At this point, all signs point to former WWE star CM Punk getting another shot in the UFC’s Octagon – perhaps as soon as UFC 225 in Chicago on June 9.

If Punk does step back into the Octagon, of course, he’s likely to be counted out by the vast majority of fans and pundits, no matter who he’s matched up with.

Yet according to UFC flyweight contender Sergio Pettis, who trains alongside CM Punk at Roufusport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the pro wrestling veteran has been putting in work in the gym, and is making some big strides as a result.

“CM Punk is evolving a lot man, he’s definitely training hard, this guy’s there every day,” Pettis said on the latest episode of BJ Penn Radio. “It’s a tough camp, you train once in the beginning of the day, at night we have a two-hour workout with pad sessions on top of bag work on top of cardio, and CM Punk’s at every single practice. I see a lot of improvement, his skill, his understanding of the sport is a lot different. I think he’s getting more comfortable in understanding positions now, instead of thinking he’s about to react. It’s cool to see his transformation, I think he’s going to do great, if he has a fight coming up or whatever, you know, for him just to kind of compete, he’s looking well. Yeah, for sure man he’s a hard-working athlete and like I said, he’s getting a better understanding of the movements.”

“He went from not knowing anything to knowing things, and now understanding the what, why, when and where and the how, and it it’s cool to see like I said. He’s definitely transformed.”

How do you think CM Punk will perform if he’s given a second opportunity inside the perilous Octagon?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 3/1/2018.