UFC News: Dana White Wants Ex-WWE Superstar CM Punk to Fight in the Octagon [Watch]

Former WWE superstar CM Punk might be on his way to the Octagon.

In a report by TMZ, Dana White, President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), said that he is interested in talking to CM Punk about the possibility of becoming a professional mixed martial arts fighter.

White was interviewed at an event in New York City on December 4 to celebrate the newly formed partnership between UFC and Reebok.

White said about the 36-year-old CM Punk, whose real name is Phillip Brooks, in the same TMZ report, "I don't know if he can fight or anything like that... but sure, I wouldn't mind talking to CM Punk."

Bleacher Report wrote that CM Punk shared before that he was interested in trying MMA. White said about the former WWE champion, "He is a big [MMA] fan, and I like him very much. He's a great dude."

Bleacher Report speculated that CM Punk might help increase the UFC's fan base, considering how Brock Lesnar, who is also a WWE superstar, managed to give the UFC its biggest pay-per-view draw ever. There were previous talks of Lesnar making a comeback in the Octagon, so bringing in another former WWE superstar might help in terms of adding publicity and celebrity appeal.

Rener Gracie of the famous Gracie family of Brazil is currently training CM Punk in MMA. In January 2014, Gracie said in a Fox Sports report about Punk's Brazilian jiu-jitsu training, "With the little time he's had with me spread out over so many years, he's made remarkable progress. There's no telling how successful he would be if he devoted himself full time to the training."

Gracie said about the possibility of Punk winning a UFC title, "He can go get some fights, knock some fools out and choke some dudes." He continued, "If he dedicates himself full time, there is no limit," Gracie said. "He has the intangibles."

In the same article by Bleacher Report, Punk was also invited by Chael Sonnen before to join him to the cage but Vince McMahon of WWE prevented him from doing so. Now that Punk is officially retired from wrestling, he may be seriously considering fighting in the Octagon.

In the meantime, Bloody Elbow wrote that the UFC is apparently more aggressive in getting Brock Lesnar to return. Lesnar's contract with WWE expires in April 2015. White shared that if Lesnar wishes to fight again, he will surely give him a call.