Dana White: CM Punk 'never said anything to me' about leaving WWE for UFC

Sitting here typing this in what now (supposedly) amounts to a throwback World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) CM Punk sweatshirt, I -- like many mixed martial arts (MMA) fans -- am fascinated with the idea of talented professional wrestlers trying their hands in real fist fights.

Blame Brock Lesnar.

Therefore, when CM Punk "walked away" from WWE following last Sunday's Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) -- paired with the equally satiating comments the Chicago native recently made in this interview about a potential run in MMA -- it was hard to block out the rampant speculation and rumors that he would align with UFC.

Unsurprisingly, as a result, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White was questioned about the topic today during his pre-UFC 169 media scrums (watch full video replay here):

"I was with him all night in Chicago and he never said anything to me about it. I like him, he's a great guy. It's a little late to get in the game, who knows if he can fight?"

The "Best In The World" is a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu trainee, but the question remains whether all of this talk amounts to nothing more than another contrived publicity stunt for the run-up to WWE's marquee event, which will premier on the new "WWE Network," WrestleMania 30 this upcoming April.

"He hasn't said a word to me. He hasn't reached out to me, he never said a word about it. He just showed up, we talked about lot's of things, fighting was not one of them."

Punk has a history of "falling out" with WWE, whether it be behind the scenes or "worked" into a story line. If he truly has taken a step away from the squared circle it's yet to be seen, but it's hard to believe the 35-year-old would embark on a path to fighting inside the Octagon following countless injuries and the desire to spend more time out of the spotlight.

Nonetheless, until this all gets sorted out, us pro wrasslin'/MMA heads can dream. And that's more than likely what this whole situation will amount to once the dust settles.