CM Punk finds himself reflecting on his foray into MMA with a sense of bewilderment, much like many others.
It was eight years ago, at UFC 203, that Punk made his official octagon debut, marking not only his first professional fight but also his inaugural MMA bout. His transition from WWE superstar to MMA fighter drew considerable attention, with a massive fan base trailing him into the event. However, his wrestling prowess failed to translate into success inside the cage, as he succumbed to a submission by Mickey Gall in just over two minutes.
Now, at 45, Punk has returned to WWE, gearing up for his first WrestleMania appearance since 2013. In anticipation of the event, he took a moment during an interview on The MMA Hour to reminisce about his memorable but brief stint in the UFC.
“I asked my wife the other day,” Punk recalled, “because I said something, I was just like, ‘What was I, 35 when I fought?’ And she was just like, ‘Oh no, you were 36 or 37.’ I just went, ‘What the f*** was I thinking?'”
Indeed, Punk was on the cusp of his 38th birthday when he faced Gall and 39 when he confronted Mike Jackson in his second UFC bout. While the Jackson fight ended in a decision loss, it was later overturned due to Jackson’s positive marijuana test.
The bout with Jackson took place at UFC 225 in Punk’s hometown of Chicago, amidst a flurry of personal and legal turmoil. Leading up to the event, Punk found himself embroiled in a lawsuit with fellow wrestler Colt Cabana, stemming from allegations of breach of contract and fraud related to a prior lawsuit.
Following his contentious departure from WWE in 2014, Punk publicly accused WWE doctor Christopher Amann of medical negligence during an appearance on Cabana’s podcast, prompting legal action against both Punk and Cabana for defamation. Cabana’s 2018 lawsuit revolved around Punk’s alleged commitment to cover Cabana’s legal fees in the defamation case.
Despite these adversities, Punk harbors no regrets about his UFC experience.
“I’m glad I did it,” he affirmed. “Zero regrets. I shouldn’t have fought in Chicago, because of the worst two weeks of my life. Easily the worst two weeks of my life. I couldn’t cut weight properly. I still made weight. I’m proud of myself for that. I’m an ambitious guy.”
Given the immense scrutiny surrounding Punk’s transition from wrestling to MMA, criticism of his losses was inevitable. However, Punk maintains a positive perspective on his time as a legitimate cage fighter, having encountered both the highs and lows of fan reactions in both wrestling and MMA circles.
“I get it, it’s easy to ‘LOL’ and make fun of me,” Punk acknowledged. “Some people look at that and be like, ‘That’s embarrassing.’ I f****** made the weight. I made the walk. I am 100 percent proud of myself, and I would do it again, because that was me at my absolute worst, and I did it. You want to call me a loser, that’s cool, but I was stoked I got that opportunity, and I was stoked I did it.”
