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Phil ‘CM Punk’ Brooks explains what drove him to UFC

Surprise announcement of WWE star’s signing at UFC 181 polarizes fan opinion

UFC 181

L.E. Baskow

Former WWE wrestler Phil Brooks, known as CM Punk, speaks at Mandalay Bay Events Center on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2014, about signing with UFC for his expected 2015 debut.

UFC 181

New welterweight title belt holder Robbie Lawler celebrates with fans after his UFC 181 fight win at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2014. 
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Phil “CM Punk” Brooks made a hasty exit from the Mandalay Bay Events Center media room.

The 35-year-old former WWE champion spoke with reporters for about 15 minutes after UFC 181 before rushing off the dais in advance of the post-fight press conference.

“I don’t want to be here with the fighters because it’s very much their night,” Brooks insisted.

Brooks may not have wanted to distract the focus away from the likes of UFC champions Robbie Lawler and Anthony Pettis, but it was too late. He was a major talking point after the UFC announced his signing to the promotion during the pay-per-view.

Brooks will make his UFC debut at a date to be determined in 2015, likely fighting at the 185-pound middleweight division. Some immediately began anticipating the mixed martial arts debut of the superstar, who has more than 2 million Twitter followers.

Others decried the whole spectacle as a publicity stunt for the UFC.

“I’m staying the (expletive) off Twitter right now,” Brooks said with a laugh. “I’ve got friends and family texting me, patting me on the back saying ‘congratulations,’ thumbs-up. I’m staying away from the negativity for now.”

Brooks has trained in jiujitsu with renowned coach Rener Gracie for several years, long before he recently retired from the WWE, and followed MMA as a fan for even longer.

Fighting in the octagon never crossed his mind until he joked about it with UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta at an event, believed to be “The Ultimate Fighter” 18 finale, last year. Reflecting on the conversation being the moment “the seed was planted,” Brooks said he could never shake the idea from there.

“This is something I’ve thought about for a very long time and haven’t been able to do,” Brooks said. “Once the opportunity presented itself, I’d be a fool to say no.”

Brooks will inevitably draw comparisons to Brock Lesnar, who left the WWE to join the UFC in 2008. Brooks didn’t try to separate himself from the talk, even though Lesnar set a virtually unattainable standard.

Lesnar became the UFC heavyweight champion, defending the title twice before losing to current belt holder Cain Velasquez and retiring after a loss in his next fight to Alistair Overeem. Lesnar had a stronger martial arts background as a national champion college wrestler at the University of Minnesota.

Apart from his jiujitsu hobby, Brooks has no other formal training. But he started practicing twice a day in other disciplines in November and vowed to keep the same pace.

“I finally feel like there’s something I can put 100 percent of myself into and I’ll get 100 percent back,” Brooks said. “If I slack off, if I just sit on the couch and eat Doritos and give 50 percent and only train 50 percent, that will obviously show.”

Everyone involved with the UFC was positive about the signing. UFC President Dana White bristled at the notion of Brooks fighting serving as a “freak show.”

Urijah Faber, who defeated Francisco Rivera via second-round submission at UFC 181, didn’t believe any limitations should be put on Brooks’ potential.

“A lot of this fight game, a lot of fighters understand this, is so much mental,” Faber said. “If this guy believes he can get in here and fight and he’s willing to put in the work, who’s to tell him he’s not the baddest dude on the planet?”

Brooks is ready for the criticism that comes with joining the premier MMA organization despite never fighting. Instead of bothering him, it will fuel him.

“I know there are a lot of kids out there that look up to me, maybe,” Brooks said. “I always just tell them to not let anybody tell you you cannot do something if you want to do something. As long as it doesn’t harm anyone else, do it. Choose a path and work towards it to the best of your ability. That’s all I’m doing here.”

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

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