Yahoo Sports Shoulder Injury Sidelines CM Punk, Delays UFC Debut
Phil “CM Punk” Brooks will one day make his UFC debut, but it will have to be slightly delayed.
Punk hurt his shoulder during a recent training session, according to his trainer, Duke Roufus. The injury has forced him to take some time off ahead of the former WWE star's anticipated arrival in the Octagon.
“He got caught in a scramble, so right now he's taking a little time off,” Roufus said, according to a report from ESPN.com. “He was doing great before that. His progress has been good. He's got a great attitude and he's a hard worker. He got a place in Milwaukee where he lives all week when he's here training, so he's in it to win it … We don't have a hard date for his fight to force the issue, so making sure he's completely healthy is possible.”
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The former WWE star is scheduled to see a physician on Oct. 14, Roufus said.
Punk signed a deal in December of last year to compete in the UFC. News of his signing was met with criticism due to the fact that Punk has no experience as a mixed martial artist. Shortly after his signing, Punk revealed he would train at Roufusport in Milwaukee to prepare for his transition from WWE wrestler to UFC competitor.
Roufus added that Punk's progress as a mixed martial artist is “50 percent” of what he needs to be before the fighter makes his UFC debut. And as far as a timeframe for when fans will see Punk in the Octagon, Roufus indicated summer as a possibility, depending on how the injury heals.
“We're probably looking at a fight in the next six to 10 months,” he said. “The injury throws us back one month. We had a ballpark. We were looking at mid- to late-spring. Now, we'll just have to see how he comes back from the injury.”
