CM Punk’s mixed martial arts debut went as expected by many when he was finished in less than three minutes by Mickey Gall. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt from New Jersey ended the fight in the first round by sinking in a rear-naked choke on the former WWE star.
What is the high point of the fight?
The entire two minutes of action was dominated by Mickey Gall, from the moment Punk threw an overhand right. From there, Gall pretty much put on a clinic on the ground, which Punk had no answers to. The disparity in skill level was highly apparent, given Gall’s grappling experience.
While credit goes to Punk for trying to survive, it was only a matter of time before Gall was able to soften him up further and lock in the rear-naked choke.
Where do these two go from here?
It would be interesting to see who Punk faces after the disappointing yet predicted outcome of his UFC debut. He definitely can still improve under the tutelage of Duke Roufus, but the bigger question would be if he can reach the skill level required to face a non-contender, yet definitely more experienced fighter.
Gall could very well face Sage Northcutt as he intended when he made the call out during his post-fight interview. Big enough name, but someone whom he could match-up well with.
Watch it now, later, never?
The fight went down as expected by many. Unless you’re diehard Punk/WWE fan, this can be saved for later.