Paul Heyman Talks To Bruce Buffer About Brock Lesnar's Health, CM Punk/UFC, Ready To Rumble, More

Paul Heyman appeared on UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer's It's Time podcast to talk about a variety of subject, including his upcoming appearance at this weekend's WrestleMania. Here are the highlights:

* Bruce Buffer talks about his brother Michael's WCW deal, which called for him to appear at one pay-per-view a month, and one Nitro per month. Buffer noted that he had the option of doing more and that Michael Buffer particularly enjoyed Nitro.

* Heyman says being live is remarkable because even if you're sick, sad, or exhausted you turn everything on for the live crowd.

* Heyman said the first bump he ever took, he thought he broke his neck because he did it wrong. He took a back drop and jumped too soon and ended up going in to the ropes.

* He says that Brock Lesnar hurt himself way more in a pro wrestling ring than he ever did fighting or training for UFC.

* Buffer said he was backstage at a WCW event once and as soon as Goldberg made it back through the curtain he collapsed due to having a knee injury.

* Bruce Buffer asks Heyman if he liked Ready To Rumble, and Heyman quickly says no. Heyman says it just wasn't entertaining and wasn't a good movie. He says it became too much about wrestling, and notes Rocky wasn't much of a boxing movie, it was a love story.

* Heyman says nobody was calling for the return for WCW because it died a slow, miserable death until it was mercy killed by someone at Turner.

* Buffer said he had to broker a deal for Michael Buffer when the WWE Network happened and he tried to get Michael back on WWE TV at a recent Royal Rumble. Paul Heyman says he'd also like to get Bruce Buffer on WWE TV because he considers him the best ring announcer in the world.

* Paul Heyman said there wasn't one day of his UFC run that Brock Lesnar was actually healthy. He said that Lesnar took the Carwin fight ill and fought with his wife Rena (WWE's Sable) nine months pregnant.

* Buffer asks Heyman what kind of impact he thinks CM Punk will have in the UFC. Heyman says no matter what CM Punk does, if he can get a microphone after the fight, his worth will be doubled.

* Heyman says Punk made enough money on merchandise alone to retire forever. He notes that Punk is a driven person and wants to prove things to himself.

* Heyman also says if he didn't go into WWE he would have went into the Olympics or MMA, but there was no money in either of them. The guaranteed contract was too much for Lesnar to turn down.

* Heyman is asked about Lesnar and Vince McMahon's argument last month. Heyman said he didn't care about having to change things on the fly, and didn't know what the disagreement was about but Lesnar didn't storm out.

* Heyman said he didn't ask WWE's position about Lesnar showing up at UFC 185. Heyman said he wished he would have known in advance so he could go too. He said WWE can't get mad about people going to Ronda Rousey fights because she's a cultural phenomenon.

* Heyman reiterates that he's not Brock Lesnar's manager, he's his advocate. He speaks for him, he doesn't negotiate Lesnar's contract for him, so he doesn't know the details of why Lesnar and McMahon argued.

* Buffer said that he is in negotiations to get Michael Buffer on the Pacquiao vs. Mayweather PPV. He said that they're going to also have Jimmy Lennon there and they'll likely split the duties if the deal works out.

* Heyman says that Lesnar is in his physical prime. This was recorded before Lesnar's announcement and he says Lesnar is prepared to fight and is intrigued because he's healthy for the first time.

* Buffer said that WWE contacted him about bringing in Evander Holyfield, but the deal didn't work out so he recommended Floyd Mayweather. Buffer said he was bummed out that he didn't make any money off the deal, and the same thing happened with Tank Abbott's WCW deal.

* Heyman says Brock Lesnar doesn't pay much attention to Frank Mir. Heyman also says that he thinks this makes Mir's blood boil. He said that Mir first wants to be known as a great UFC fighter, then just wants Lesnar's attention.

* Heyman recalls a situation in which UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta was negotiating with a fighter (who Heyman didn't name) to renew their contract. Dana White grew frustrated while negotiating, and delegated the the talks to Lorenzo. During this time, Scott Coker of Strikeforce made a play for the fighter. Fertitta offered to beat any deal in writing by a dollar. The fighter asked what would happen if a Sultan offered him $25,000,000 to fight just for him, and Lorenzo told him to get it in writing and he'd give him $25,000,001.This is why he doesn't think Viacom can beat Lorenzo Fertitta.

* Heyman says fighters doing storylines is ridiculous, and personalities should just be embellished but not fake. They talked about the Justin McCully-Tito Ortiz and Mike Tyson-Bob Sapp situations as examples. Heyman speaks highly of Conor McGregor for extending his character.

* Heyman is asked about Chael Sonnen in WWE. Heyman says he doesn't know what Sonnen wants to do in WWE and doesn't think he has the cache with WWE to get a preferred schedule from the McMahons. He also says he doesn't think Sonnen has the documentation of PPV sales to warrant that contract, but he would personally sign him. Heyman says he'd make him a color commentator and make him the Joe Rogan of WWE.

* Heyman says he thinks that if Vince McMahon dedicated himself to MMA 24/7, he could compete with anyone in the business.

* Heyman is asked if he'd have a role as Lesnar's advocate if he went to MMA. Heyman says they're close friends, but he's not the person to ask for that. He says Lesnar went through several writers for his book before going to Heyman.

You can listen to the full podcast below. The interview with Heyman runs a little over an hour.