If you think CM Punk is going to be on the basic $8,000 to show up and $8,000 for the win, then you're wrong. We know that Punk's legal team went back and forth with the UFC legal team a little; his contract isn't your standard deal. The thing about Punk is that he's a proven ratings / buys draw from the WWE. That means he has more value than any other low level fighter in the UFC. In fact, he's probably right up there with Ronda Rousey in terms of commercial appeal. UFC will pay him as a star. He'll get an attractive downside and no doubt negotiated a cut of live gates and pay per view buys - after all, he'll be a major attraction on whatever show he's fighting on. One area where he's sure to make money is merchandise. He was top of WWE's merchandise sales and UFC will no doubt ship a ton of stuff with Punk's name and likeness on. When the UFC Reebok uniform deal starts, don't be surprised to see Punk specific gear being key to the roll out. Win or lose, Punk is cashing in with the UFC.
