m.And now, he said, here I am.On the verge of stepping into the UFCs octagon, an arena where some say he doesnt belong.One of WWEs biggest stars before leaving the squared circle two

CLEVELAND -- One show, one match at a time, CM Punk climbed to the top of pro wrestling, acquiring unimagined fame and fortune along the way.It wasnt enough. He needed more, a challenge to satisfy his inner drive. A dream.And now, he said, here I am.On the verge of stepping into the UFCs octagon, an arena where some say he doesnt belong.One of WWEs biggest stars before leaving the squared circle two years ago, Punk makes his long-awaited debut as an MMA fighter on Saturday night in UFC 203, where he wont be in the main event but where hes the top draw and greatest curiosity.When he takes center stage a month shy of his 38th birthday, Punk, who was born Phil Brooks, will complete a two-year journey that began on Jan. 27, 2014, when he informed WWE chairman Vince McMahon that he was done with wrestling. That conversation took place in Quicken Loans Arena, where Punks first foray in mixed martial arts will be witnessed by more than 20,000 fans and a pay-per-view audience interested in his unique story.The symmetry is not lost on Punk, who has spent grueling hours training for his bout with 24-year-old Mickey Gall. Just as he was in his days as a brash, do-whatever-it-takes-to-win wrestler, Punk is certain hell come out victorious.I belong here and my team belongs here, he said earlier this week. Im confident in my preparation. To me, its never too late to start something. If you think otherwise, Im sorry your dreams are so small.Punks fight with Gall will precede a heavyweight title matchup between champion -- and Cleveland native -- Stipe Miocic, who will take on Alistair Overeem, one of the divisions top-ranked contenders. Also Fabricio Werdum, knocked out in the first round by Miocic in May, will take on Travis Browne in a rematch.While former pro wrestler Brock Lesnar successfully transitioned from wrestling to MMA, he didnt attempt it as deep into his athletic career as Punk, who says the pace of UFC training is more conducive to family life after years on the road performing in arenas around the world.He has spent the past 12 months in Milwaukee, working with Duke Roufus and others at the Roufusport Martial Arts Academy.You have good days, you have bad days. You have frustrating days. You have breakthroughs. You turn corners. You make friends. You are with your team. Your team is your family, he said. No matter how frustrating or how bad a day got, its still awesome Im enjoying all of this. Youve got to be a sick individual to enjoy some of the gnarlier aspects of the training, but this has been amazing.Unlike the scripted WWE, where outcomes are decided long before wrestlers lock arms, nothing is planned inside the UFCs caged, eight-sided playpen.Punk has prepared himself as best he can for the chaos that takes place, but acknowledges there are some unknowns. Hes lost more than 20 pounds from his wrestling days, but feels more than adequately adept in his new sport.I use the correlation of you know how to drive an automatic car and now youre learning how to drive a stick shift, Punk said in comparing the athletic adjustment hes made. If you think too much about it, youre not going to be able to do it, but if you learn and you practice and you drill and youre serious about it, you can drive it and then it becomes second nature. Youre still driving a car.For Gall, the matchup with Punk fulfills his own dream.He gravitated to MMA after trying other sports, then took advantage of an appearance on UFC President Dana Whites online series, Looking For a Fight. Gall won his first fight, then challenged Punk immediately afterward. Without any video to watch on Punk, Gall said hes prepared for whatever comes at him.Ill be ready for everything, he said. Im going to fight my fight and Im going to find a way to get him out of there.Since cutting ties from wrestling to try UFC, Punk has been targeted by fans, media members and athletes who have questioned his motives and doubt his chances to succeed.Punk doesnt care. This is no act. This is who he is now.Its like when Michael Jordan went from playing basketball to baseball, he said. `Oh, baseballs too hard, hes not going to able to do it. Im awkward, uncoordinated and Im old and Im fat and Im lazy and I suck and I was a fake athlete, Im not going to be able to do it. 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A statement from the worlds top-ranked player says all checks "were satisfactory and showed positive evolution" regarding the injury, which contributed to his loss to Stanislas Wawrinka in the final in Melbourne. CINCINNATI -- Its one thing to start the season on the road. The Bengals have the daunting challenge of leaving home for the second week, too, which is usually too much travel for an NFL team.Cincinnati has never won back-to-back road games to open a season, and its in good company on that one.Over the past two seasons, nine teams opened with back-to-back road games. None of them went 2-0. The previous team to open with two road wins was Miami in 2013, when the Dolphins won at Cleveland and at Indianapolis.The Bengals are accustomed to opening on the road -- itll be their seventh straight season with an away game when they play at the Jets on Sunday -- but theyve got a tall order.Theyve never won at the Meadowlands. The following week, they play at Pittsburgh, renewing their raw AFC North rivalry.Theyd like to think that theyve gotten the hang of winning the first game on the road, beating Oakland and Baltimore each of the past two years. This will be something else, however.Its crazy, defensive end Carlos Dunlap said. We were talking about that the other day. Weve had great results with that. We just have to continue to start this trek off right. Go out there and make those plays and shut (Jets fans) up quick and early. Send them to the concession stands. Go get a drink because the team is struggling. Something like that.The Bengals have kept the core of their team together for the past few years, even though it has lost in the first round of the playoffs for an NFL-record five straight seasons.Beginning a season with the roster virtually intact lends an advantage over teams that are working in new players.Plus, having experienced so many road openers makes it feel more like a routine.No question it does, cooach Marvin Lewis said.dddddddddddd Were not going to be a deer in the headlights. I can remember back in the day, going to Baltimore and telling the rookies: `Make sure you have a good seat to watch Ray Lewis dance. We go through that. Its good stuff. That why when it happens, theyre at ease with it. They expect it.Winning that first game also carries over some of the confidence from the last playoff season.Absolutely, Andy Dalton said. Its big. You want to start fast. You want to get ahead as much as you can.Winning these first two will be a huge challenge. The Bengals have never done well in New York. Theyre 0-3 against the Giants and 2-12 against the Jets, dropping their past nine. Cincinnatis last win over the Jets in New York was a 31-30 victory at Shea Stadium in 1981, the first season that the Bengals reached the Super Bowl.Its the fourth time in franchise history that theyve opened with a pair of road games. They started 0-2 in both 1979 and 1996. In 2011, they won at Cleveland in Daltons rookie debut and lost at Denver a week later.It is never an easy assignment to go on the road, let alone a home opener with all the pageantry and everything that goes on in the stadiums during home openers, Lewis said. I guess we get to do it two weeks in a row.Game notes The Jets have won five consecutive home openers, the longest active streak in the AFC. ... 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