Robin Black on CM Punk’s UFC Loss: Don’t “Blindly Chase Your Dreams”

Last weekend, on the main card of UFC 203, former pro wrestling star CM Punk took his first steps into the cage and was quickly submitted by Mickey Gall in an outcome that surprised very few people.

Despite his loss, many members of the combat sports community have commended Punk on his courage and ambition. Though he was clearly not ready for a UFC bout, there seems to be a widespread admiration for the way he got in there and chased his dreams.

Popular fight analyst Robin Black, however, was not particularly impressed by Punk’s dream-chasing, simply because he believes the pro wrestler went about it the wrong way. On Monday morning, Black took to Facebook to give his ever-interesting thoughts on Punk’s losing effort in the Octagon.

https://www.facebook.com/therobinblack/posts/10157408211275082

Instead of rushing towards the bright lights of the UFC, Black explains, Punk should have chopped his MMA dreams into bite sized pieces. The lesson, Black continues is to “systematically break dreams up into small goals and grow along the way,” rather than to “blindly chase your dreams.”

Of course, Black’s post does seem to ignore the role that money played in Punk’s UFC debut. Were he not already a sports star, he would have been forced to take the slow road to his goals. Because he is a star, however, he was presented with a shortcut – a shortcut that would make him and the UFC some serious stacks of cash. This, of course, is the main reason Punk – devoid of any real martial arts experience – jumped right into the shark infested waters of the UFC, rather than grinding his way through through a circuit of grappling tournaments, kickboxing bouts, and amateur fights. Dollars make sense.

That said, Black is bang-on in principal. Punk’s taking a shortcut from WWE to the UFC ultimately costly, as he was mugged by a far more experienced foe in front of millions of people.

Do you agree with Robin Black’s assessment of CM Punk’s MMA run? Sound off, PENN nation!