CM Punk Feuding With UFC Fighter Who Once Claimed To Be His Debut Opponent

The gloves, as they say, are off.

As the CM Punk show slowly rolls onward over in the UFC, the former WWE champion has found himself embroiled in a feud online with the former Ultimate Fighter contestant who once claimed to be Punk's debut opponent: a member of Conor McGregor's camp, Cathal Pendred. Pendred claimed months ago to be the man that would welcome Punk to the UFC, something that few really bought into at the time. In fact, it seemed more like Pendred was taking a page out of McGregor's book, and learning how to promote. That having been said, however, Pendred, who has over 20 fights as a pro and is now calling the welterweight division, where Punk is expected to fight, home, continues to goad the former wrestler. It all began with this barb by Pendred: https://twitter.com/Pendred/status/631213516347846657 Punk was quick to respond, referencing some of the "gift" decisions Pendred has had since joining the UFC: https://twitter.com/CMPunk/status/631215484143185921 And at that point, the gloves, as they say, were off. Punk accused Pendred of calling him out, and called him a coward, among less printable names. Pendred retorted that he didn't call him out, and referred to him as a washed-up forty year old wrestler. Then apologized to wrestlers and called him an actor. When Punk fell back on financial success, Pendred fired back again: https://twitter.com/Pendred/status/631230855248248833 While the UFC has claimed they will debut Punk against a lesser established fighter - and they likely will - if he can pick up a win or two, they're sitting on a potential gold mine by having a grudge match waiting in the wings that fans would actually be interested in seeing. Pendred may have been gifted some decisions, and has had a couple of dud (boring) bouts, but he's a legit fighter who wins a lot more than he loses, and has a ton more experience than Punk. The motivation for both men, however, would be high, and it may be something the UFC should consider down the line - if Punk can make a successful debut against a lesser fighter first.
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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.