Phil Brooks' (CM Punk) signing with the UFC has received mixed opinions from fighters and fans. One new supporter is welterweight champion Robbie Lawler.
Lawler offered Brooks an opportunity on Dec. 8th to join American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla., tweeting the invitation two days after he beat Johny Hendricks at UFC 181, according to MMA Fighting.
"Hey @cmpunk everyone doubted me too. I moved down to @americantopteam and proved them wrong. Come here and do the same," Lawler wrote in the tweet.
The champ said on The MMA Hour on Monday that the addition of CM Punk would be great for his team and would provide Brooks a chance to learn more about MMA. He added that it was obvious that Brooks was going to be a draw for the UFC, and that if he improves, it will be great for all fighters, "as far as sponsorships and stuff."
"I just think if he comes down to American Top Team he can prove a lot of people wrong. Obviously he's an athlete, now we just have to figure out if he can fight, and I think that American Top Team will be a good fit for him," Lawler said.
Brooks revealed his deal with the promotion at a UFC 181 press conference, saying he was considering going to gym that would challenge him while stressing that he would like to train in his hometown of Chicago, MMA Fighting reported. CM Punk has trained in jiu-jitsu with Rener Gracie in California.
Lawler said he had no problem with the UFC signing Brooks, adding he thinks the promotion has done "a great job of building the brand, building the UFC, building MMA."
"It was very calculated, but I think that they're continuing to build a better UFC," he added.
Other gyms interested in training with Brooks include Firas Zahabi's Tristar in Montreal, which said they would welcome Brooks with open arms.
