's debut, only that it will take place in 2015. White said it may take six to seven months for the first bout to take place, and the UFC noted that Brooks has been training in jiu-jitsu and MMA for an extended period of time.
"This is my new career, 100 percent," CM Punk said. "I'm going to go full steam ahead, all systems go after today, and it's going to be fun."
"He wanted to fight here," White said, adding that the situation with Brooks is not like Brock Lesnar's run in the UFC. "We're not going to throw the kitchen sink at him. Lesnar had a wrestling background. [CM Punk] is going to fight a guy who is 1-0, 1-1. 2-1... something like that."
While some fighters like Ronda Rousey expressed excitement at Punk joining the UFC, other fighters were not as happy and even volunteered to be the first to fight him. Lightweight Nate Diaz simply wrote on Twitter "Why?"
Punk, 36, said he is done with professional wrestling and that fighting in MMA is something he has wanted to do for a long time, ESPN reported.
"I felt like it was now or never," he added. "I have a limited window most fighters don't have. I'm either here to win or get my ass kicked."
Brooks and Lesnar are not the only ones to make the jump from pro wrestling to MMA, as that list also includes Dave Bautista and Bobby Lashley.
