While all of the offical weigh-ins took place Friday morning, the roster of sluggers and sluggettes for Saturday’s UFC 203 will publicly take to the scales at 6 PM EST for all of the world’s eyes to see.
That means CM Punk will (possibly) be stripping down to his Underoos for the first time in several years for public consumption. Punk hit the scales at 170 pounds, meaning there’s nothing else standing in his way, aside from slipping on a pipe or an attack by HHH, from him making his MMA debut against Mickey Gall Saturday.
The card also features heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic vs. Alistair Overeem, a redemption fight in Fabricio Werdum vs. Travis Browne, Urijah Faber looking to prove people wrong against rising prospect Jimmie Rivera, a Sempervive special in Joanne Calderwood vs. Jessica Andrade, and more.
For more coverage of CM Punk and UFC 203, visit the Related Articles links below.
CM Punk’s journey to the UFC and in life has been an interesting one. His WWE-produced documentary told the story of a man whose early life was a struggle and something that made him who he is today – for better or worse.
Since leaving WWE in 2014, he has been dedicated to becoming the best MMA fighter he can be. He’s not out to be a champion, or even the best “guest” fighter in UFC history – he’s just trying to prove something to himself. Before, he tried to prove that he could succeed at a high level in pro wrestling despite having size and his physique held against him and he did.
Now, he has to prove that he is worthy of this UFC opportunity.
When he was signed, everyone expected him to use his promo skills to hype up the fight. Instead, he has been doing the opposite, being honest to a fault and acting strangely humble. Instead of bragging and boasting, he’s been very realistic about his chances and is open about the potential of getting his ass handed to him by Mickey Gall.
It’s a unique approach to a fight as is the Evolution of Punk documentary series UFC has done on him. He comes off like an underdog just getting into MMA to begin with, let alone debuting in the biggest MMA group in history. You see that he is a driven individual and one that knows he’s a bit crazy to get into MMA at this stage.
Punk’s drive has defined him almost as much as his promos and personality, but it could be leading him to disaster here and he knows it. He’s quite brave to just go right into MMA without any real athletic background beyond pro wrestling.
Unlike Brock Lesnar going into MMA from pro wrestling, he didn’t have an NCAA-level wrestling background to fall back on as a base. His striking, grappling, and submissions were all about making things theatrical and keeping them within the confines of a pro wrestling match, not actually hurting someone to win a fight.
Having pro wrestling as his base works for his promos and he should have, at least, some familiarity with getting hit which also works in his favor. The Punk doc showed that he is fully aware of the risks, so even if his wife is terrified of the idea of him fighting, he knows it’s something he has to do. He has a point to prove to himself, and he knows that whether he wins or loses his fight with Mickey Gall, he will have proven something to himself.
Just competing is a victory in its own way, and his journey to the UFC even after starting training hasn’t been a smooth one. A shoulder injury set his return back several months, and as someone closer to 40 than 30, he knows his body takes longer to heal and fully recover from injuries. His mental toughness might be unmatched in either pro wrestling or MMA and that will probably carry him on even if he’s down two rounds.
Punk is heading into a whole new world on Saturday night and it could determine his future in and outside of MMA. If he wins easily, he could either choose to retire on a high note with one win and become a commentator, something that would be a longer-term (and safer) job than in-ring competition. He could also opt to keep fighting and try to make a run for the gold. That would be a tough road and a big longshot, but one that could pan out very well if the hands of fate deal him a favorable deck of cards.
A loss, especially a first round KO loss, would seem to spell the end of his MMA career as an active fighter. My hope is that he does well, wins, and retires. If he absolutely blows away Gall, maybe then see where things go with a second fight. Regardless, Punk is in for the fight of his life on Saturday night, and many will be crowded around TVs at their homes or at sports bars anxiously awaiting the result.
Many are watching simply to see him fight, while just as many want to see him lose, echoing a John Cena-esque fanbase that loves and loathes him. I just want to see him do well and, most importantly, hope that he feels like the time and effort he spent on learning the craft wasn’t wasted. He had the guts to try something new and expand his comfort zone, and should be applauded for it. He may not win the fight, but he will be anything but a loser on Saturday night.
UFC returns to pay-per-view this weekend as the company travels to Cleveland, OH, for the very first time for UFC 203 on Saturday. The event is headlined by a UFC Heavyweight Championship bout as champion Stipe Miocic defends against challenger Alistair Overeem.
Also, you may have also heard of another significant bout as CM Punk makes his debut against Mickey Gall.
Below are fighters to target when setting your fantasy line-ups for the event.
TOP TARGET
Stipe Miocic ($10,000)
Stipe Miocic is making his first title defense when he defends the UFC Heavyweight Championship against Alistair Overeem in the main event of UFC 203 on Saturday. Miocic won the championship by knocking out Fabricio Werdum at UFC 198 in May, going into the enemy territory of Brazil and getting the biggest win of his career. Miocic now makes his first title defense in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, and he comes in with a ton of confidence.
Miocic has won three straight fights and six of his last seven while Overeem earns his title shot on the heels of four straight wins. Overeem disappointed early in his UFC career, but he has earned his shot at getting the belt out of the hands of Miocic.
This is a tough match-up to predict as both men are equally close in skillsets. Miocic is the better pure boxer of the two and has a ton of power in his hands, but Overeem has more technique on his feet with his kickboxing. Overeem has punishing kicks and knees that end fights, and Miocic is going to need to be light on his feet and use a lot of movement. Miocic is the better wrestler of the two should he choose to go that route, but Overeem has good takedown defense and is good at getting back to his feet.
I expect Overeem to be on the attack of the legs of Miocic with kicks and to keep enough distance to negate Miocic’s strong counterpunching game. Miocic is very durable and has shown a stronger conditioning game than Overeem has. Any time Overeem has been past the second round, he has slowed considerably. He has been lucky his opponents slowed quicker than him. That won’t happen with Miocic.
I expect Overeem to give Miocic some trouble but for Miocic to start coming on after the first round. Either man can win by knockout, but I see the hometown crowd giving Miocic a lot of confidence and him feeding off of that en route to a win inside of three rounds. Miocic is my top target on this tough card.
VALUE TARGET
Joanne Calderwood ($9,500)
Joanne Calderwood meets Jessica Andrade in a high-level strawweight battle that will kick off the main card of UFC 203 on Saturday. Both ladies are strong, high-volume strikers and both looked super impressive in their most recent wins. This will be Andrade’s second time fighting at 115 pounds while Calderwood goes back down to 115 pounds after fighting her most recent bout at 125 pounds.
It was Calderwood’s first full camp with Tristar and she looked much improved and more confident having the better coaching staff behind her. Andrade is short for the division, but she has a ton of power and has shown devastating finishing abilities at both womens’ weight classes in the UFC.
A big difference between the two is Andrade starts out fast and slows down while Calderwood is a slow starter who comes on late. If Calderwood has a slow start, Andrade can make her pay early. Andrade mixes her attack to the head and body well, and she goes right after opponents.
Calderwood is a solid kickboxer and likes to work in the clinch, and her kicks and knees come into factor in a grueling bout. Calderwood is also a good wrestler and has solid submission skills. Andrade has been finished in four of her five career losses, two each by submission and knockout. More importantly, all of Andrade’s UFC losses have seen her stopped.
Calderwood is the slight underdog in this fight, but I see her having more tools to win this fight out of the two women. Calderwood is going to have to survive an early attack from Andrade, but the later this fight goes, the more it favors Calderwood. She scores a lot of points in fantasy and is a sneaky pick for a late finish, and her salary makes her a very good value pick.
DO NOT TARGET
CM Punk ($8,000)
There are a multitude of reasons to avoid CM Punk on your fantasy team for this weekend’s card. I think he’s going to do better than a lot of people think he is, but it is still a big risk, and his low salary reflects that. He is making his professional debut, at 37-years-old, coming off of years of his body being beaten up in pro wrestling.
The fact that he is debuting 21 months after his signing and coming off of two surgeries isn’t a great sign either. He has a top training camp and top coaching staff behind him, so that is going to play a big factor.
Everything is pointing to him not doing so well, and that is where I think he will surprise some people. Everyone watching his reality show has seen the holes in his game, but don’t let that be a true reflection of where he stands today as the show isn’t going to show everything for a number of reasons. As inexperienced as he is, Mickey Gall is a real opponent.
He has just two professional fights, both wins, and while he is a raw prospect, he has the ability and he has done everything to show that he would eventually make it to the UFC, but he is there quicker than he should have been because they needed an opponent for Punk, and he was in the right place at the right time. Punk may actually surprise some people and he could sneak out a win as while some should think he has all that pressure on him, he really should have no pressure on him at all.
There really isn’t much for him to lose because everyone expects him to lose, and everything for him to gain if he is better than people expect. For fantasy reasons, with Punk being in his first career fight, I don’t recommend playing him at all unless you want a Hail Mary pick. This is a very interesting situation, though, to say the least.
UNDERDOG TARGET
Travis Browne ($8,700)
Travis Browne makes a quick turnaround on short notice as he looks to avenge one of the losses in his career when he takes on Fabricio Werdum in the co-main event of UFC 203. Browne is coming off of being finished in the first round by Cain Velasquez at UFC 200 in July, and he steps in on short notice as a replacement for Ben Rothwell.
Browne and Werdum fought in a five-round bout in April 2014 that was dominated by Werdum, who won by unanimous decision. That was Werdum at his best, and now he is coming off of him being at his worst when he lost by first-round knockout, losing the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
Neither man has been terribly active in the 29 months since their first fight as Browne has fought just four times and Werdum just three. There are a lot of factors to show that Werdum may be done. He looked different in his bout with Stipe Miocic in May, looking like another man than the one who won the championship. Perhaps that has to do with more stringent drug testing, or other factors coming into play such as Werdum getting older.
Browne has the power to finish Werdum with one shot, much like Miocic did. Werdum was happy to engage with Browne in their first bout, and that shook Browne, who didn’t look like he did prior to that fight. Both men have lost a step in recent times, but they are also fighting much quicker than their recent schedules have.
The short notice, in my opinion, actually favors Browne. I think Werdum’s chin may be done as it has been cracked a lot, and I see Werdum wanting to engage with Browne on the feet. Browne has one of the lower salaries on the card, and you have to pick at least one big underdog on every event. Browne is a good one and I see him as my top underdog target.
SURPRISE TARGET
Brad Tavares ($9,800)
Brad Tavares fights for the first time since May 2015 as he returns to the Octagon to take on Caio Magalhaes in a preliminary bout at UFC 203. Tavares has been battling injuries that have forced him from fights since his last fight, but he gets an opponent who has also been out for a while as Magalhaes hasn’t fought since July 2015, but his inactivity has been due to suspensions and injuries.
Tavares was actually a rising middleweight who found himself in the top 15 rankings after going 7-1 in his first eight UFC bouts, but he has since lost three of his last four, including being knocked out by Robert Whittaker in 44 seconds in his last fight.
This is a great match-up for him as Magalhaes is an opponent who cuts a lot of weight and it shows in his performances. He comes out aggressive but is unable to keep up the pace for very long while Tavares has excellent conditioning. Magalhaes also telegraphs his takedown attempts too easily and Tavares has strong takedown defense.
In fact, the only opponent who hasn’t had trouble taking Tavares down has been Yoel Romero, and he is one of the best wrestlers in the UFC. Tavares has solid striking, mixing kicks with knees and solid jabs and punches. Tavares also has good takedowns of his own. Magalhaes is going to have to hit him with a hard shot early, but Magalhaes also has a questionable chin.
Tavares is in big need of a win, and I think he gets the job done here, and a first-round finish is always there. I like his chances for a surprise finish with a lot of points being scored.
OUR LINE-UPS
RYAN FREDERICK- Mickey Gall ($11,400), Jessica Eye ($10,100), Stipe Miocic ($10,000), Joanne Calderwood ($9,500), Travis Browne ($8,700)
Mickey Gall has his chance to make a name for himself at the expense of CM Punk, and I think he’s too good of a pick to pass up, even at his salary. If he is going to win, and I think he will, I think it will be by a finish and in the first round.
Jessica Eye is coming in with her back against the wall, but she has a ton of confidence fighting in front of her hometown crowd, and she fights a favorable opponent. She is going to bounce back in a big way in Cleveland.
Stipe Miocic also has a lot of confidence fighting in front of the Cleveland crowd, and him and Alistair Overeem are going to have a battle. Miocic will land a lot of punches and some takedowns and finish the fight and retain his championship.
Joanne Calderwood has good value at her salary and I see her finishing Jessica Andrade after wearing her down after the first five minutes.
My last pick is Travis Browne. I’m not sold that Fabricio Werdum is the same fighter that he was when Browne and him first fought, and I think his chin is done. Browne is big and hard with his punches, and I think he can finish Werdum.
PAUL FONTAINE- Yancy Medeiros ($10,500), Stipe Miocic ($10,000), Caio Magalhaes ($9,600), Michael McBride ($9,200), Travis Browne ($8,700)
Medeiros is very underrated and I think he’s going to have a lot more power at welterweight where he’ll be fighting for at the first time in UFC. He had fought as high as 185 in Strikeforce and had KO power at that weight. I look for him to finish Sean Spencer since he has his back against the wall, having lost 2 of 3.
Miocic is a killer and will have the hometown crowd behind him. He should KO Alistair Overeem in fairly short order. Caio Magalhaes is a beast in more ways than one and he’s going to blitz Brad Tavares, who hasn’t fought in 19 months and has only one win in the last 2 1/2 years.
Michael McBride makes his UFC debut with all of his career wins coming by submission. Nik Lentz grappling style leaves him vulnerable to getting caught and I’m going with the newcomer to score the upset here.
My last pick is Travis Browne. I think the former champion Werdum is coming back too soon after getting KO’d by Miocic. At 39 years old it can’t be easy for him to come back from that and Browne should enter the title picture with a win over Werdum.
PEACH MACHINE- Drew Dober ($11,200), Jessica Eye ($10,100), Urijah Faber ($9,700), Alistair Overeem ($9,600), CM Punk ($8,000)
I’m not convinced Miocic is the champ. He got lucky against Werdum and I don’t think he’ll get lucky against Overeem. Like I wrote about in my column a few days ago, Punk is playing opossum. Eye is really tough as is Correira but Eye needs the win badly here.
Faber is woefully underrated in my book. Sure he’s never won the big one, but this isn’t the big one. I’ve been impressed by Dober in his last few outings. I expect him to cruise here. I’ll be live at the event, and if Punk wins, I may crash the cage with my posse and call him out. Look for that.
UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, Alistair Overeem, CM Punk, Mickey Gall, and more will take the dais Thursday afternoon in Cleveland, OH, for the official UFC 203 pre-event press conference.
Watch the video below starting at 2 PM EST.
While much has been made of Punk this week due to his celebrity status, Miocic’s first defense of his heavyweight crown is being underplayed, especially since it will take place in his hometown. Overeem is a live challenger and poses a serious threat to Miocic if he can connect.
Also on the undercard is Urijah Faber who is quietly making his return to the Octagon for the first time since losing to bantamweight champion Dominic Cruz this summer. He faces unheralded Jimmie Rivera, winner of 18 straight with three of those coming in the UFC.
Should Faber win, expect a big push for him to face T.J. Dillashaw next as Cruz seems slated for fast-rising prospect and Faber teammate Cody Garbrandt.
Watch all this unfold, likely sans bottle throwing, at 2 PM EST as part of our #PunkWeek coverage.
As part of the lead-in to UFC 203, several fighters held “open workouts” which are typically short and light workout sessions designed for fans and media to get a few pictures and soundbites.
CM Punk’s first workout even tested the definition of the word “light”. Try just over two minutes. I don’t know if this means anything, but the crowd seemed awfully light.
Afterward, Punk answered questions for about nine minutes, most of which were the garden variety scrum stuff. He was asked about the mini-controvery that arose Tuesday about wheher his license should have even been issued by Ohio.
Punk said he really didn’t know anything about it and pondered why people are that concerned about it. When someone said they were worried about his well being, Punk shot back, “No, they’re not. They’re hack journalists trying to stir up sh*t.”
Overall, he seems jovial for someone that is known for being a bit prickly.
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All four parts of the Punk mini-doc ‘Evolution of Punk’ are available on YouTube. It’ll take you about an hour and twenty minutes to get through them.
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The latest episode of Embedded was released featuring Punk in a cryo-chamber and leaving Sweet Home Chicago for Cleveland. Also, Stipe Miocic gets a new suit, Jessica Eye gets ready for a first pitch, Alistair Overeem’s sunglasses are still on fleek, and Mickey Gall arrives.
By now, you’re aware that former WWE champion and star CM Punk is finally going to make his Octagon debut at UFC 203 in September against Mickey Gall.
The road from December 2014 when his signing was first announced has been a rocky one due to injury, hardcore fan and media outcry, and the fact that transitioning into a professional sport with no experience is, at best, difficult. Add in the bright spotlight shone on you the entire time, and you can see why Phil Brooks probably just wants to get this first fight out of the way.
Fox Sports has produced a four-part documentary on Punk’s transition into MMA and as they get released on YouTube, we’ll release them here.
In part 1 called “The Ground Up”, we get the foundation for why Punk wanted to get into MMA and see the hardships in the initial pivot.
In part 2 called “A Little Bit Crazy”, Punk’s wife sees a sparring session, we see Punk’s decision to move to Milwaukee, and then…injury happens.
In part 3 called “Hurt”, we see Punk recovering from shoulder problems that kept him on the shelf at the worst possible time. We also see him spend time with a Make-a-Wish kid, and some of the frustrations of all the attention placed on his new career move.
In the finale, Punk recovers from back surgery and meets Mickey Gall for the first time.
#PunkWeek is in full swing, kicking off Tuesday with amateur MMA fighter Dan Velten’s game plan on how he’d advise CM Punk to win in his debut…which is this Saturday at UFC 203 in case you hadn’t heard.
But that wasn’t the biggest Punk associated story of the day as how he got his fight license from Ohio became a point of contention, first raised by Combat Sports Law. Why? Because according to their administrative code, any fighter seeking a license must have at least five amateur fights and a winning record in those fights.
Punk, of course, has none.
However, there is a process in which a fighter can appeal to “the executive director or the Ohio Athletic Commission to have this waived.”
MMA Fighting’s Luke Thomas conversed with OAC executive director Bernie Profato about the issue and got the following quote:
“CM Punk has a wrestling background similar to Brock Lesnar being permitted to fight in the past,” Profato said.
Thomas said that Profato mentioned his trust in UFC matchmaker Joe Silva’s efforts in past Ohio fight cards as also playing into the consideration for the license.
Brought up by the CSL blog was the intriguing Subsection F which establishes a “Master’s Division” for fighters 35 and older. The requirement here is three fights with a winning record which can then lead to an application for a license. This is supposed to be non-waivable. (Thanks to Brendan for bringing that clause to my attention.)
If anyone truly thought Punk’s fight license was ever in danger, you just don’t understand the fight game.
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In case you missed the first two episodes of UFC Embedded, both are here for your viewing pleasure.
Episode 1 features Punk doing some final wrestling prep and some running. We then get to see some of the other fighters on the card (there are other fights?) like Fabricio Werdum, Travis Browne, Alistair Overeem (interestingly evaluating the Arlovski/Barnett fight), and UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic getting a kick out of hanging up on people.
We also get a look at Punk’s basement gym and sauna. Sadly, Mickey Gall is nowhere to be found in this episode.
Episode 2 is more of the same. We get to see Punk’s sauna and ice bath. And no, he doesn’t look anywhere near 200 pounds. Also, Miocic pulls a weird trick on a little girl, and Overeem’s sunglasses take center stage.
And yes, Gall is still nowhere to be seen.
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In case you were wondering, Punk has arrived in Cleveland and signed some posters Tuesday. He also did his pre-fight interview and had his photo shoot. Here’s what he looks like in his gear.
Editor’s Note: As part of our #PunkWeek coverage leading up to former WWE champion CM Punk’s UFC/MMA debut Saturday at UFC 203, we enlisted someone that has been in the cage before to outline how the underdog can win in his debut.
I know how CM Punk can win. I know his strategy, because I am basically CM Punk.
Given our similar histories, here’s how we both stack up physically and how I would fight Gall if it was my first professional fight.
Tale Of The Tape
– Phil “CM Punk” Brooks: 37, 6’2″, 185, 0-0 record, BJJ rank unknown (but at least a blue)
– Dan “PeachMachine” Velten: 38, 6’1″, 177.5, 5-2 amateur MMA record, BJJ rank purple belt
While our age is nearly the same, our size is remarkably similar as well. I’ve fought every match at welterweight (170), and the most I’ve ever needed to cut to get there was about 15 pounds. Punk would have the slight size edge on me as he does on the 5’11” welterweight-sized Gall, but I don’t think it will mean much.
Punk has never had an official “anything real” match, but don’t buy that “untested” nonsense. He rolls hard in BJJ practice. He spars hard doing stand up. He’s been hit. He’s been a fan of MMA since the beginning, done private lessons with Rener Gracie, and has spent time learning striking, even while in the world of professional wrestling. He’s a rookie in the cage, but not to the sport.
Other Similarities:
– We have both suffered a number of concussions. I once was able to recall 14. That was some time ago, but I’ll go with that. Punk once said the number 20, but who knows? We’ve both had some brain damage; that we can agree upon.
– In BJJ, I have a purple belt while Punk had previously refused to be belted (although he was seen getting a stripe on his white belt on an episode of his FS1 documentary). That said, I have no idea how good he actually is in the sport of BJJ. Lucky for him, that doesn’t matter much in the cage. I’m nowhere near an amazing grappler as anyone who saw the Grappling Battle of the Empire knows that.
However, I was usually able to make my BJJ work for me in the cage. I’ve talked to people who have rolled (sparred) with him and I’m fairly certain he’s better than he’s letting on.
– We have both had various injuries. We’ve both broken bones, noses, and knees. We both have permanent back issues. A life as a professional wrestler, takes its toll. Not all of that tape is for show.
– Punk has performed in front of thousands of fans. I certainly have not done that. Still, it’s a lot different when that man across the cage from you really wants to hurt you. I’ve never done media or pressers. In fact, the closest I’ve been to fame is when I won a free Metallica T-shirt for calling into a radio station.
How I Would Fight Mickey Gall
Gall has one key advantage: his youth. Gall is only 22. When Punk was 22 not drinking at parties and getting down to Nelly’s “Hot in Herre”, Gall was in the first grade sounding out Cuh-Aht. Cuhat. Cat. YAY!
In the fight game, youth is king. Think about how much fight you had when you were 22. When Punk was around 22, he was known for having a bit of a temper. You may recall an incident at a TNA PPV from Nashville at the White Trash Cafe involving Punk and Teddy Hart.
We all had a lot more gusto at that age which equates to energy production. Gall is going to start fast and put the pressure on Punk. If Punk lets that happen by going straight in or straight back, he’ll be on his butt before he even knows what happened. Punk can’t let himself get dragged into a fight by just swinging wildly.
Here is what I expect from Punk:
He will try and stand for about 30 seconds. I’m sure he’ll want to show off his hands before getting it to the ground, which is probably where he thinks he can win. I agree. He’s got the most experience on the ground, and we know Gall is willing to go there. I do expect Gall to take him down because he probably thinks he can get another fast submission which he absolutely should go for. Unfortunately, that plays into Punk’s one potential strength: the ground.
Punk needs to get ready to pull guard. He’s too slow to evade for very long so he needs to try and catch Gall with hands on his way in for a takedown and then grab a hold and drag it to the mat. Punk’s first objective should be to make it a ground fight because that’s how he can win: submission.
The only area where youth can hurt you may be on the ground. Often, we see guys get too aggressive trying to force a submission and they lose position. Gall is susceptible to this. I expect a grappling battle, and I expect Punk to catch him.
Punk wouldn’t be fighting if he didn’t think he could win which makes him dangerous. Punk needs to play defense on his feet, get it to the ground, be patient and work. I’m literally betting he’s better than we all expect, or else, he wouldn’t have signed the contract.
Check out WrestlingObserver.com daily this week as we have more content dedicated to CM Punk’s debut at UFC 203.
Ahead of his first mixed martial arts fight against Mickey Gall at UFC 203 on September 10th, CM Punk spoke with the MMA media on a conference call on Thursday afternoon.
Punk has been more subdued than in his professional wrestling career when building the fight, and our Josh Nason asked him if the wrestling promos that he was famous for are something that he has left in his past.
“I don’t see the need for it, you know? People either love me or hate me already. I’m not trying to talk anybody into the building on this one. I think the allure is just the fact that it’s happening, you know what I mean? And the story writes itself, so it’s not a fabricated thing where I need to, kind of create some drama between me and Mickey.” Punk said.
“We’re going to fight. That’s the beauty of it, you know? It doesn’t need to be a weird verbal p*ssing contest. I think some of these guys, while it is entertainment and it’s the sh*t talk business, I just don’t see it, I don’t see it happening this time.”
Punk later said that it was nice not having to carry a company on his shoulders and claimed he wasn’t worried about how many pay-per-view buys the show would do.
And when asked by Nason who was going to be in his corner for the fight, Punk jokingly said they wouldn’t allow Bret Hart to accompany him.
The full conference call is available to listen to here.
Mr. Brooks and opponent Mickey Gall will chat with the national media on a conference call Thursday afternoon which you can listen to live below starting at 4 PM EST.
Punk is making his long-awaited MMA debut at the Cleveland, OH, show against the 24-year-old Gall, a 2-0 fighter who made his UFC debut by running through Mike Jackson in February.
The 37-year-old Punk announced his new career intentions in December 2014 without a weight class or training school picked out. Settling on Milwaukee-based RoufuSport, Punk began his journey which has had stops and restarts due to injury.
The show is headlined by heavyweight champion and Cleveland native Stipe Miocic defending his title for the first time against Alistair Overeem with former champion Fabricio Werdum taking on injury replacement Travis Browne.
We’ll have full coverage of Punk’s fight week in the week ahead.
