The bout took place approximately two years after Punk signed with the UFC in 2014.
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The 37-year-old professional wrestler turned mixed martial artist’s popularity and drawing power landed him in the top MMA promotion on the planet, but that wasn’t his initial plan. The fight was a back-and-forth battle as Miocic recovered from an early guillotine choke and took control of the fight to end it with a flurry of heavy punches which were enough to earn him his first title defence.
The fight world had high hopes for the debut of CM Punk, despite the numerous criticism he faced. “In life, you go big or you go home”, Punk said. “I figured he’d be tough, man”, Gall said. This was a hell of a mountain to try to climb. It doesn’t mean I’m going to stop.
Punk – real name Phil Brooks – was swarmed on nearly immediately by Brazilian Ji-Jitsu brown belt Gall, who had a competitive record of 2-0 heading into the fight at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. I will be back, believe it or not.
“In interviews and stuff like that, he would say things – speaking about himself saying he didn’t belong in the UFC and that he didn’t belong in the main card”, Punk said at the event’s official post-fight press conference. He calls tonight the second best night of his life after getting married.
Gall (3-0), who made his second UFC appearance, received a disclosed purse of $30,000 – a $15,000 show and $15,000 win.
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Punk went right at opponent Mickey Gall from the get go, but this uneducated aggression left him open to a takedown. I like him. I have a lot of respect for him and he wanted to give it a shot. He, he kept repeating, “Oh you don’t want to shake my hand, you don’t want to shake my hand” or something like that. I think that’s a possibility? This opportunity just got presented to myself.
