There has been a lot of anticipation for CM Punk's UFC debut, but now it's just turning into doubt.
"The Best in the World" left the WWE in January 2014 and signed with the UFC last December. He then began training out of Roufusport in Milwaukee with hopes of making his MMA debut at the end of 2015.
Here we are, nearly a year after the former wrestler signed with the UFC, and he still hasn't gotten into the Octagon. Not only that, but an opponent and date for his first fight also haven't been named. Punk suffered a shoulder injury while training, which pushed his debut back even further, but the ailment came after he had already postponed his first fight.
After originally setting the end of 2015 as his ideal debut, Punk then moved the fight back to early 2016 in hopes that he'd be through with his training and ready to compete. Then, the former WWE Heavyweight Champion said he was aiming to have his first fight in the spring, but the injury may have pushed that back even further.
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It almost seems as though Punk may never fight. Now, obviously entering a cage and trying to beat another man senseless isn't something you jump right into, so taking his time and making sure he's ready is smart. It probably would have been even smarter to never set a goal-oriented date in the first place because it just makes him fodder for his haters.
UFC president Dana White gave an update on Punk and said he's training, but we'll believe Punk's making strides toward his first ever fight when we see it.
"So what happened was, [Punk] got hurt," White said on the 'Joe Rogan Experience' (via WrestlingInc.com). "He hurt his shoulder and he was f--king devastated. He was going to have to have surgery, but he didn't. He actually lucked out and got out [of surgery] with therapy. And so he went through his therapy and he's coming back now."
Punk may be returning to training, but with his debut constantly being pushed back, it's hard to actually picture him ever entering the Octagon.
