UFC CEO Dana White recently revisited the uproar and public scrutiny that surrounded WWE star CM Punk’s UFC salary. White discussed the controversy, shedding light on the significant financial rewards that Punk received during his relatively short-lived and unsuccessful stint in the world’s #1 MMA organization.
In 2014, at the UFC 181 pay-per-view broadcast in Las Vegas, the MMA community was taken by surprise when it was revealed that Phil “CM Punk” Brooks had signed a multi-year deal with the UFC, despite his lack of experience in the octagon. Punk, known for his time in the world of professional wrestling, walked out of WWE that year and was then fired.
Despite his limited MMA experience, CM Punk’s financial compensation for his time in the UFC was substantial. Recently unsealed lawsuit details from 2017 disclosed that Punk received an impressive $500,000 for his debut fight in 2016. This amount was further boosted by various add-ons, placing him at the pinnacle of the UFC’s pay structure at the time. The total disclosed earnings for Punk reached a staggering $1,042,736.
Dana White, in a revealed conversation with an attorney, acknowledged the intense reaction from the public regarding CM Punk’s earnings. The decision to award such a significant sum to a fighter without prior MMA experience raised eyebrows within the MMA community and beyond.
White addressed the controversy, reflecting on the public’s astonishment and providing insight into the reasoning behind the financial arrangement.
Here’s how Dana’s chat with an attorney went down:
Dana: “We had some guy that was – that was paid a certain amount of money and never – oh, the professional wrestler that we brought in. Not Brock [Lesnar], the other one.”
Attorney: “CM Punk?”
Dana: “Oh, yeah. People went crazy when they saw what he got paid. Even the women.”
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