After signing with the UFC nearly two years ago, CM Punk will finally be making his MMA debut. The 37-year-old former professional wrestler will be fighting on September 10, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
CM Punk, whose given name is Phil Brooks, appeared on World Wrestling Entertainment events for nearly 8 years. He became arguably the second most widely recognized personality in the sport behind John Cena. In January 2014, CM had been disgruntled with WWE management and walked away after the company’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view event. Interestingly enough, the venue where Punk is set to fight for UFC 203 is the same place he walked out on the WWE.
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Weeks after leaving the WWE, CM Punk announced that he would be signing with the UFC. The announcement was met with initial backlash from the wrestling community and with heavy skepticism by his mixed martial arts competitors.
Chicago-native CM Punk told Rolling Stone magazine in August of 2015: “To me, there’s something romantic about just you and another guy locked inside a cage and the better man wins. In that time and space, nothing else matters. I definitely think it can be f***ing scary, but I like embracing the things that scare me.”
Punk is set to find the romance in the welterweight bout with 24-year-old Mickey Gall. Gall told WrestleZone Radio this past February, “I just want to beat up a superstar.” Only time will tell if Gall will “beat up a superstar,” or if CM Punk may best Gall with one of his signature finishing maneuvers such as the “GTS (Go To Sleep)” or the “Anaconda Vein.”
The other fights featured in UFC 203 include: Miocic vs. Overeem, and Werdem vs. Rothwell.
Do you plan on watching CM Punk make his MMA debut on September 10, 2016 for UFC 203?
