C.M. Punk appeared on Wednesday night's edition of Fox Sports Live on Fox Sports 1 discussing his transition from WWE to UFC. The following are highlights of his interview with FSL host Jay Onrait.
- WWE talk was minimal, but he was asked to compare Vince McMahon and UFC president Dana White.
"Maybe similar in a lot of respects, but so far I've been treated the way I feel I should be treated here in the UFC," Punk said. Punk said he knows it's early in his run and perhaps he's being afforded certain things because of his name value or who he is, but he doesn't see anything to complain about.
Punk added: "You know, Vince has his vision and he's been doing it for so long, so he's stubborn. And I think Dana can be stubborn. They're similar, but different. How's that for a vague answer?"
- Punk said he physically "feels pretty good right now," suggesting he's healed up from all of the WWE injuries that he discussed on Colt Cabana's podcast.
- Punk said he's not sure what weight class he will be fighting in when he makes his UFC debut in 2015, but he guessed the 185-pound division. Punk noted he has fighters from the flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, and lightweight division coming after him, so everyone has to either slim down or bulk up.
Asked if he knows who his first UFC opponent is, Punk replied, "No, I don't know. I think it's too early to tell."
- Asked if he feels like he "deserves" the opportunity he's receiving in UFC, Punk said he doesn't think he deserves it right now, but time will tell if he deserves it. "Respect has to be earned, not just given," Punk said, adding that he understands the perspective of fighters who haven't been given his opportunity.
Punk added that he cannot be afraid of failing or approach his journey with a sense of impending failure. He said there's a big chance he falls flat on his face, and it will be in front of entire world, but it won't stop him from competing. Punk added that after all he's the guy who crapped himself on national TV (referring to his WWE TV incident last year).
- Regarding his training camp plans, Punk said he's not sure where he's going to train, but he has to surround himself with the right people who want to help him succeed, help him work on his striking and all-around fighting technique, and not look down on him as a pro wrestler entering their world.
"I want to be comfortable (close to Chicago), but taken out of my comfort zone," Punk said. He added that he plans to be a student of fighting and learn from a multitude of different people. "Right now, I'm just trying to double up working on different things."
- Asked if he wishes he tried MMA sooner in his career, Punk said, "I try not to have any regrets in life, but this is something I've wanted to do for a very, very long time... Part of me wishes, yeah, maybe when I was younger." Punk cited Kurt Angle as one of several pro wrestlers who say they would have gone the MMA route if the fighting business were what it is now back when they were starting in pro wrestling.
- Punk also broke down upcoming UFC fights, noting he plans to attend the UFC 182 event on January 3, 2015 in Las Vegas when his favorite current fighter, Daniel Cormier, faces Jon Jones.
- Punk signed off with a message to UFC fans: "If you like fighting and if you love me and you want to support me, that's awesome. Watch me grow, watch me fight in the UFC, and if you hate me, it's probably even better because then you get to see me get punched in the liver, punched in the face, and people are going to be trying to choke me, and all that other stuff.
"But, the bottom line is I'm going to show the world what I'm made of. Because I believe in myself, and this is a dream of mine, and I'm chasing it. Win, lose, or draw, in a lot of ways, I've already won. I'm putting myself out there for the world. I'm a raw nerve, and everyone gets to come on this ride with me. I think that's part of the fun of this. It's all about the journey, not so much the destination, but when the destination comes, you better believe I'm going to try to win."
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