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What’s the story?
With rumours rife this week that CM Punk could be returning to the Octagon when UFC rolls into Chicago in June, both the world of wrestling and the world of MMA have been weighing in with opinions on the former WWE Champion's ventures into the Octagon.
One of WWE's most controversial characters, The Miz has opened up about Punk's UFC ambitions.
In case you didn’t know…
CM Punk is most notorious for 15 years of service to professional wrestling, coming to an abrupt end when Punk walked away from sports entertainment after just shy of ten years in WWE.
After losing his long-awaited UFC debut against Mickey Gall, CM Punk's next opponent is rumoured to be a man he shares something in common with Mike Jackson - who holds an MMA record of 0-1, after losing in his debut against Mickey Gall due to a Rear-Naked Choke forcing a submission (identical to Punk's loss) in February of 2016.
The heart of the matter
The Miz made headlines last year when he and Dolph Ziggler seemed to mock CM Punk's loss when they met in the squared circle at Backlash. But it seems that the WWE Intercontinental Champion has had a change of heart after TMZ asked him how he feels about Punk's rumoured upcoming fight.
The guy was going after a dream. He's always wanted to do that. Whenever you go after a dream, why smash on it? He's gonna do his best, he's gonna try his hardest, and I imagine he's training his heart out to do the best he can in the Octagon.
The Miz also wished his former colleague and opponent well. You can see the video below.
I hope he does well.
The Intercontinental Champion added that CM Punk won't care about the haters because it's part and parcel of their job.
If you come from WWE, you have a thick skin because you're hated on all day, every day.
When asked if he fancied a fight in the Octagon, though, The Miz simply laughed and said, "I'll stick to WWE."
What’s next?
While there's no official announcement as of yet, it seems all but confirmed that Phil “CM Punk” Brooks will fight Mike Jackson in Punk's hometown of Chicago, Illinois on June 9th at UFC 225.
Author’s take
I think it's pretty cool to hear The Miz talk about Punk's dreams and aspirations in a way that's totally out of character. Miz is one of the biggest heels in WWE and always stays in his lane, but it's pretty awesome to hear him praise Punk.
