CM Punk: 'People expect me to get knocked out'

UFC 203 will feature a heavyweight title fight on top, but one of the major attractions on the card will be the MMA debut of former pro wrestling superstar CM Punk. Punk, real name Phil Brooks, has been the subject of much media attention ever since he signed with the UFC to have a go in MMA, despite no background in the sport.

As his long-awaited debut draws closer, the media and fan scrutiny has been ramped up. If you ask Punk though, he just focused on the expectations that him and his team have for the fight. That doesn't mean he's not well aware of the detractors though. He spoke to MMA Junkie about what he's aiming to do on September 20th in Cleveland:

"I don’t know what the expectations are. I know what my expectations are. I know what my team and my coach – what they expect out of me. I think it depends on what corner of the media or the Internet you look at to see what the expectations are. People expect me to get knocked out. People expect me to get starched in 30 seconds. The people who see me work here every day expect me to win."

...

"My expectations are to win – go out there, whether it goes three rounds, whether it goes three seconds, that’s what I expect. I expect to show up in the best shape of my life, happiest I’ve ever been, and happy looking in the mirror before the fight knowing: ‘Job well done.'"

Punk and Gall (2-0, 1-0 UFC) are currently scheduled to be the third fight of the UFC 203 main card. The promotion has also put a documentary together mapping out the lead-up to Punk's debut. You can watch the first part of The Evolution of Punk here.