CM Punk is getting set for his first fight, but Dana White isn't exactly exuding confidence in the former WWE star.
"The Best in the World" quit the WWE in January 2014 and signed on with the UFC that December. Now, just about a year later, Punk still hasn't made his debut in the Octagon and an opponent and date for that first fight remains unscheduled.
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When Punk first signed on with UFC, he believed he'd have his first fight by the end of 2015. He then pushed it back to early 2016 before suffering a shoulder injury while training out of Roufusport in Milwaukee, casting a question over when that fight will take place.
Punk has insisted he won't make his transition from the squared circle to the cage until he's 100 percent ready.
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White isn't rushing Punk along and he wants him to take his time training so that he's definitely ready for the fight. The UFC president, however, also doesn't sound exactly too confident in Punk going through this for the first time ever.
"It's the first time this guy has ever trained to fight," White said via TSN. "The guy's never wrestled. He's professional wrestled but he's never wrestled. He will fight next year, 100 percent."
He may fight in 2016, but will he be ready? There has been a lot of hype surrounding Punk ever since he announced that he was pursuing an MMA career after a nasty divorce from the WWE. The former wrestler's brash attitude and persona fit right in with the UFC personalities, but if he gets crushed in his first fight, the hype will die quickly.
As White said, Punk has no experience getting ready for a real-life fight, and he also has many detractors just hoping for him to fail. Those voices will be louder than ever if Punk falters in his debut and it could very well mean the end of his attempt at MMA stardom.
This pressure on the 37-year-old could also be the reason White and the UFC apparently have no clue who to throw at him in his debut fight.
"I just started a new show, the pilot is on YouTube," White said. "It's called 'Dana White Looking for a Fight' and I'm actually out looking for opponents for CM Punk right now."
White better choose wisely, Punk's entire UFC career could be riding on his decision.
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