7 Things We Learned From CM Punk's UFC Debut Loss
It was what we all expected.
Saturday night at UFC 203 in Cleveland, Ohio, CM Punk at long last made his UFC debut. That, at least, silenced those who said he would never fight in the octagon, who derided his attempt to make it as a pro in the UFC with next to no experience and zero previous amateur and professional fights.
In itself, that is no small feat. After dealing with multiple injuries, a lawsuit that was no doubt a serious distraction from his training, and relocating (at least temporarily) to a new city, actually getting in the cage at UFC 203 was certainly a victory.
In that, Punk was successful, but what about the fight itself?
Well, it wasn't good. In fact it may go down as one of the worst UFC fights in recent memory. Lasting just over two minutes (not uncommon in MMA), Punk found himself taken down and struggling to defend. That led to him giving up his back, and eventually tapping out to a rear naked choke - something we saw from him in training.
Punk looked anything but a professional fighter, but insists he will fight again. So aside from Punk being tenacious and undeterred in the face of defeat, what did we learn from his debut? He are seven things we picked up!
7. Try As He Might, CM Punk Will Never Shake The Pro Wrestling Connection
For Punk, professional wrestling is currently a double-edged sword: his success in the WWE has allowed for this UFC opportunity, but at the same time, his unhappiness towards the end of his career has seemingly tainted his view of the profession. Still, without wrestling, there's no CM Punk, which means there's no late-life shot at the UFC.
And Punk hasn't fully cut ties with the wrestling world it seems: while he says he doesn't keep tabs on what's going on in the WWE, he is certainly leaning on the past, at least to a degree, when presenting himself to the media and fans. And even if he hasn't kept tabs on the wrestling world, rest assured they've kept tabs on him.
Hulk Hogan tweeted his support of Punk prior to the UFC 203 main card, and wrestling personalities like Stone Cold Steve Austin and Noelle Foley were in attendance in Cleveland. In the days leading up to the fight, wrestlers like Mick Foley, Seth Rollins, and even old foe Ryback offered their support.