UFC News: CM Punk talks about his shoulder injury, career evaluation and the movies

On Monday’s “The MMA Hour”, UFC hopeful CM Punk said that he dodged a bullet by avoiding shoulder surgery, and will re-evaluate when his UFC career will begin in January.

During his interview with Ariel Helwani, Punk said he suffered the injury at the end of August doing some grappling training as he was adjusting his position, put all of his weight on his elbow, and it popped, causing everyone to stop as they thought something serious had happened. He said he still finished the workout and mopped the mats like he always does, but knew it wasn’t good. He thought he tore his labrum or rotator cuff, but the MRI was inconclusive. 

Neither Dana White nor Lorenzo Fertitta knew about the injury, finding out the same time everyone else did. Punk said he assumed the doctors had talked and everyone was in the know, but that White and Fertitta called him to check in and make sure everything was ok.

Punk said he is going to start some light striking on a heavy bag this week to test the injury, but that he is paranoid about injuring it grappling. He is biking about 20-30 miles a day, is jumping rope to help stay in shape, and that the strength is coming back. He said the most frustrating part about the injury was that he felt he had turned the corner on certain aspects of his training. However, the injury didn’t prevent an announcement on his first UFC fight as head coach Duke Roufus was pretty strict about him training for a year before even considering a potential date, hence the evaluation this January.

He admitted wishing the news of the injury hadn’t come out, and said he had talked to Roufus about it. He definitely came off as frustrated and angry with Internet coverage of his injury and how he’s being covered and fan interaction in general. “I don’t know why people are so concerned about what the f*ck I’m doing…If you don’t want to watch me fight, don’t watch me fight.”

Back in Chicago while he’s been recovering, Punk said he spent three days filming a post-apocalyptic horror movie with his wife A.J. and took issue with those fighters, fans, and media that gave him grief for doing so. He said he’s been “paid a ridiculous amount of money” to do the movie and didn’t feel like it would hurt his career. He stressed the importance of not getting paid until he fights, so he needs to make money while he waits.

Even with all of this, Punk said he will still fight in the UFC.

“I know I’ll get my day in the Octagon and will have fun doing it.”