UFC/MMA News: CM Punk's coach provides big update on his next fight
Will the outspoken star redeem himself?
What's the story?
CM Punk has been conspicuous by his absence ever since he was beaten by Mickey Gall in his MMA debut at UFC 203 in December 2016.
The talk of his second professional fight continues to grow each passing day and thankfully for the fans, the former WWE Superstar's coach, Duke Roufus has finally provided an update on his return to the Octagon.
In case you didn't know...
As mentioned above, Punk's much-hyped debut ended when fellow rookie Mickey Gall forced the former WWE Champion to tap out to a rear-naked choke at UFC 203.
The Cult of Personality has been busy training hard for his return ever since, and if his coach's latest comments are anything to go by, then we could see Punk come back with a revitalized intent to prove his naysayers wrong.
The heart of the matter
Duke Roufus, the founder of Roufussport and Punk's trainer, opened up about Punk's current status on the UFC Unfiltered podcast. He claimed that the first loss has only pushed Punk to train harder for his next fight, which incidentally, is just around the corner.
He revealed that Dana White and UFC matchmakers held a meeting yesterday to determine possible matches for Punk along with other potential fights.
Roufus admitted that the weight of the occasion got the better of Punk in his first fight. He said that while Punk finds it weird, he now has an idea of what a real beating feels like.
He even spoke about how Punk will be at his comfortable best on his next fight, irrespective of his opponent and that is all because of the punishment he took at the hands of Galllast year.
The scars of Punk's brutal debut loss will help him avoid such a scenario in the future, just like it does with every most MMA fighters is what Roufus opined.
"It's not the physical. These guys are tough. It's the mental anguish. You don't want to feel that depressing, embarrassing feeling of getting beat up in front of God and everyone. It's no fun. It's been great motivation for him," he said.
What's next?
UFC 217 is the next big PPV offering from the promotion in which Michael Bisping will put his Middleweight title on the line against a returning legend in George St-Pierre.
It's still not sure when UFC may have Punk's return fight planned for if that is on the cards in the first place. UFC 219, which is scheduled to take place on December 30th, could be one of the events that could accommodate the fight as it will be the final show of the year.
UFC can even save the return for next year or worst case scenario for Punk, advise the longest reigning WWE Champion to go to the minor leagues.
Author's take
At 39 years old, Punk doesn't have a lot of time left in his quest to carve out a successful MMA career.
While many fans are looking forward to seeing him back inside the Octagon, the very same set fear a Deja Vu of the first outing.
However, it would be interesting to see how he bounces back after that crushing loss.