"I would do it again" - CM Punk says he has "zero regrets" about UFC run
CM Punk recently shared details of his experience fighting in the UFC. His tenure with the UFC was brief, as the 45-year-old participated in just two bouts within the organization.
2014 saw Punk leave the WWE and sign with the largest mixed martial arts promotion globally. He didn't get the chance to compete inside the octagon until 2016.
His first bout, however, did not go as expected. Punk faced Mickey Gall in the octagon for the first time at UFC 203. The fight ended abruptly, with Punk losing in the first round via rear-naked choke submission.
Later, in 2018, Punk made his octagon comeback by taking on Mike Jackson at UFC 225. He lost again, this time via a unanimous decision. The result was altered to no contest after 'The Truth' tested positive for marijuana.
In a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Punk spoke to Ariel Helwani and disclosed that he was happy with his time in the UFC. He said:
''I'm glad I did it. Zero regrets, I shouldn't have fought in Chicago because the worst two weeks of my life. I couldn't weigh properly, I'm proud of myself for that.''
Punk added:
''It's easy to lol, make fun of me, and some people look at me and be like, oh embarrassing. I f**king made the weight, I made the walk, I 100% proud of myself and I would do it again.''
Check out CM Punk's comments below:
Recently, Punk faced backlash for his UFC payout. In a YouTube video, former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson criticized Punk for receiving a pay-per-view bonus on top of his normal paycheck for his UFC debut.
He said:
"Let's look at CM Punk. This guy comes in and gets a base salary of $500,000. There were also potential pay-per-view bonuses and other financial incentives included in his contract. I had to defend the f**king belt [11] times and I couldn't even get this."
Check out Demetrious Johnson's comments below (13:43):
When Joe Rogan claimed CM Punk lacked talent
During the 31st MMA Show edition of The Joe Rogan Experience, Joe Rogan shared his honest thoughts on CM Punk as a mixed martial artist.
The UFC commentator claimed that Punk lacked athletic ability. He claimed Punk's movements and kicks were extremely stiff and unnatural during his bout with Mike Jackson.
Rogan said:
"He is a very nice guy and a hard worker, but he does not have athletic talent."
Rogan continued his criticism and said that with a few weeks of training, track and field athletes might become better fighters than him:
"There is a lot of guys you could take out there that are track and field guys or football players, and you could get them to fight better than him in a couple of weeks."
Check out Joe Rogan's comments below (0:35):