DAVE ALLOCCA/Associated Press

The WWE world was lit afire this week when CM Punk walked out of the company due to frustrations and the wear and tear the pro wrestling schedule has had on his body and mind. It is a story overshadowing everything else in the wrestling world at this point.

In talking with Ariel Helwani last week, CM Punk said there is some interest in competing in MMA once he is done wrestling. With his exit from the company happening this week, that possibility seems closer to reality, assuming his walk out of the company isn't a work (which it appears it isn't).

With Punk's potential to join the MMA scene, one big name has jumped aboard the CM Punk train. That man is Rener Gracie.

Rener, one of the legendary Brazilian jiu-jitsu-based Gracies, spoke out on how he thinks Punk could do in moving from the squared circle to the cage.

"With the little time he’s had with me spread out over so many years, he’s made remarkable progress. There’s no telling how successful he would be if he devoted himself full time to the training...He can go get some fights, knock some fools out and choke some dudes...If he dedicates himself full time, there is no limit, he has the intangibles."

That is a big endorsement from Gracie, who also called Punk a "sponge" when it comes to picking things up in the gym.

Once again, all reports of Punk walking out of WWE have to be taken with a word of caution. In the world of pro wrestling, you never know when something is real or part of a storyline.

Should Punk make it into the world of MMA, it would be interesting to see how he does.

Punk has trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and muay thai for a while now, though he hasn't been able to train full-time due to his hellish wrestling schedule. As seen in Punk's wrestling arsenal, he uses a number of techniques seen in MMA such as flying knees, kicks and submission holds on the ground.

Time will tell what to make of this story. However, with Punk's star power and the legitimate feeling about this walkout on WWE, Punk could easily be an outside attraction in MMA as Brock Lesnar and Herschel Walker were when they first took to the cage.