• UFC

CM Punk on UFC: It's a perfect match

CM Punk announced he has signed with the UFC © Getty Images

Enlarge

Love it, hate it, be indifferent about it, whatever - veteran pro wrestler CM Punk will fight in UFC.

CM Punk, birth name Phil Brooks, has never professionally competed in mixed martial arts. His martial arts training has been limited at best. He has trained Brazilian jiu-jitsu off and on under Rener Gracie in Southern California for years, but his experience remains limited and he has never been awarded a belt.

The 36-year-old Brooks believes he will fight at 185 pounds but isn't positive. He will make his UFC debut - with a clean 0-0 record - sometime in 2015.

Brooks, who received full legal freedom from WWE in October, was frank with media members during an impromptu news conference at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Saturday. He acknowledged that his presence in the UFC is thanks to the entertainment side of MMA, rather than the sport aspect of it.

He also said he is fully committed to being successful in the cage and plans to earn respect by the time he is finished with the Octagon.

Here's what the long-time entertainer had to say on a multitude of topics relating to his signing.

On how the deal came together: I said something in passing to [UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta] and then he said something half-ass joking back, and I think that's when the seed was planted. I didn't have to beg. They didn't have to beg. I honestly think it's a perfect match because of guys like [WWE star and former UFC heavyweight champion] Brock Lesnar who have laid all the ground work. [UFC president Dana White] already told me somebody asked him, "Oh, I thought you don't do freak show fights." I wear that like a badge. I was a huge [Pride Fighting Championships] fan. So if anybody out there considers me a freak show fight, I think that's kind of funny.

On his fighting base: Just due to the length I've known Rener and been working with him, I would say my base is jiu-jitsu. I am by no means a kickboxing whiz, but I intend to be as well-rounded as I possibly can before I step in the cage.

On fighting at 185 pounds: The first legitimate conversation I had with Dana and Lorenzo, I was 215 [pounds] and I ate so much food in front of them. In hindsight, I thought maybe I shouldn't have done that. Since then, I've already lost 15 pounds and been training my ass off already, anticipating this. It's exciting for me. I think I could - I don't want to say "easily" get to 185 - I'm going to do a test weight cut. I'm going to use all the contacts I already have to get the best nutritionist and see how I feel. I'm not ruling out 170. I've got to test my body, but 185 is my most likely target.

On initial social media reaction to the announcement: Oh, I'm staying the f*** off Twitter right now. I've got friends and family texting me, patting me on the back, congratulations. I'm staying away from the negativity for the night.

On what he hopes to accomplish at 36 years old: I'm not going to try and give some inspirational message or anything like that. I just - there are a lot of kids that look up to me, maybe, I don't know, and I always tell them, "Don't let anybody tell you you can't do something. If you want to do something and it doesn't harm anybody else, do it. Choose a path and work toward it to the best of your ability." That's all I'm doing here. I'm 36 years young. I'm going to give it 100 percent, and I don't let anybody tell me I can't do something.

On inevitable comparisons to Lesnar: You hear positive and negative things about Brock. "Oh, Brock was just a wrestler and he got knocked out." No, dude. Brock was the heavyweight champion. If somebody is going to compare me to Brock, I'll take that.

On his potential drawing power in UFC: If I was just Phil Brooks, I'm coming into the biggest fight organisation in the world with an 0-0 record. I understand that people are going to throw that in my face. That's the reality of it, and I embrace that reality. Can CM Punk fight? Yeah. I think everybody on some level can fight. I think it's in our DNA. I intend to take this seriously. I respect everybody who has ever stepped foot in the cage, and before I'm done here, everybody will respect me.

On whether he would have fought elsewhere had UFC not signed him: Absolutely. People close to me know how long I've talked about doing this. It isn't so much about the UFC; it's about being what I know I have inside of me. I want to prove not only to the world but more importantly myself. This is something I've thought about for a long time that I haven't been able to do. Once the opportunity presented itself, I would be a fool to say no.

On why he didn't take a fight outside UFC first: I just think that's where Dana and Lorenzo come in and say the big business is your first fight. So, win, lose or draw, if I fought somewhere else, maybe a little lustre would have gotten knocked off. Make no mistake: This is very much a business as well as fighting. There are both sides of it, and I think they kind of merge perfectly. I was willing [to fight outside UFC]. It's weird. This is something I'm doing for myself, to test myself. It's certainly not all about the money, but it's also nice to get paid.

On where he'll train for his first fight: That's an interesting question. Rener is always going to be my guy, but when we get closer to figuring out when I'm ready - when I have a [fight] date - I don't know if I want to piecemeal a camp together. I definitely need to find a place that's best for me and my needs. I don't want to be somebody who will cherry-pick guys that I'm comfortable with. I need to go to a place that breeds champions and trains the best. I'm not saying I have the pick of the litter, but I have a lot of friends who have said, open arms, "Come here." I'm fortunate in that respect. I don't have a crystal ball. I would love to see Rener walk into the cage with me, but I'm not sure.

This article originally appeared on ESPN.com

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd