UFC 203: CM Punk vs Mickey Gall Preview

UFC 203: CM Punk vs Mickey Gall Preview

It's taken just under two years but CM Punk will finally make his UFC debut at UFC 203 against Mickey Gall. In that time, everyone associated with both professional Wrestling and Mixed Martial Arts have had their say on Punk signing for the UFC. Now, I won't go into an in-depth analysis of Punk's decision to switch to the UFC from WWE but I will say that I very excited to see Punk fight (ironically, Punk will make his MMA debut in the building where he walked out of the WWE - Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio). I will say that the positioning on the card is slightly questionable, being the third to last fight on the main card, but I guess with the expectation/excitement around Punk's debut that Dana and co can justify it. 

I think that Mickey Gall has definitely been left in the background in the lead-up to this fight but I think that this was going to happen to Punk's opponent, no matter who it was. Gall will be extremely confident due to Punk's limited training time and notable age gap and predicted on MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani that he would knockout Punk in the first round. I hope that doesn't happen, not just because I'm a CM Punk fan, but it will be slightly underwhelming after nearly two years of build to Punk's debut. 

One battle that is clear Punk has won is the mental battle. With 'The Evolution of Punk' being shown every Monday night in the U.S, and a little later on UFC's official YouTube channel, Punk's journey to the Octagon is well documented in a four-part series and what you notice from viewing this transition is that Punk is mentally focused on this huge career switch which he is doing only to prove to himself that he can do it. 

I think anyone with a dream can respect Punk for quitting WWE to pursue his dream of competing in MMA, as he ultimately made himself happy. 

Tale of the Tape

Name: Phillip Jack Brooks (A.K.A CM Punk)

Age: 37 (Born on 26th October 1978 in Chicago, U.S.A)

Height: 6 Foot 2 Inches

Weight: 185 Pounds

Reach:

Mixed Martial Arts Record:

0 Fights


Name: Mickey Gall

Age: 24 (From New York, U.S.A)

Height: 6 Foot 2 Inches

Weight:

Reach:

Mixed Martial Arts Record:

2 Fights

2 Wins


My Prediction

My Prediction is that Mickey Gall will win by technical knockout in the second round of the fight. My Heart wants to say that CM Punk will win but I think that Gall's superior technique and years training will topple Punk. Punk must put in a good performance regardless of whether he wins or not in order to show that his near two years training has been highly seriously and that he can continue his UFC career without questions being asked about his abilities.

CM Punk makes his UFC debut against Mickey Gall at UFC 203 in Cleveland, Ohio (which will also be the first UFC event in Cleveland).