CM Punk, otherwise known as Phil Brooks, may finally have a long-awaited opponent for his first fight in the UFC. Punk, a former professional wrestling star with the WWE and Ring of Honor promotions, elected to become a fighter with the UFC after his time with the WWE ended on a rocky note.
He was once one of the most popular wrestlers in the WWE at the time he elected to walk away from Vince McMahon and the company. Now he’s followed in the footsteps of fellow former WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Brock Lesnar and has decided to fight for the UFC.
But Punk walked away from the WWE in January 2014 after he was unceremoniously eliminated from the ‘Royal Rumble’ match. In December of that year, Punk announced he would be joining the UFC to be one of their fighters and immediately all eyes were on him and his first bout.
Well, it’s been over a year and we haven’t even heard anything about Punk’s first opponent. According to Punk’s trainer, he suffered a setback when he suffered a shoulder injury during his training. But now, there might be a fighter ready for the former wrestling superstar.
Now according to MMA Junkie, Punk’s first opponent could be an amateur 2-0 fighter from New Jersey, Mickey Gall.
Amid a gluttony-filled trip to the East Coast, UFC President Dana White may have found the man who will welcome Phil “CM Punk” Brooks to the UFC.
Mickey Gall, a 1-0 fighter from New Brunswick, N.J., caught White’s ear between runs to Geno’s Steaks in Philadelphia.
White is now “interested” in the newcomer – despite no clear timeline for Brooks’ debut. The UFC executive has said it will take place this year, possibly by mid-year.
White was in the “City of Brotherly Love” filming “Dana White: Looking for a Fight,” the buddy-comedy and talent-search reality show that streams on UFC Fight Pass, when he discovered Gall.
The newcomer quickly submitted his opponent in his professional debut and made the most of the attention.
“Hey Dana White, I don’t know if CM Punk has an opponent,” Gall said afterward in the cage, “but I would love to fight that man.”
White appeared slightly shocked the fighter would make such a request, but told him, “I like where your head’s at” while offering congratulations.
Gall also sent out the following tweet recently talking about a potential fight with Punk.
Hey @CMPunk. Hi. I am extremely free in July. You busy? Would love to welcome you to the mma world. #UFC200 @danawhite @ufc @lorenzofertitta
— Mickey Gall (@mickeygall) January 5, 2016
And he also said the following to MMAFighting.com.
“Honestly, man, I think that guy’s used to going into a ring and whispering to his guy, ‘Hey, let’s do a clothesline. Hey, let’s practice jumping off the ropes and this and that. I think when he gets in there and he has me coming at him looking to kill him, I don’t think he’ll be able to handle it. He’s a professional wrestler, and he’s great at that. He’s made himself a millionaire doing that. But now he’s stepping into a different world, and I think he’d be in a lot of trouble.”
It appears that Gall is ready for Punk but is Punk ready for Gall? UFC 200 in Las Vegas is in July but i’m sure we’ll find out well before that.
