Cole Miller: CM Punk better on the ground than half the UFC
Cole Miller on CM Punk: “he’s going to shake things up, whoop some ass and prove a lot of people wrong. I expect him to do very well against whoever they put up against him.”
When former WWE champion CM Punk (real name Chick Magnet) signed with the UFC having no fights and no competitive combat sports experience, the general reaction began with bafflement. However, UFC featherweight Cole Miller has a different judgment, particularly about Magnet’s ground game. You can trust Miller for a number of reasons including: He is a black belt in BJJ; he has been fighting in the UFC since 2007; his nickname “Magrinho” which means skinny is not a made up one like “nightmare” or “terror;” and, he is a UGer.
“This guy doesn’t just have a chance,” said Miller to Marc Raimondi for MMA Fighting. “He’s gonna kick somebody’s ass.”
“I think he’ll do very well. I don’t think he’s trying to make a 10-year career out of this. But he’s going to shake things up, whoop some ass and prove a lot of people wrong. I expect him to do very well against whoever they put up against him.”
“I think most MMA fighters don’t have any kind of ground. Most of them aren’t good at all. Even in the UFC. There are plenty of exceptions, but when I say most, I mean more than 50 percent are nothing more than OK blue belts on the ground. I would rate CM Punk definitely above that.”
Miller also offers blunt words to people grumbling about Punk cutting the line.
“So what?” he said. “Get over it. The UFC is a business and I guarantee it’s definitely into protecting its brand and business. If you think they would sign somebody that’s gonna go in there and suck and is not skilled, you’re crazy. When did you see somebody in the UFC that completely sucked? Never.”
“It’s a hating society. People come out of their shell and s— on whoever the first chance they get. People want to write that pro wrestling is fake. Pro wrestling is not fake. It’s pre-determined. The guys at the highest level have to have an indomitable spirit.
“This guy has the perseverance it takes. He’s been through the fire. Most people are gonna break training for their first MMA fight and realize they don’t have to. This guy has been through the gauntlet, so to speak.”
“You think someone like him is going to just make a mockery of themselves in another area? This guy was the best wrestler in the world. He’s not gonna go into the UFC to lose, I promise you.”
CM Punk has decided upon Roufusport as his gym of choice and hopes to fight late in 2015.