CM Punk: 3 Reasons His Joining the UFC Makes No Sense
When it recently came to light that the UFC signed former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) champion Phil “CM Punk” Brooks to a multifight deal, the news sent shock waves throughout the world of mixed martial arts. The signing came as a shock to many UFC fighters and fans alike, mainly due to Brook’s lack of MMA experience. The sports world immediately responded:
"Seriously though this isn't pro wrestling, this is fighting, this is mixed martial arts. I understand the CM Punk thing, but it's a joke.
— Adam Martin (@MMAdamMartin) December 8, 2014 "
"I had a crazy dream last night that the UFC signed CM Punk.
— Las Vegas Fight Shop (@LVFightShop) December 7, 2014 "
"UFC signing CM Punk, 37 yo, NO MMA experience & interesting head & mTBI history may be great marketing but health & safety... Not so much
— Dr. Johnny Benjamin (@DrJCBenjamin) December 7, 2014"
Many appeared confused by the signing of Brooks, which mainly stems from the UFC’s recruitment of a scripted sports entertainer, who, at 36, boasts a professional MMA record of 0-0. Regardless of the immediate money and fans Brooks will generate, his signing weakens the UFC’s quest for legitimacy in the long run, as it strives to position itself as a mainstream brand.
A Jack of No Trades...
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When Brooks steps into the Octagon, he will be forced to contend with the likes of world-class athletes, many of whom have dedicated their entire lives to the combat arts. The UFC proudly boasts Olympic, Golden Gloves, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and NCAA Division I wrestling champions.
It is unclear whether Brooks has mastered any specific discipline within the realm of martial arts. In fact, despite having trained with “Rener and Ryron Gracie for quite a while" in 2013, Brooks was pictured sporting a non-striped white belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Despite his ground game, Brooks recently admitted to Rolling Stone his even greater weakness—the stand-up. According to Kenny Herzog, Brooks stated, "Striking's my weakest point, and I'm excited to get that up to the level where I feel it needs to be. But who's to say what it takes to step into the Octagon? I think I need to up my game on everything, and that's the plan…"
Heading into the UFC, the fact that Brooks has never participated in an amateur mixed martial arts event speaks volumes. Undefeated UFC rising star and The Ultimate Fighter 17 winner Kelvin Gastelum recently commented on the obvious on his Twitter page:
CM Punk in UFC? Is he even trained in any Martial arts?
— Kelvin Gastelum (@KelvinGastelum) December 4, 2014
Brooks wrestled professionally for the WWE since 2005, becoming a multiple-time champion for the organization. However, unlike the results of the UFC, the fights that occur in professional wrestling are scripted and predetermined. Popularity may allow a fighter to achieve title contention status faster. However, without a defined background and mastery in one or more combative disciplines, Brooks may find himself severely embarrassed in his UFC debut.
CM Punk Is Already “Old”
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At 36 years old and without any amateur bouts to legitimize his standing, Brooks plans on debuting in the UFC in 2015. However, when Olympic gold medalist and WWE wrestling legend Kurt Angle pondered the idea of a mixed martial arts career in 2007, UFC President Dana White scoffed at the idea. According to CBS Sportsline (h/t 411 Mania.com), he stated:
"At his (Angle) age and having never participated in a pro fight, that would be a very good idea (sarcastically). This thing isn’t a joke. You don’t just decide, “I’m a professional wrestler I think I’m going to fight.” It takes a lot of time, dedication and hard work — just like wrestling does. I’m sure these guys have to train hard and have to get in great shape to professional wrestle. You can’t just jump up one day and say, “I’m going to be a pro fighter and I think I’ll fight next month.” It doesn’t work that way. It doesn’t even come close to working that way.
"
The dynamics of mixed martial arts haven’t changed. In fact, the fight structure has become more intense since 2007 with the UFC sporting some of the most accomplished combative arts athletes in the world.
Not only have most UFC fighters dedicated a major part of their lives to the mastery of their craft, all of them realize the importance of a well-rounded game. To be proficient in the stand-up, defensive takedown and Brazilian jiu-jitsu phases takes years of training and an unprecedented amount of gym hours.
Brooks’ age alone doesn’t lend itself to success in the UFC. He doesn't possess the time in or the time going forward to have any projected combative success on the world’s largest mixed martial arts stage.
The UFC's Signing of CM Punk Appears Incredibly Short-Sighted
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When the UFC signed Brooks to a multifight deal on December 6, the company’s proverbial stock decreased. For years, White has striven to make mixed martial arts a mainstream sport, a la the NBA, MBL, NHL and the NFL.
Through marketing, the CM Punk brand may seem lucrative to the UFC in the short run, but the legitimacy and legacy of a sport are primarily based on sound business decisions in light of the bigger picture.
No other major sports league would have signed Brooks due to his lack of experience.
For a clearer perspective, when Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, left the Chicago Bulls in 1993, he yearned to play professional baseball. However, even though he was in good graces with Bulls’ owner Jerry Reinsdorf (who coincidentally owned the Chicago White Sox) for having just secured three championship titles, Jordan ended up playing for a Double-A minor league baseball team.
Jordan returned to basketball in 1995, and went on to secure three more championships with the Bulls. However, he never played one game in the MLB, which makes sense, given His Greatness’ extremely limited experience playing baseball.
A similar situation occurred with wrestling great Brock Lesnar. In 2004, after a three-year stint with the WWE, he left the company for his dream of playing professional football. However, after the Minnesota Vikings’ eight-week training camp, Lesnar was cut before the season officially began.
The Vikings’ decision to go without Lesnar was logically sound, given that the Minnesota native had never participated in the sport in college and lacked the skills to attain professional football status in such a short period of time.
Despite Brooks’ inexperience, longtime WWE announcer Jim Ross supported the signing. In the face of common sense and those who criticize the UFC’s recent actions, Ross tweeted the following:
"Jim Ross: Squealing pigs hating on CM Punk should leave UFC marketing to 'brilliant strategists' like Dana White http://t.co/iSlbKPc1B6
— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) December 9, 2014"
With respect to the UFC's apparent marketing strategy, in an Bleacher Report interview with actor/writer and long-time WWE enthusiast Andre Kincaid, he went into more depth regarding Brooks’ signing.
"Realistically, to the average consumer, MMA is the sports version of porn. That's not me, just the general consensus. And perception is reality, especially in entertainment. That being said, whenever trying to draw new eyes to product, unfortunately, you don't really care about the hardcore fans.
You've got them already. You’re more interested in the casual fan. Just like swing voters. I'm literally the demo they're trying to reach, and it's working. I can't recall the last [MMA] fight I've seen, but bet your butt, I'll be watching this. From every way I see it, it's smart business short and long term.
"
Moving forward, if the UFC continues to make decisions based on quick ratings and publicity stunts, perhaps mixed martial arts will continue to be seen in the eyes of many as the “porn” of sports. Only solid business practices will foster longevity and respect for the sport itself. Only then will the UFC secure the type of mainstream status that other major sports organizations currently enjoy.
All quotes were directly given to Bleacher Report, unless otherwise noted.
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