Perhaps CM Punk got into the MMA game a little too late after all.
When the former pro wrestling superstar signed with the UFC in December 2014, the deal was understandably met with a great deal of doubt; that said, even hardcore fans were at least intrigued by the possibility of what Phil Brooks could bring to the Octagon not only at an advanced age for the sport, with with no competition experience to speak of.
Now, with yet another injury delaying his debut set against 24-year-old Mickey Gall, it’s becoming increasingly fair to question whether Punk will compete in the Octagon — ever.
CM Punk to undergo back surgery on Wednesday; UFC debut delayed — https://t.co/XquLHHagRB pic.twitter.com/TmKfRJXnvx
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) February 10, 2016
This is not to say that Punk is trying to dodge an MMA fight, of course, but rather that his body may have already taken too much of a physical toll. It’s abundantly clear that this is something he wants to do, even as a one-and-done just to prove something to himself; however, considering the injury rate in MMA with fighters who have been training and sparring for much longer, perhaps it was overly optimistic that a 37-year-old Punk would be able to go through the preparation necessary to compete at the highest level of MMA after a decade-plus worth of grueling pro wrestling appearances.
Even if he makes it back from surgery in 4-6 weeks and is able to go through a full camp, this setback could already have cost the UFC all of the promotional momentum going into his 2016 debut. After all, they’d recently gotten the Zuffa machine rolling leading up to Gall’s fight against Michael Jackson, and the post-fight face-off should have been the first tangible kick-start to the whole shebang at UFC 200. That plan is now likely no longer in play.
By now, most “hardcore” fans have likely resigned to the fact that Punk will either be unable to compete, or have suffered so many setbacks that going into the Octagon against a 24-year-old Gall would be borderline negligent. It’s doubtful that even crossover WWE fans would want to see a 37-year-old MMA newcomer who has already suffered multiple setbacks in training before a proper camp.
Perhaps this doubt and lack of expectation is exactly what Punk wanted to begin with. That said, MMA is not a young man’s game, and even his optimistic self must know that time is not on his side — nor the UFC’s.
