Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk is finally going to make his UFC debut against Mickey Gall at next month’s UFC 203 show in Cleveland, Ohio. It’s been nearly twoyears since the former pro wrestler signed on the dotted line with the UFC, and since then, many have predicted that he would never step inside the Octagon, and while there’s still a chance that he could get injured leading up to the fight, it seems like we’re finally going to see how he fares in mixed-martial-arts.
Fox has been filming most of CM Punk’s training sessions ever since he joined Duke Roufus’ Roufusport MMA in 2014, and we’re going to get to see some of that footage on August 15, as the network is planning to air a documentary that focuses on CM Punk’s preparation for his UFC debut.
The documentary will also feature Punk’s opponent Mickey Gall, who made his UFC debut back in February. Gall has a professional record of 2-0, with both wins coming by submission in the very first round. His most recent fight was against Mike Jackson, who he finished in just 45 seconds at UFC Fight Night 82, and even though Jackson is more experienced than Punk, Gall thinks that the ex-WWE star will be able to last a little bit longer than Jackson was able to.
Gall recently appeared on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Hour , and he said that he’s confident that he’ll be able to finish CM Punk in the very first round. He predicted that he’d drop CM Punk with strikes, and then he’d finish him off with a submission, which is exactly what he did to Mike Jackson back in February.
“The fight will probably last [a little longer than a minute]. I think I’ll take him out in the first round. I’ll hit him hard, drop him, either pound him out or tap him out. It’ll be very similar to the Mike Jackson fight.”
Right now, Mickey Gall is listed a slight favorite over CM Punk. However, most MMA experts believe that Gall will make quick work of the former pro wrestler.
Grt night filming sparring w @CMPunk #EvolutionOfPunk coming soon to @FOXSports #UFC203 #CMPunk #FirstRowFilms pic.twitter.com/MyHp9Qzc2e
— Rory Karpf (@RoryKarpf) July 19, 2016
Several months ago, it was reported that CM Punk was struggling during his training sessions at Roufusport, which is why most people are picking Gall to win. Furthermore, Gall is 13 years younger than Punk, and he has more experience, so it’s easy to see why he’s listed as the favorite going into UFC 203.
CM Punk has said in the past that he plans to fight more than once in the UFC, but his UFC experience could end after just one fight if he loses at UFC 203. Prior to the fight being announced, it was reported that the UFC was having second thoughts about their decision to sign CM Punk because of the fact that he kept getting injured in training. But now everything seems to be going great with the former WWE star, and he seems to be healthy enough to step inside the Octagon next month.
Details on CM Punk & AJ Lee’s UFC 203 Documentary https://t.co/gEeWLfNCaw via @KelDansby pic.twitter.com/ajyrjYXk4v
— Robert Littal BSO (@BSO) August 2, 2016
According to the UFC’s website , the Punk vs. Gall fight will open UFC 203. You can check out the show’s lineup below:
- Stipe Miocic vs. Alistair Overeem [Heavyweight Championship]
- Fabricio Werdum vs. Ben Rothwell
- Nik Lentz vs. Mairbek Taisumov
- Damir Hadzovic vs. Yusuke Kasuya
- CM Punk vs. Mickey Gall
Some pro wrestling fans are hoping for a CM Punk loss because, in their minds, that’ll mean that he’s heading back to WWE. But, CM Punk himself has said that he’s never going back to WWE, but he hasn’t yet ruled out the possibility of returning to professional wrestling once his MMA journey comes to a close.
[Photo Angela Weiss/Getty Images]