It’s been a few months since his victory over CM Punk at UFC 203, but Mickey Gall is still getting asked questions about the future of the former professional wrestler turned mixed martial artist. And, truthfully, he doesn’t hold out much hope.
Gall used his win over Punk as a platform to call out fellow ‘Looking for a Fight’ alumni, Sage Northcutt and the two will clash this weekend at UFC Sacramento. As for Punk, well he’s still looking to get another shot in the Octagon following his one-sided beatdown in September. Yet Gall believes if Punk returns to the Octagon then history will repeat itself.
“He’ll be dealt (with) the same way I dealt him,” Gall said. “If he fights a UFC calibre guy, I think they’ll do it in the same way. So, in hindsight, he probably should’ve taken some regional fights, amateur fighters, smaller shows. But I think that’s ballsy of him to want to come back.”
It was clear the intrigue factor alone brought in some of Punk’s hard-core fan base as UFC 203 did a respectable $450,000 buys. Gall believes if Punk does get another shot in the UFC then regardless of his performance it will help bring more eyeballs onto the card he’s apart of but at the same time could also be a detriment to the acceptability of MMA within the wider sports community.
“I don’t know. I mean, he’s definitely going to help your pay-per-view and he brings that other audience,” Gall said. “But for kinda the legitimacy of the sport, I think it may water it down a little bit.”
The UFC will be giving CM Punk another chance, it just remains to be seen who is opponent will be and where and when that bout will take place but considering his drawing factor it’s almost a certainty his second fight for the promotion will be part of a pay-per-view offering.
