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Wednesday, Jun 06, 2018

UFC 225: Duke Roufus Says Loss on Saturday Won’t End CM Punk’s Fighting Career

CM Punk (photo via UFC)

By FCF Staff

There’s been a lot of talk as to whether another loss on Saturday night will end CM Punk’s run at fighting. But, according to his head coach, the former pro-wrestling star will continue to fight, even if he loses.

Punk is booked to fight Mike Jackson at UFC 225 this weekend, in what will mark the first time that he’s competed, since September, 2016. Punk made his UFC and pro-fighting debut that month, and was quickly submitted by Mickey Gall.

Recently Punk’s head coach, Duke Roufus, spoke with MMA Fighting. While discussing what another loss could mean for Punk’s fighting career, Roufus said this:

He’s gonna continue. He’s got too much vested in this. He truly loves the martial arts lifestyle. He’s very into the culture of this. When he was coming up as a wrestler, he wrestled in Japan, in the Japanese professional wrestling culture is very martial-arts based. A lot of things that I did when I trained in the K-1 dojo in Thailand are a lot of the same things he did in Japanese wrestling. That’s kind of our connection in the gym. He mops the mat every day. There’s a term in wrestling in Japan, it’s called the ‘young boys.’ Those are the young guys.

When I stayed my first of many times in Thailand, I had to mop, I had to sweep the gym. I had to do dishes, laundry with the young fighters if I was gonna be accepted as part of the camp. That’s something that he’s done very well. He mops the mat every day when he trains. It’s impressive to see a guy with his success keep that humility and grounding.

UFC 225 will take place in Chicago, Illinois, which is Punk’s hometown.

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posted by FCF Staff @ 12:58 pm
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