8 Things You Need To Know About CM Punk's UFC Contract

6. He'll Be Fighting At Middleweight, Or Welterweight

Punk is probably naturally a middleweight, though we won't know for sure where he fights until after a planned test weight cut - something he has already stated he will be undergoing soon enough. He also talked about picking up a nutritionist, which is a great idea. Weight cutting is not something pro wrestlers have to deal with. In wrestling, you show up at the weight you are, and the company bills you as whatever weight it sees fit - weights are often increased to make fighters seem more intimidating (see Bobby Lashley as an example). It's a huge deal for MMA fighters however. Cutting weight - sweating out excess water weight in the days leading up to a fight - gives many fighters a size advantage, as they can fight in a lower weight class. Weigh-ins are done the day before a fight, so they have roughly 24-hours to re-hydrate. The process can take a severe toll on the body however, and has in some cases (not in the UFC, mind you) led to death. Thus dieting down a few pounds with a nutritionist is probably the best idea. So Punk will probably be a middleweight, but he could have the option to cut an extra 15 pounds and drop to welterweight. He put it simply, saying "I'm not ruling out 170" but adding "185 is most likely the target."