CM Punk made his long-awaited MMA debut at UFC 203 on Saturday night.
It went as many expected, with Punk submitting in minutes. Though he was dominated, the former WWE star did not take the opportunity to admit failure. Rather, he gave a fairly inspiring speech about reaching for your dreams.
Of course, it is a bit NSFW at the end.
"You go BIG or you go home" – @CMPunk #UFC203 https://t.co/H4LEnkXwmI
— UFC (@ufc) September 11, 2016
Here’s the speech transcribed via Uproxx:
“In life, you go big or you go home. I just like to take challenges. This was a hell of a mountain to try to climb and I didn’t get to the summit today, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to give up, that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop. I appreciate the support from everyone. Mickey’s a hell of a fighter. I will be back, believe it or not, the second-best night of my life besides marrying my wife.
I know there’s a lot of doubters but, listen — life’s about falling down and getting up. It’s doesn’t matter how many times you get knocked down, it’s about getting back up. So if there’s a kid out there that’s told by a parent, or a coach or a teacher, someone that they look up to, someone they’re trying to push them and believe in them and they’re told “no” don’t listen to them. Believe in yourself. Sometimes, the outcome isn’t what you desire it to be. But the true failure in life is not trying at all. I know that sounds preachy and weird for a guy that just got beat up, but f*ck it — this was the time of my life! Thank you, Cleveland!”
This fighter made a big-time jump going from WWE to MMA. His effort was worth celebrating. The speech is even more inspiring.
[Uproxx]
