Coach Duke Roufus has been at the side of former WWE Champion CM Punk as he made his journey into the Octagon at UFC 203.
The former wrestling star got destroyed by Mickey Gall in that fight and Coach Roufus says that Punk got to learn what a real beating is.
“(UFC President Dana White) and the matchmakers had their weekly matchmaking meeting yesterday, and we’ll get some news soon,” Roufus said on UFC Unfiltered. “I just think the first time you step in the octagon, there’s something special you’ve got to deal with getting in there. For Punk, this sounds really weird, but now he knows what a beating feels like – a real beating.”
Punk is currently training for his second UFC appearance, but an opponent and fight date have yet to be revealed.
Roufus even admits that the beating Punk got at UFC 203 may be a huge bit of motivation for him in his next fight.
“I think (a loss like Punk’s at UFC 203) will help a lot of fighters to the point of haunting them, like, ‘No, I don’t want to feel this way ever again,'” Roufus said. “It’s not the physical. These guys are tough. It’s the mental anguish. You don’t want to feel that depressing, embarrassing feeling of getting beat up in front of God and everyone. It’s no fun. It’s been great motivation for him.”
Besides CM Punk, the only other former WWE Champion to enter the Octagon was former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar.
