CM Punk's journey to the Octagon hasn't been met with optimism by everyone, but one of his UFC teammates recently had some encouraging remarks about him.
The former WWE Superstar signed with the UFC in December 2014, but has yet to make it into the cage for his first fight. Punk suffered myriad set-backs on the road to his first fight -- most recently back surgery -- but he will face Mickey Gall on Sept. 10 in Cleveland.
During his training, reports came out that Punk was having a hard time with the transition into becoming a UFC fighter. HIs teammate, Anthony Pettis, however, recently said he's making some great strides and will be ready for the fight.
"He made a huge jump from where he was to now," Pettis said on 'UFC Tonight' this week. "He has a skill set. Two years isn't a lot of time to develop in this sport. He put the time in. He's holding his own. I'll be there to watch him."
Punk's training and preparation for his first fight is being chronicled in a four-part documentary series called "Evolution of Punk," which airs every Monday night on FS1 in the lead-up to the big bout with Gall. Punk's opponent is more experienced and owns a 2-0 record in the promotion.
On the latest episode, Punk was seen sparring with more experienced guys at about the 12-week mark of his training. The former WWE World Champion said that even though he struggled against them, he was making progress.
"I'm sparring with guys that should absolutely beat me every single time," Punk says in the clip, "but that's when you learn. You fall flat on your face, you get up."
Punk left the WWE in January of 2014 after his frustrations reached the boiling point. He's now ready to take the next step in his career by entering the Octagon against Gall at UFC 203.
If Pettis' comments are any indication, the "Best in the World" should be ready for anything Gall throws his way.
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