CM Punk recently achieved his WrestleMania 41 dream, but not long ago, he pursued a different fantasy by signing with the UFC following a public departure from WWE.
His brief tenure in the octagon came after his public split from WWE, where he opted to try mixed martial arts. His signing faced considerable criticism, and his fight results were unfavorable; he lost both bouts, including his quick debut defeat to Mickey Gall in the first round.
While Punk appears to have re-embraced professional wrestling, UFC veteran Matt Brown remains astonished that the promotion offered him a fighting opportunity based purely on his celebrity status rather than proven athletic ability.
Discussing the situation on *The Fighter vs. The Writer*, Brown clarified, “It wasn`t so much about Punk himself. Many people aspire to fight in the UFC. The astonishing part is that the UFC permitted it. It felt unnecessary. In my opinion, it wasn`t the positive PR move they might have anticipated. Perhaps I`m mistaken, but it benefited Mickey Gall more than anyone else. I like Mickey, we`re friends, so good for him. But I don`t believe it did anything significant for the UFC.”
Brown emphasized, “You shouldn`t get a spot here because of your fame or popularity. You`re supposed to be the most formidable competitor. `As real as it gets,` right?”
Notably, Gall had to earn his chance to face Punk by first securing his own UFC spot with a similarly dominant victory over Mike Jackson.
Though relatively unknown at the time, Gall was an experienced martial artist with a strong background in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He held a 2-0 professional record when he was booked to fight Punk at UFC 203 in Cleveland in 2016.
Brown recalled a conversation with Gall regarding that specific fight, noting that while both had limited professional experience heading into the matchup, Punk was fundamentally a professional wrestler and MMA enthusiast, not a seasoned fighter.
Brown recounted Gall`s perspective: “The tough part, which I discussed with Mickey later, was the immense pressure. `Bro,` I said, `you must have been incredibly nervous for that fight because you absolutely couldn`t lose to CM Punk.` Plus, Mickey was 1-0, making this his second UFC bout. Imagine walking out for your second UFC fight under that spotlight? That`s an immense amount of pressure.” He added, “All the media hype and attention, and you`re fighting someone who, frankly, isn`t good. You`d be a laughingstock if you lost to him.”
Ultimately, things worked out favorably for Gall, who quickly submitted Punk in the first round and remains an active competitor in the UFC eight years later.
For his part, Punk has stated he doesn`t regret taking the opportunity to fight in the UFC, despite the unsuccessful outcomes. In his second fight, he was largely outmatched by Mike Jackson over three rounds, though the result was later changed to a no-contest after Jackson tested positive for marijuana.
Following Punk`s two appearances, UFC President Dana White has effectively closed the door on other celebrity or “weekend warrior” aspirants getting a chance to compete in the octagon, regardless of their passion for the sport.
Even WWE superstar and boxer Logan Paul revealed he contacted White about a potential single fight in the UFC but received no response. Paul suggested that Punk`s experience likely “messed things up” for any other professional wrestlers hoping to follow a similar path into the UFC.
Brown remains surprised that the situation unfolded at all but believes Punk`s unsuccessful run likely solidified the UFC`s realization that giving chances based on fame was never a wise decision.
“[The UFC] attempted it once and presumably learned their lesson,” Brown commented. “They really shouldn`t have done it even that one time. But oh well, they did it, it`s done.”
He concluded, “As I mentioned, Mickey got the best outcome from that whole situation. The deal worked out great for him. I`m not sure how well it worked out for anyone else. Certainly not for CM Punk.”
