“There are two types of people on this Earth - Those born to be in the spotlight and those born to pay to see the people in the spotlight. Ladies and gentlemen, there are winners and losers. Guess which one you are? You're born to pay to see champions like me; it's not the other way round. And I'll be the first guy to come out here and admit it, I'm honest. I have never ever done this for any of you. There's superstars and there's nobodies. I am a superstar, you are all nobodies. And I'm a real superstar. Those real superstars, hell, if they're your friends, why don't they come out here and give you the millions and millions of dollars they earn? Why don't they lie in your pockets? 'Cause that's— that's not your position on Earth.” – CM PunkIn today’s world, there are those who make people like them, going through the trouble of carefully assessing their steps, making sure that they don’t step on other’s toes just because they don’t want to rub them in the wrong way, and then there are the very few who really don’t yearn for someone else’s validation, and are too engrossed in leaving their mark on society.People often pay to see two things – either their favorites winning, or the people they dislike losing. This is also the fundamental principle in combat sports, just like anything else in this world.It isn’t often that someone with the ability to capture the imagination of the masses comes along, but when they do, they make sure that they’re taken as an example for the future generations. The great Mohammad Ali once famously said that someone who cannot take risks cannot accomplish anything in life, and that essentially distinguishes the great from the rest.When CM Punk walked away from professional wrestling, people considered it only inevitable for him to come crawling back to the WWE. In the past, many legends walked away from the WWE and the industry, only to come back and try to relive their past glory. Surely, CM Punk was to follow suit, making amends with his former employers; but there was one problem – CM Punk wasn’t like everybody else.When CM Punk appeared on live TV during UFC 181 – the most stacked UFC card this year with not one, but two title fights, nobody really knew what to expect. Punk declared on PPV, with millions of MMA fans watching around the world that he had signed a deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and in the process, once again “broke the internet”. Since then, millions of opinions have been voiced; from current UFC fighters to MMA and pro wrestling legends, everyone had an opinion.In this article, we give you five reasons why we believe Phil “CM Punk” Brooks will not only succeed in his new venture, but will take the MMA world by storm.
#1 CM Punks drawing power
When the Ultimate Fighting Championship was just taking off, Ken Shamrock was the one individual who was UFC’s biggest draw. Back then, Ken was seen as the face of MMA, and although it took more than a decade for UFC to truly become a global phenomenon, since then, they’ve had individuals who not only brought in the eye balls, but also managed to bring in a new generation of fans to the sport.
CM Punk, as they say in show business, has “it”. He can also move the proverbial needle and has proved that he can better anyone in terms of merchandise sales. CM Punk, with his recent signing, has not only caused a stir among the fighters, but has already generated a lot of buzz and interest among the casual fans – fans who’ve heard about MMA and might’ve seen a fight or two.
Punk’s popularity was also a likely factor in Dana and the Fertittas signing him up with no prior professional fighting experience. CM Punk, much like Brock Lesnar, will bring his own fanbase to the UFC, and with millions of fans already eagerly waiting to see Punk fight inside the Octagon, it is a safe bet to believe that the first card he will fight on will draw record gates and numbers – something that the UFC could use.
#2 Punks unique identity
Unlike professional wrestling, MMA doesn’t have a lot of characters. Although MMA organizations such as UFC and Bellator FC have tried to go the pro wrestling way in trying to hype their PPV fights, more often than not they fell flat on their faces, and drew the ire of the fans in coming off as “fake”.
A number of UFC fighters have also come out in the open, stating that some of their confrontations were staged in order to sell their fights. While MMA fans will always argue that professional wrestling and MMA are miles apart when it comes to the sporting aspect, having someone who has “been there and done that” in professional wrestling is always an added bonus.
Brock Lesnar, when he signed up with UFC was seen as just another “publicity stunt” by the Zuffa owned organization. But soon, Lesnar turned out to be everything that UFC wanted, and broke revenue records. Not only that, but he also won the UFC Heavyweight championship, and put all the doubters in their place. In Punk, UFC has the opportunity to not only replicate that, but take it up a notch with Punk’s unique identity.
CM Punk always stood apart just because of his personality, and unlike Lesnar, he’s not camera shy either. With Punk’s reputation preceding him, UFC has the opportunity to kick down the doors of newer markets, and enter various new countries. UFC has nothing to lose by signing Punk, but has everything to gain.
#3 The new Chael Sonnen of UFC
It’s been more than half a year since Chael Sonnen was released by the UFC, and since then, they’ve desperately needed someone to fill his shoes as the showman of the company. Although the likes of Jon Jones and Conor McGregor have stepped up and brought attention to the company, they haven’t been quite as effective as Sonnen. But in Punk, you don’t have just another Chael, but an upgraded version of ‘The American Gangster’.
One of the factors that separated Mohammad Ali from the rest was his charisma, and how he could hype his own fights, at a time when everyone else depended on their team or the promoter to sell their fights. Similarly, Punk has been someone who was exceptional in “working the mic”, and he will bring that to the table in the UFC. If you want to name the top ten mic workers in pro wrestling history, it is safe to assume that you will find Punk’s name at the very top.
UFC, much like pro wrestling, needs showmen to insert interest and intrigue in the fights. If history has taught us anything, it is the mere fact that people either pay to see a person win or to see him lose. As long as they’re investing their hard earned money, you’ve done your job, and that is where Punk will outdo the rest of the UFC roster.
#4 Punks polarizing character
UFC, unlike pro wrestling doesn’t have a grey shade. In MMA, you either love a guy, or you hate him. You take the examples of Nick/Nate Diaz and someone like Lyoto Machida. The fighters are either universally liked or universally hated. But CM Punk is someone who will polarize the fans – he will always have the nay-sayers, but at the same time, he will also have the ardent fans who will stand by him no matter what.
Punk’s honesty and brash attitude might rub some people the wrong way, but that is something he cannot help. They say when you’re universally loved, you aren’t doing everything right. CM Punk, as seen from his days in the WWE, will have those who constantly doubt him, but that’s what fuels Punk to achieve more.
Like I said before, people will either pay to see you win or to see your opponent beat you down. At the end of the day, they’re still paying to see Punk fight, and that is all which is relevant.
#5 CM Punks cross border appeal
UFC today is in dire need of star power. Other than Ronda Rousey, UFC doesn’t really have fighters with the cross border appeal. When Lesnar signed up with UFC, they finally had that one big name they could sell the tickets with.
Win or lose, you knew Lesnar would sell the arenas out, and that has been missing in the UFC. With the likes of Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen out of action this past year (although Silva is set to return next month and Sonnen was released from the company), UFC needed a big name to step in and bring in the eye balls.
Not so long ago, CM Punk was the hottest commodity in professional wrestling. It is safe to say that after ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin during the Attitude Era, no other superstar set the professional wrestling industry on fire except for CM Punk in 2011.
Everyone from the gaming industry to Slim Jim wanted Punk to be the face of their company, which once again highlights the value of having Punk as the marquee name of the organization.
CM Punk now has the opportunity to take UFC to unprecedented heights, something UFC desperately needs. With their intentions of entering the newer markets such as Mainland China, UFC can count on Punk’s popularity and cross border appeal to easily tap into the new markets, and expand their reach globally.
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