CM Punk still has a future in the sport of mixed martial arts. That’s according to his coach Duke Roufus, who says he has been contacted by numerous organisations interested in signing the former WWE star.
The UFC debut of CM Punk was one which he would rather forget as he was on the receiving end of a decisive beating at the hands of New Jersey native Mickey Gall, who eventually submitted him via rear naked choke at just 2:14 of the very first round.
Though Punk showed little in the way of promise in his solo octagon effort, he later expressed the desire to keep fighting and it now seems as though he does indeed have a future in the sport as his coach claims a host of organisations outside of the UFC have been in touch with regard to signing the former WWE star. Roufus discussed the future of his fighter in an interview with Sherdog.
“I know he wants to get back on the mat and keep working. I had a plethora of promoters reach out to me but I’m not his manager. People have shown great interest in working with him.”
When asked if he thought Punk would fight again Roufus responded:
“I think we’re going to see him do some jiu-jitsu tournaments to get some more competition rounds in as well… I think he’s going to.”
Although no specifics were given on which organisations had been in contact, the drawing power and marketability of CM Punk would be an asset to many companies and it is of little surprise that they have been in contact already.
The future of Phil Brooks as a mixed martial artist is an uncertain one as of right now, and although Dana White previously claimed Punk’s next fight probably shouldn’t be in the UFC, it is impossible to ignore the positive effect he has had from a financial perspective with UFC 203 pay-per-view numbers estimated to be the best of any show all year excluding UFC 200 and anything headlined by Conor McGregor.
It is highly unlikely that an earner of that calibre is going to be allowed go to a rival promotion, regardless of his skills, or lack of, in this case. In a spectator sport where cash is king, it’s possible that White may have to eat his words and allow CM Punk to once again fight in the world’s premier mixed martial arts organisation.
Fionnán Rowan, Pundit Arena
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