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CLEVELAND -- CM Punk lost Saturday night at UFC 203, but Phil Brooks walked out of the Quicken Loans Arena as the real winner.Brooks MMA debut, which came nearly two years after he announced he had signed with the UFC on Dec. 6, 2014, ended with a rear-naked chokehold at 2:14 of the first round at the hands of 24-year-old Mickey Gall, who is now 3-0 in his young MMA career.The result, however, was nothing more than a footnote to what should be viewed as an inspirational example for anyone unhappy with where they are in life and unsure if its too late to rewrite their story.Brooks, who has fought under the name CM Punk since he broke into professional wrestling in the 1990s, will turn 38 next month. No one gave him much of a chance to win his first MMA fight, which didnt take place in some nondescript gymnasium as many debuts do, but in front of a sellout crowd of around 20,000 fans on a UFC pay-per-view he co-headlined.The mere fact Brooks was able to step into the Octagon was enough to call his two-year journey to this point a success. He admitted as much after arriving in Cleveland earlier this week for the fight.There are a lot of victories here, Brooks said. Just doing this, I won... Just stepping foot in the Octagon, thats a victory.Of course, not everyone will agree. Those who labeled Brooks foray into MMA as misguided and viewed the UFCs promotion of him as undeserved will point to the expected result as confirmation of their steadfast opinion,?but theyre missing the point. Brooks journey was more than just about a check mark in the win-loss column -- its about taking control of your life, regardless of how old you are, and doing what makes you happy.I dont put any stock into starting earlier or starting later, Brooks said. To me its never too late to start anything you want to do, and if you think so Im sorry your dreams are so small.Brooks couldnt contain his smile as he walked to the Octagon on Saturday night while Living Colours Cult of Personality, the song that became synonymous with CM Punk the wrestler, played over the arena sound system. It was a smile we hadnt seen from him in years. Quicken Loans Arena erupted as if LeBron James hit a game-winning basket as soon as his song started to play. It was the moment his fans had been waiting for since CM Punk walked away from the WWE for good in the same arena almost three years ago.As soon as the fight started, however, Gall put Brooks on his back, and it was over two minutes later when he was forced to tap. But the loss didnt erase Brooks smile. If anything, the loss made him want to get back into the gym and train for his next fight.In life you go big or you go home, Brooks said as he stood in the Octagon after his first fight. I just like to take challenges. It was a hell of a mountain to try to climb, and I didnt get to the summit today, but that doesnt mean Im going to give up. It doesnt mean Im going to stop. I will be back, believe it or not. This is the most fun Ive ever had in my life. Its the second-best night of my life, besides marrying my wife.The sellout crowd didnt get to see Brooks on his feet for long or throw any punches while he was on his back, effectively sucking the life out of the building, but hearing him talk after the fight gave them an opportunity to give him a standing ovation on his way out of the Octagon.I know there are a lot of doubters, but lifes about falling down and getting up. It doesnt matter how many times you get knocked down, its about getting back up. So if theres any kid out there thats told by parent or a coach or a teacher or somebody they look up to thats supposed to push them and believe in them and theyre told, no, dont listen to them. Believe in yourself. Sometimes the outcome isnt what you desire it to be, but the true failure in life is not trying at all. I know it sounds preachy and kind of weird coming from a guy who just got beat up, but f--- it, this is the time of my life.Brooks would have liked to have made his debut earlier, but a shoulder injury and a herniated disk in his back which required surgery pushed his first match all the way to UFC 203 in Cleveland, and to the same arena where he walked into WWE chairman Vince McMahons office on Jan. 24, 2014, and told him he was done with professional wrestling for good. He walked out of the Quicken Loans Arena, got in his car and drove about five hours on Interstate 90 west to his home in Chicago and never looked back.I think I jokingly might have said Im cursed in this building, but I actually truly believe one of the best things that ever happened to me, happened in this building, Brooks said. It was a breaking point on both sides and something that needed to happen, and it needed to happen dramatically. Things happen for a reason, and Im here now. Theres a little bit of a thought of how poetic that is.Brooks married April Jeanette Mendez, better known to wrestling fans as AJ Lee, on June 13, 2014. April followed in her husbands footsteps and left the WWE last year, and they live in Chicago with their dog, Larry. The fact that the couple is able to lead a normal life now, while Brooks follows his dream of being a UFC fighter, is one of the biggest reasons Brooks has no regrets about his decision, regardless of what his record in the Octagon ends up being.Traveling sucks, and I just got burnt out on it, he said. No matter how frustrated, beat up or bad a day I had in the gym, I would always go home, see my wife, see my dog and sleep in my own bed and take a shower in my own shower ... I get to sleep in my bed every night. No matter how hard training was, I get to go home and kiss my wife. Thats a luxury in my world. I never used to get to do that.While Brooks didnt officially sign with the UFC until December, he knew he wanted to transition into mixed martial arts after leaving the WWE. This wasnt about him leaving one pro-wrestling promotion for another or leaving the WWE and returning in a year or two for a big pay day. He was looking to change his life forever.I knew this was going to happen, Brooks said. My wife and I are the same in every respect. Weve kind of visualized our lives unfolding, and aside from a few twists and turns, it happened exactly how we always thought. Did I know it was going to be in Cleveland? Did I know it was going to be in the UFC? No, maybe, maybe not, but I knew I was going to fight.Saturdays result doesnt mean Brooks is going to fade away and quit what he has just started. The journey to finally get to the Octagon has been too hard and too fun for him to give it all up now that he has started the next chapter of his life.Im happy. Thats all that matters to me, Brooks said. Im in this for the long haul for sure. Nike Vapormax Dame Norge . There was no hesitation from the 40th-ranked Pospisil, from Vernon, B.C., who admitted that he cut back on his training sessions over the last few days to conserve energy as the long ATP season finishes next week at the Paris Masters. Nike Vapormax En Gros . Instead of dwelling on the negative, Oates focused on what was good about the clubs recent play. It worked. http://www.vapormaxnorge.com/vapormax-herre-norge/vapormax-flyknit.html .C. -- Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Bobcats got off to a fast start, and the Sacramento Kings were never quite able to catch up. Vapormax Svart Herre Norge .C. -- Al Jefferson joked that he feels he can score from anywhere on the court. Vapormax China . By having more great seasons. Manning was the only unanimous choice for the 2013 Associated Press NFL All-Pro team Friday. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Novak Djokovic shook his head and placed his palm over welling eyes on his way to the locker room after a first-round Olympic exit, devastated he might never realize his goal of adding a gold in singles to a substantial collection of Grand Slam titles.I mean, no doubt, its one of the toughest losses in my life, in my career, Djokovic said later, shaking his head and speaking in subdued tones. Not easy to handle.The Serb was hardly alone in his disappointment on Day 2 of the Rio de Janeiro Games: He was one of three No. 1 seeds to exit the tennis competition in a wild span of 12 hours.Djokovics 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2) setback Sunday night was caused in large part by ferocious forehand after ferocious forehand from a resurgent Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina. That surprising result followed losses by the top-seeded duos of Serena and Venus Williams of the United States -- who entered their match with a 15-0 Olympic record and three gold medals as a pair -- in womens doubles, and Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France in mens doubles.The second-seeded mens doubles duo of Andy and Jamie Murray departed, too.Got to take it on the chin, said Jamie, the older brother of two-time Wimbledon winner Andy, and move on.Sunday began with 25 mph winds that delayed the start of play on eight of Rios nine tennis courts for about 2 hours, and then came so many startling outcomes.None was more significant than 2009 U.S. Open titlist del Potros victory over 12-time major champion and No. 1-ranked Djokovic in a thriller before a raucous crowd. The match concluded with both men, who are friends, wiping away tears after a lengthy, warm embrace at the net, during which Djokovic offered what del Potro described as really kind words.Del Potro has dealt with three operations to his left wrist that kept him off the Grand Slam circuit for 2 1/2 years, until Wimbledon last month, and even he acknowledged: I didnt expect to beat Novak tonight.Djokovic had won seven of their eight most recent meetings, and 11 of 14 overall, before Sunday. But this is the second time that del Potro came out ahead at an Olympics: He beat Djokovic to take the bronze medal in London four years ago.Representing Serbia means a lot to DDjokovic, who led his country to a Davis Cup title and carried its flag at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Games.dddddddddddd He did earn a bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but to a guy with so much success, anything other than being the champion is not acceptable.There is still a shot at gold in doubles in Rio -- he and Nenad Zimonjic are into the second round -- but as for singles, Djokovic will be 33 by the time Tokyo hosts the 2020 Olympics.The wounds are still fresh, Djokovic said. But youve got to deal with it. Its not the first (or) the last time that Im losing a tennis match. But Olympic Games, yeah, its completely different.This comes a little more than a month after a third-round loss at Wimbledon against Sam Querrey of the United States, and could add to the sense that Djokovic is not as unbeatable as everyone was beginning to think he was when he won the French Open in June to become the first man in nearly a half-century to win four consecutive major trophies.With Djokovic out of the draw, 2012 gold medalist Andy Murray, who is seeded No. 2, becomes the favorite as he bids to become the first player to win consecutive Olympic singles titles. He won his opener in that event Sunday, 6-3, 6-2 against Serbias Viktor Troicki.Also chasing a repeat in singles: Serena Williams, who was the only No. 1 seed with a victory Sunday, albeit a patchy one, 6-4, 6-2 against Australias Daria Gavrilova in singles.Then Serena went back out on court to partner Venus, who has been ill and lost in singles on Saturday. They were beaten 6-3, 6-4 by the Czech Republics Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova.We played terrible, Serena said, and it showed in the results.A common theme on this day.After he and Jamie wasted five set points in the second tiebreaker of their 7-6 (6), 7-6 (14) loss against Brazils Thomaz Bellucci and Andre Sa, Andy said he would skip mixed doubles and let his brother play with Jo Konta.Ill concentrate on the singles now, Andy said. Ill get a day off tomorrow and recover. Its been a long day.---Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich ' ' '