UFC 203: Former WWE star CM Punk says he’s ‘cool as a cucumber’ ahead of Octagon debut
Punk looks gaunt in ill-fitting jacket at UFC 203 press conference, but says he's ready to deliver on fight night
CM Punk looked decidedly gaunt as he faced the press ahead of his Octagon debut at UFC 203 this weekend.
The former WWE superstar's switch to mixed martial arts in the UFC has been met with a combination of derision, criticism and enthusiasm from various segments of the fanbase.
But the 37-year-old says he's ready to take on the challenge of the world's toughest proving ground for combat athletes, despite having no combat sports experience whatsoever.
Speaking to the media at the UFC 203 pre-fight press conference this week, Punk (real name Phil Brooks) said: "I’m just trying to enjoy this week. I’m trying to do everything I can to remain healthy.
"Right now, I’m cool as a cucumber. I’ve stated before that I’m sure I’ll have pre-fight butterflies, but I’m actually looking forward to feeling that again. They’ve been gone for a long time, I’m glad they’re back."
Despite his determined demeanour, there was no ignoring the fact that the former WWE wrestler looked particularly drawn during the event, with sucked in cheeks and looking noticeably skinnier than we're used to seeing.
His choice of jacket, which almost looked a size or two too big for him, only served to make his weight loss seem all the more noticeable as concerns began to surface about the UFC debutant suffering a tough weight cut.
He's due to make weight today in Cleveland, with the maximum target weight of 171lbs in his sights as he gets set to take on young prospect Mickey Gall in a welterweight bout.
Should he fail to make weight, Gall would stand to make a bumper payday by receiving 20% of Punk's fight purse.
But despite what appears to have been a tough weight cut, Punk says he's ready to deliver the goods on fight night and prove his doubters wrong.
"Fans should expect a fight," he said.
"This is MMA — it’s chaos. I’m coming in to win. I don’t care how it happens.
"There are a lot of victories already here, but the goal is obviously to get my hand raised. If you think anything but that, it doesn’t matter how hard you’ve trained because you’ve already lost.
"I belong here and my team belongs here. I’m confident in my preparation. To me, it’s never too late to start something. If you think otherwise, I’m sorry your dreams are so small."
