CM Punk wants Brock Lesnar back in UFC, grateful for trail already blazed

Will the two men be working for the same company (once again) in the near future?

Long before CM Punk even considered a career in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Brock Lesnar was busy proving people wrong by claiming the promotion's heavyweight title, despite not having an extensive background in mixed martial arts (MMA).

Of course, Lesnar did have his college wrestling pedigree behind him and one MMA bout outside the Octagon before stepping in with the big boys.

Still, Punk -- real name Phil Brooks -- is thankful Brock paved the way for former WWE superstars such as himself to be taken seriously in the world of MMA.

"He kind of made the blueprint. He made it possible for Dana to look at somebody like me and even make me the offer," Punk told FOX Sports. "I'm thankful for that, for sure."

Unlike Lesnar, Punk will be making his MMA debut on the biggest stage of them all without having at least one bout outside of the eight-walled cage. Something that's not lost on the former pro wrestler, which is why he looked to Lesnar for as much advice as possible.

And during their conversations, Punk realized that he and Lesnar shared the same problem; and that's trying to "let go" and not hold back. Something that stems from years of being trained as a wrestler to try and pull back as much as possible while working as a team.

"I asked him what the hardest thing for him to do was; he's a super freak athlete, but something had to be difficult for him. I find it's the exact same thing I'm having difficulty with, and that's learning to let go," Punk stated.

"Striking, sparring is completely different. Someone's trying to punch me in the face, I'm trying to punch them in the face. But often I'll find I'm too light on guys if I'm rolling, my hips aren't heavy enough, it's like I'm trying to work with them like the old pro wrestling kicking in, and he had the same problem, so it's interesting to know that."

Though there have been rumblings of an impending UFC return for Lesnar, nothing has been set in stone. For Punk, he would love nothing more than to have his friend and former colleague with the promotion

"I'd love to see Brock back," Punk said. "I think it would be good for Brock, and it would just be fun to have him around."

Perhaps in a few months, his may have his wish granted.