9 Predictions For CM Punk's Debut At UFC 203
The wait is finally over!
The wait is finally over!
At UFC 203 on September 10, former WWE champion CM Punk will at long last make his professional debut as a mixed martial artist. Facing the 2-0 Mickey Gall in a welterweight contest on the main card, Punk will look to overcome incredible odds by being a fighter with zero experience jumping right into the big leagues.
This isn't Michael Jordan playing baseball or Brock Lesnar making the jump - they had some background when they tackled a second profession. No, this is more or less a fan walking in off the street wanting to play in the big leagues. Not just any fan though - one who already has a rabid fan base of his own, who brings eyeballs and media attention with him. So of course, Dana White and the UFC took the bait and signed Punk.
Whether they made the right call remains to be seen. Can Punk handle himself in a live fight? Has the highly decorated Duke Roufus had enough time to train him, to turn an athletic body into a fighting athlete? Will Punk have the upper hand in any area, or will Gall simply steamroll over him?
Lets take a look at nine predictions for CM Punk's UFC debut!
9. He'll Walk Out To Cult Of Personality
It's hard to explain why walkout music matters so much in mixed martial arts, and especially in the UFC. It's not as if fighters have WWE-style theme songs after all. Sure, a couple have songs they always use: Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone always comes out to Kid Rock's Cowboy, for one example.
However, fans will obsess over certain walkout tracks. MMA news sites will post recaps of all the walkout songs on a given card. At the end of the day, why it matters is this: the walkout music often sets the mood, or tone, of the fight. Seeing a fighter come out to a pounding beat, looking like a tiger ready to escape his cage? That's sending a message.
At UFC 203, Punk will almost certainly come out to Cult of Personality by Living Colour, just like he did back in the WWE. A big hint would be the inclusion of the song in the final episode of The Evolution of Punk, the Fox Sports 1 documentary into Punk's attempt to make it as a fighter in the UFC. The episode was even named "Cult of Personality" - further evidence than Punk isn't distancing himself from his old persona.