CM Punk's transition to the UFC is chugging right along, and has been for months, but for the first time, cracks are starting to show. Punk has been busy training at Roufusport in Milwaukee, going so far as to pick up shop and move from his native Chicago to the Wisconsin city in order to be closer to his training camp. Head coach Duke Roufus has spoken highly of his biggest profile pupil, and in public, everyone is saying all the right things. Even Ben Askren, one of the biggest critics in regards to Punk signing with the UFC, seems to have come around. However, in recent weeks, cracks have begun to show in the CM Punk/MMA facade. Some of this may simply be media and fan fatigue: every time the UFC comes to just about any given town, CM Punk is rolled out like some sort of P.T. Barnum side show attraction, put on stage to do Q&As about an MMA career that hasn't even begun yet. Can anyone really see Brock Lesnar putting up with that? In any case, as the media and fans slowly tire of the Punk story, they become more and more critical of what they're seeing - and recent events haven't helped. From a recent, tumultuous Q&A to struggles in sparring, here are seven signs cracks are showing - cracks that could lead to CM Punk's MMA career opening with a loss and resulting in a bust.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
