CM Punk recently realized his dream of headlining WrestleMania 41, but not long ago, the WWE superstar was pursuing a different fantasy by signing with the UFC.
His brief tenure in the UFC occurred after a very public departure from WWE, where he decided to try mixed martial arts. His signing faced significant criticism, and the outcomes weren`t much better, as Punk ultimately lost both his UFC bouts, including his debut against Mickey Gall, which ended in under two minutes of the first round.
While Punk appears to have rekindled his passion for professional wrestling, UFC veteran Matt Brown remains astonished that the promotion ever offered him an opportunity based solely on his fame rather than any demonstrated fighting ability.
Discussing it on the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer, Brown elaborated, “The point about the Punk situation wasn`t so much about Punk himself. Many people dream of fighting in the UFC. It was more the fact that the UFC actually let it happen. You think, what were you guys doing? This seemed unnecessary. In my view, it wasn`t the positive PR move they anticipated. Maybe I`m mistaken. It benefited Mickey Gall more than anyone else. I like Mickey; we`re good friends, so good for him. But I don`t believe it did anything for the UFC.”
He added, “You`re not supposed to get into the octagon because of your fame or popularity. You`re meant to be the toughest person there. That`s the reality, isn`t it?”
Mickey Gall actually earned his opportunity to fight Punk by securing his own spot in the UFC after defeating Mike Jackson in a similarly dominant fashion.
Though relatively unknown at the time, Gall was a seasoned martial artist with a strong background in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He held a 2-0 record when he was scheduled to face Punk at UFC 203 in Cleveland back in 2016.
Brown recalled a conversation he had with Gall about that particular fight, acknowledging that even though neither had extensive pro experience entering the matchup, Punk was fundamentally a professional wrestler who was simply an MMA fan and enthusiast.
“What made it tough, too,” Brown recounted from his talk with Mickey, “is that you must have been incredibly nervous for that fight because you absolutely couldn`t afford to lose to CM Punk.” He added, “Plus, he was 1-0. It was only his second fight in the UFC. Imagine walking out for your second UFC fight? That`s an immense amount of pressure.”
“With all the media, the attention, the hype, and you`re fighting this guy who frankly isn`t good at this. You`d become the laughing stock if he beat you.”
It turned out well for Gall, who quickly submitted Punk in the first round and continues to compete in the UFC eight years later.
As for Punk, he has maintained he never regretted taking his opportunity to fight in the UFC, even though the outcomes weren`t favorable. In his second bout, Punk was clearly outmatched over three rounds by Mike Jackson, though the result was later changed to a no-contest after Jackson tested positive for marijuana.
Since Punk`s two appearances, Dana White has effectively shut down the possibility of other celebrity “weekend warriors” getting a chance to compete in the octagon, irrespective of how much they might love the sport.
WWE superstar and part-time boxer Logan Paul even revealed he contacted White about a potential single fight in the UFC but never received a reply. He speculated that Punk likely “messed things up” for any other professional wrestlers attempting a similar path into the UFC.
The mere fact that it occurred at all still surprises Brown, but he believes Punk`s unsuccessful run likely convinced the UFC it was never a good concept in the first place.
“[The UFC] gave it a shot once and learned their lesson,” Brown stated. “They really shouldn`t have done it even that one time. But anyway, they did it. It`s finished.”
“Like I mentioned, Mickey benefited the most from that situation. The arrangement worked out perfectly for him. I`m not certain how well it worked out for anyone else. Definitely not CM Punk.”
