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CM Punk recently took a moment to reflect on his brief but memorable foray into the world of mixed martial arts. Eight years ago, at UFC 203, Punk made his much-anticipated walk to the octagon for his pro debut, which also marked his first-ever MMA fight. Despite his wrestling stardom and massive fan following, Punk's MMA career didn't go as planned, as he was submitted in just over two minutes by Mickey Gall.
Now 45 and back with the WWE, Punk is preparing for his first WrestleMania appearance since 2013. During an interview on The MMA Hour, Punk expressed bewilderment at his decision to try MMA, saying,
"I asked my wife the other day... 'What the f*** was I thinking?'"
Punk was nearly 38 years old when he fought Gall and 39 when he faced Mike Jackson in his second UFC fight, which ended in a decision loss. The result against Jackson was later overturned due to a positive marijuana test by Jackson.
The UFC 225 fight against Jackson took place in Punk's hometown of Chicago amidst legal troubles with fellow wrestler Colt Cabana. Cabana had sued Punk for breach of contract and fraud related to a 2014 lawsuit stemming from comments Punk made about WWE doctor Christopher Amann on Cabana's podcast. Despite the legal turmoil and the media attention surrounding his MMA journey, Punk remains proud of his efforts.
"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.’ 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."