MTV announced on Monday that former WWE and current UFC fighter CM Punk (Phil Brooks) will be part of the upcoming “The Challenge: Champs vs. Pro” reality series.
The official description for the show is as follows:
“The Challenge: Champs vs. Pros will pit 10 of America’s top athletes against familiar faces from the long-running series. NFL star Victor Cruz will host the special six-week event, which premieres on Tuesday, May 16.”
Punk, who is listed as a “UFC Fighter, joins a list of Pros that includes numerous Olympic athletes. Former NFL star Shawne Merriman, who at one point had a tryout with WWE at the Performance Center, is also listed as being part of the reality series.
What this means for Punk’s mixed martial arts future with the UFC remains to be seen. Punk has not fought since his debut loss at UFC 203 last September against Mickey Gall. No indication was given if the UFC had interest in booking him in another fight, although publicly Punk had hoped for a fight to be announced soon as he continues to train.