CM Punk: Bet against me, lose your money
“I expect people to bet against me and lose their money. I expect people to get divorced because they’re upset that their wife wanted me to win and they wanted me to lose.”
CM Punk spoke recently with MMA journalist Simon Head and says he plans on leaving a lot of people disappointed after his UFC debut later this summer. He will be fighting Mickey Gall, if the 1-0 Gall can beat 0-0 Michael Jackson at UFC 196. Punk’s debut will likely be at UFC 199 or UFC 200 (UFC president Dana White hinted it would be 199, Punk would prefer 200, as he gets a cut of PPV revenue, and 200 will be massive).
The UFC is not in the money loosing business. Expect it to be UFC 199.
The hardcore fan base thinks Punk wouldn’t plan on stepping into the NBA, so his stepping into the UFC is if anything goofier still. If you mess up on a basketball court you look silly. Mess up in MMA, it’s your ass.
But Punk says his skills have improved enormously since he began training with Duke Roufus.
Can I say a thousand percent? he said, laughing, as transcribed by England’s The Sun.
Because I get better every day. And that’s what really kinda excites me about this whole thing – I know how much I’ve grown since the last time I talked to you.
I know how much I’ve improved since the first time I stepped foot in Duke’s gym.
And looking at June or July as a fight date I get kinda (excited) thinking how much better I’m gonna be from now until then. I get better every day.
I’d rather be on (UFC) 200 because monetarily I’d be making more money, and that’s the big show.
But I’m not doing this whole thing for money, so it almost kinda doesn’t matter to me. But since it’s only a month later it’s like ‘oh yeah, why don’t we push it?’.
I have no plans to have any kind of a fabricated persona.”
But if it gets personal I’m sure I’d have a dozen quick-witted things to say. But I don’t really feel the need that it’s gonna get personal. I’ve got nothing personal against him. I’m gonna beat him up and choke him – and it’s just business.
A lot of people like to throw that pro wrestling card out there, like ‘he’s a fake wrestler’ and that’s great. That’s great for me. I want them to think that. I want them to think that I’m not training and they’re in for an easy night, because it’s the exact opposite. It’s going to be a rude awakening for whoever I fight, if that’s their attitude about it.
I think that helps a lot. I’m a mystery.”
I understand the criticism levied at me, especially from anybody who’s stepped into the cage. But life gives you opportunities and you either sit on your ass and watch them whizz by you, or you jump on them. I jumped on this opportunity, I’m not sorry about it and I’m not living my life for any fans or any fighters that want to see me fail. I’m living life for me.
I expect all those people that think I’m gonna get knocked out in 10 seconds to be disappointed. I expect people to bet against me and lose their money. I expect people to get divorced because they’re upset that their wife wanted me to win and they wanted me to lose, you know?
But the people who have stood by me and supported me know it’s business as usual. They know what kind of person I am and they know how I am at the gym. And once that cage door shuts it’s between one minute and 15 minutes before the fight ends and my hand gets raised.
