The UFC has officially announced former WWE champion CM Punk‘s next fight, and the bout will occur in Punk’s hometown of Chicago, Illinois.
While the fight had been rumored and all but confirmed now for several weeks, we no longer have to await official confirmation. Punk will take on Mike Jackson at UFC 225 on June 9th at Chicago’s United Center. The fight will be contested as a welterweight division bout.
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Phil “CM Punk” Brooks made his UFC debut at UFC 203 in September 2016. The bout was heavily anticipated for almost two years, as Punk had signed a multi-fight deal with UFC in late 2014 following his departure from WWE.
To say that fight didn’t go as well as planned would be an understatement. Punk lost just over two minutes into the fight via a rear naked choke submission to Mickey Gall. Gall was a relative newcomer at the time and has gone 1-1 in fights since his encounter with Punk.
What’s notable is that Gall also defeated Mike Jackson in a February 2016 fight, immediately prior to his bout with Punk. That match was seen at the time as being for the chance to fight Punk, so it turns out that Punk will end up facing both men anyway.
Jackson and Punk both posses an identical 0-1 professional MMA record, with both man’s losses coming to the same fighter (Gall). Punk’s second opportunity at UFC 225 could be his last if the fight doesn’t go his way. Dana White had once sounded skeptical about giving Punk another opportunity under UFC’s bright lights but eventually came back around.
White told the New York Post back in January, “I like that guy (Punk). He’s a good dude. He wants one more. He wants to get another shot. I’m going to give it to him.”
Jackson has been making the case in recent months that he’s the best name to draw money against Punk, largely due to his personality and charisma.
Jackson told TMZ, “It’s styles, it’s personalities, it’s somebody who’s gonna sell the fight. Let’s make money, Dana!”
In regards to Punk, he said that he is going to “scramble his brains.”
