Former WWE star CM Punk reflected on his unsuccessful venture into MMA, expressing no regrets despite losing both his fights, and said he would do it again despite the criticism and mockery he received.
CM Punk’s decision to venture into MMA is as baffling to him as it is to everyone else. This was eight years ago, at UFC 203.
Punk’s first walk to the octagon wasn’t just his professional debut. It was his first-ever MMA fight. But he wasn’t your average newcomer.
He brought with him a massive fan base from his WWE days. But his wrestling fame didn’t do him much good in the cage. Mickey Gall submitted him in just over two minutes.
Now, at 45, Punk is back with WWE. He’s gearing up for his first WrestleMania since 2013. He recently reflected on his two-fight UFC stint during an interview on The MMA Hour.
“I asked my wife the other day, ‘What was I, 35 when I fought?'” Punk mused. His wife corrected him, “Oh no, you were 36 or 37.” Punk’s response? “What the f*** was I thinking?”
He was almost 38 when he fought Gall. And 39 when he faced Mike Jackson in his second UFC fight. That fight also ended in a loss, this time by decision. But the result was later overturned when Jackson tested positive for marijuana.
The Jackson fight happened at UFC 225 in Punk’s hometown, Chicago. It was a tumultuous time. Punk was in the middle of a lawsuit with fellow wrestler and ex-friend Colt Cabana. Cabana accused Punk of contract breach and fraud related to a 2014 lawsuit.
Despite all this, Punk is okay with how things turned out on fight night. “I’m glad I did it,” he said. “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.”
Punk’s transition from pro wrestling to pro fighting drew lots of media attention. His losses were inevitably scrutinized. Even today, some fans mock the wrestling legend for his unsuccessful MMA venture.
But Punk has seen the highs and lows of both wrestling and MMA fans. He maintains a positive outlook on his time as a cagefighter. “I get it, it’s easy to ‘LOL’ and make fun of me,” Punk said. “Some people look at that and be like, ‘That’s embarrassing.’
“But 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.”