Phil Brooks, a.k.a. CM Punk, won't have to worry about traveling far from his hometown of Chicago to train for his first MMA fight, as UFC President Dana White confirmed Tuesday that the former pro wrestler will begin training at Roufusport in Milwaukee.
White told FOX Sports Live that Brooks has picked his training camp, which is less than 100 miles and only about a 90-minute drive from his home in the Windy City, according to MMA Fighting. Brooks' opponent for his debut has yet to be determined.
"I'm pretty sure he's going to be training with Anthony Pettis, the 155-pound champion and his team," White said. "We're just going to see how he progresses in training and then we'll go from there."
Other top-level fighters who have training at Roufusport include Ben Askren, an Olympic wrestler and former Bellator champion who was among those who were critical of the UFC's decision to sign a deal with Punk, Bloody Elbow reported. However, Askren said he has no problems with Brooks.
Duke Roufus is currently the gym's head coach and is held in high regards as a trainer, mostly due to his striking skills.
Despite the amount of high-level athletes that come out of Roufusport, the gym has been dealing with controversy in recent months since the death of Roufusport kickboxer Dennis Munson Jr., who, despite experiencing head trauma during an amateur fight in March, was allowed by referees, doctors and cornermen to continue fighting, which led to his death, MMA Fighting reported. This led to numerous former gym members speaking out against the gym's training practices and the place being seen as one that encourages bullying.
These high-profile members include UFC women's strawweight fighter Rose Namajunas, her boyfriend and former UFC competitor Pat Barry, and another former UFC fighter Eric Schafer, all of which spoke about the gym's practices while they were there. Roufus defended his gym against these allegations, saying that while the gym can be a harsh environment, it has changed over time.
Brooks has said it is important for him to find a place to train where people won't go out of their way to hurt him, so it appears he sees Roufusport as just the right place for him, Bloody Elbow reported.
MMA fans hoping to hear more about how Punk's training is going might find out on Friday, as he will appear in a Q&A before the UFC 182 weigh-ins.
