Ex-WWE star CM Punk has MMA potential, says Askren

MANILA, Philippines – A big target was put on the back of former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstar CM Punk from the moment that the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) announced that the ex-professional wrestler has been signed to an exclusive deal.

Many fighters became skeptic about CM Punk’s transition to mixed martial arts (MMA), including ONE Championship welterweight titleholder Ben Askren.

However, the 30-year-old grappler from Milwaukie, Wisconsin has now a different view of CM Punk after training with him at Duke Roufus’ Roufusport, a home to a number of top MMA competitors such as UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, Sergio Pettis, and Erik Koch.

“He has been fantastic to work with the whole time though. From the day he came in, which is the beginning of January when we started training, he just comes in and woks hard,” Askren told Rappler.

While Askren may have changed his tune on CM Punk, he is still disappointed over the organization’s decision to enlist the former WWE performer with absolutely no experience in MMA on its roster.

“I never said any critical about him. I said something critical about the UFC’s decision to sign him because he had no fighting experience at that point,” he clarified.

After his departure from Bellator MMA, Askren was expected to join the ranks of the UFC, but head honcho Dana White shocked everyone by publicly proclaiming that he was not interested to recruit him, which created a personal friction between the two men.

CM Punk, whose real name is Phil Brooks, inked a multi-fight contract with the world’s premier MMA promotion last December after his surprising exodus from WWE in January 2014.

The 36-year-old Chicago native, who practiced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with Rener Gracie in the past, will be paired against someone with equal footing in the sport for his first Octagon appearance since he has no prizefighting experience under his belt.

“The plan is to make him a high-level MMA fighter. It’s going to take a while. He started from scratch in January, so we are only in April. It has only been three months,” said Askren, who also serves as a wrestling coach at Roufusport.

According to Askren, CM Punk will have his professional MMA debut in the first quarter of 2016 as Roufus would like his new pupil to hone his skills for a year before taking any bout.

“The plan is he will take a whole year of training before he fights. I think [we will see him fight] early next year. He is way better. He is a real hard worker and put times in the gym everyday,” he disclosed. – Rappler.com