Phil 'CM Punk' Brooks has signed a multi-fight deal with Ultimate Fighting Championship and will make his octagon debut in 2015, the promotion announced Saturday night.
The UFC teased a big announcement following the first match of the UFC 181 pay-per-view portion and delivered. Joe Rogan interviewed Brooks cageside at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Brooks, 36, sounded excited about his new venture and while he wasn't sure of a weight class yet, he said middleweight is an option.
'This is my new career, 100 percent,' Brooks told Rogan. 'I'm going to go full steam ahead, all systems go after today, and it's going to be fun. I have nothing but respect for everybody here at the UFC, everybody who steps in the Octagon to fight. And when it's all said and done, when I'm finished, everybody's going to have to respect me because I have come here to fight.'
The former WWE champion has made headlines last week for a series of podcast interviews where he ripped Vince McMahon's company for how he was treated during his eight years as a performer. The WWE fired Brooks earlier this year and has now stated on multiple occasions that he has no intentions of ever returning.
That opens the door for mixed martial arts, a sport that Brooks has followed closely while competing in the WWE. He's no stranger to UFC pay-per-views and has made several 'Gracie Breakdown' cameos alongside friend and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu instructor Rener Gracie.
What kind of impact will the 6-foot-2 Brooks have in UFC? It's hard to say until he settles on a weight class and trainer. In terms of being a pay-per-view draw, he won't be Brock Lesnar, but there are going to be new eyeballs tuning in to his debut fight. Before he left the WWE, Brooks had developed a cult following and was easily one of the most popular wrestlers on the roster.
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