At the post-fight press conference, Punk said that in spite of the finish, it was still the “second-best night” of his life.
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Punk walked forwards purposefully from the bell and got nailed with a double leg takedown from 24-year-old Mickey Gall who quickly used his superior jiu-jitsu to secure a submission.
After being taken down early, Punk spent his brief time in the cage trying to evade straight punches and various choke holds. And so he, in character, responded to the impromptu interviewer with some praise for Punk by also passive-aggressively calling WWErs “pussies” again, saying “Fair play to [CM Punk] because he got in there and fought”. When asked about what Gall during an interview that followed the weigh-ins on Fox Sports 1, Punk, or Phil Brooks, said he didn’t really know.
“In life, you go big or you go home”, Punk said following his loss. “I just love challenges”. This was a hell of a mountain to try and climb.
“I didn’t get to the summit today, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to give up”. It doesn’t mean I’m going to stop.
“Obviously, Mickey’s a hell of a fighter. I’ve got to get back on to ride”, he stated.
The gulf in class was evident to all, as Gall reigned down on Punk with a flurry of fists before eventually forcing the former wrestler to tap due to a rear-naked choke at 2:14 of the opening round.
Punk faces Gall as a huge underdog in his first ever MMA fight on Saturday night after making the switch from the WWE. “But I know I’m better than that”, he shared.
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“It’s amusing”, he said, “my sister just told me that he said I was stuttering when I was talking to him”. It is one thing to train, it’s another thing to train with a singular goal and that’s what I got in Mickey Gall. UFC President Dana White wanted Gall to go harder with his music selection, but many fans on the Internet supported Gall’s choice, and White listened. “I’m for real, and I’m not going f–ing anywhere”.
