On his way to the ring, CM Punk used to yell “It’s clobberin’ time.” On Saturday night, it might have been time to throw his watch a glance once again, as finally, officially, Mickey Gall became CM Punk’s opponent.
Mickey Gall ‘earned’ the right to face Punk (a position that more than a few of members of the UFC roster have jostled for) by defeating fellow newcomer Mike Jackson on Saturday night.
It was an impressive performance by the 24 year old, if not for his skills (winning in 45 seconds via a rear naked choke), but for his seemingly complete confidence under the increased scrutiny of the UFC. So often we see debutants in the promotion suffering from supposed jitters, the lights, the cameras and the scope of the big show being too much. For Gall, he looked very much at home in the Octagon, as well as at the post fight press conference, something echoed by UFC President Dana White.
“Super impressive,” White said of Gall to MMAFighting’s Ariel Helwani. “I talked to the kid earlier tonight. So confident, so smooth, so relaxed. To come to the big show this early in his career is crazy. He went out and performed tonight.
“The kid was under tremendous pressure tonight and he came out and he delivered. I’m blown away by his performance tonight. I’m sure CM Punk is too.”
Gall, too, was also happy with his performance.
“I felt great in there,” Gall said to MMAJunkie post-fight. “I felt amazing. I saw everything. Dana came back and was like ‘you seem pretty chill’ I was nervous on the inside, but I felt good.
“I’m going to beat CM Punk in the first round. Same as the original prediction. I don’t think I’ll beat him quicker than [Jackson], but it’ll be a first round.”
The entire process has been unprecedented. Not since the very early days of the sport have we seen fighters entering the UFC with such a limited record. When Gall and Punk eventually face off, Punk will be sitting (undefeated mind you) at 0-0. Gall’s record stands at 2-0.
Indeed, much of Punk’s dip into MMA is still unpredictable. Very minor clips of his training has been revealed, and despite anonymous training partners telling people who tell people that he’s improving, not many know the sort of fighter Punk shall become.
The entire process makes for a fascinating experiment. Punk has had years of experience in front of crowds often much larger than those of the UFC’s. He has the money to put him in an elite camp from the beginning, meaning Punk’s debut will essentially offer us an example of how good someone can possibly get in a year.
Gall too, has limited experience. His quick work over Jackson meant none had much tape to scour for errors, and he seems well equipped to grow as a fighter. One wonders if instead their bout will come down to age. At 38, with the body of a retired professional wrestler, Punk may find his training with elite partners fades in the face of a younger, fresher athlete.
For Punk though, the mystery is part of the fun.
“I’m more of a mystery than he is though,” Punk said in a media scrum after Gall’s bout. “So it makes sense, it works out. Him, you, everybody, they have no idea what I’m gonna bring to the table. Thats an advantage obviously.
“Being a mystery helps, but like I said, he’s kind of a mystery too. It’s intriguing to me.”
The date for the bout is still unconfirmed, but it appears as if June’s UFC 199 would be a safe bet. Punk originally called for his debut to take place on UFC 200, a likely super-event with major fights, but UFC President Dana White seemed to distance himself from that idea when interviewed.
It makes sense too. A Brooks fight on UFC 200, an event likely going to reach major PPV buys, would seem to get lost in the shuffle. At UFC 199, it could garner more attention to a smaller event.
Until it’s announced, we’ll continue to wait. Skeptical, curious and like Punk himself, excited.
