CM Punk recently fulfilled a wrestling dream by headlining WrestleMania 41. Not long ago, the WWE star pursued another fantasy: fighting in the UFC.
His short time in the UFC followed a public departure from WWE, where he decided to try mixed martial arts. His signing was controversial, and his fighting results were unsuccessful; Punk lost both his UFC fights, including his debut against Mickey Gall, which ended in under two minutes.
Today, Punk appears to be focused on professional wrestling again, but UFC veteran Matt Brown remains astonished that the promotion allowed him to compete based purely on his fame rather than proven fighting ability.
“My issue with the Punk situation wasn`t so much about Punk,” Brown stated on The Fighter vs. The Writer podcast. “Many people dream of fighting in the UFC. It was the fact that the UFC actually let it happen. It felt unnecessary, not the good PR move they might have expected, in my opinion. It did more for Mickey Gall than anyone else. I like Mickey, I`m friends with him, so good for him. But I don`t think it helped the UFC at all.”
Brown added, “You`re not supposed to get in there because of fame or popularity. You`re supposed to be the toughest fighter. That`s what it`s supposed to be about, right?”
Mickey Gall, however, earned his opportunity to fight Punk by winning his own UFC debut in a dominant performance against Mike Jackson.
While not widely known then, Gall was an experienced martial artist with a strong background in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He had a 2-0 record when booked to fight Punk at UFC 203 in Cleveland in 2016.
Brown recalled discussing the fight with Gall, noting the unique pressure on Mickey. Despite their relative inexperience in the UFC, Punk was primarily a professional wrestler and MMA enthusiast, not a seasoned fighter.
“The tough thing about it,” Brown recounted his conversation with Gall, “`Bro, you must have been incredibly nervous for that fight because you absolutely couldn`t lose to CM Punk.`” Brown continued, “Plus, it was only his second UFC fight. Walking out for your second UFC fight under that spotlight? Can you imagine the pressure?”
“All the media attention, the hype – and you`re fighting someone considered unskilled. You`d be a laughing stock if you lost to him.”
It ended well for Gall, who defeated Punk by submission in the first round. Eight years later, Gall is still competing in the UFC.
As for Punk, he reportedly doesn`t regret pursuing his UFC opportunity, despite the unfavorable results. His second fight, a dominant loss over three rounds to Mike Jackson, was later changed to a no-contest after Jackson tested positive for marijuana.
Following Punk`s two fights, UFC President Dana White has largely prevented other non-professional or celebrity fighters from competing in the octagon, regardless of their enthusiasm for the sport.
WWE star and occasional boxer Logan Paul even mentioned contacting White about a potential one-off UFC fight but received no response. Paul suggested that Punk`s unsuccessful run likely “ruined the opportunity” for other professional wrestlers hoping to enter the UFC similarly.
The fact that Punk`s UFC venture happened at all still surprises Brown, but he thinks Punk`s poor performance likely confirmed to the UFC that allowing such fighters was a mistake from the start.
“They [the UFC] tried it once and learned their lesson,” Brown commented. “They probably shouldn`t have done it even once, honestly. But it happened, it`s over now.”
He reiterated, “As I said, Mickey got the best outcome from that situation. It worked out great for him. I`m not sure it worked out well for anyone else, definitely not CM Punk.”
