Dana White Announces CM Punk’s First Potential UFC Opponent

For months, fans have been wondering when CM Punk, the man who left WWE and professional wrestling for the octagon, would make his debut in the MMA world. The wait continued after the 37 year old former wrestling champion suffered a shoulder injury, delaying his debut further. It appears the answer we’ve been waiting for is finally here. UFC President Dana White announced an opportunity for young, up-and-coming Mickey Gall.

httpss://twitter.com/UFCONFOX/status/687409647511322624

Dana recently spoke to Michael Landsberg on TSN about a variety of topics. Around the 1:20 mark in the video, White stated, “I’m bringing in Mickey Gall in, and he’s going to fight a guy named Michael Jackson. They’re going to fight on the prelims on Feb. 6 on (UFC) Fight Pass. If he wins that fight, Mickey Gall will fight CM Punk. CM Punk will be there to watch.” Gall was featured on Dana White’s Looking for a Fight special on UFC Fight Pass.

httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGm-U8rYNb8

For those who are confused as to who this kid is, Mickey Gall is 1-0 in his MMA career and is only 23 years old. The New Jersey native won his professional debut in Philadelphia. After winning, Gall said in the cage, “Hey Dana White, I don’t know if CM Punk has an opponent, but I would love to fight that man.” An opportunity of a lifetime, Gall went on Twitter to show his appreciation for the opportunity in front of him.

httpss://twitter.com/mickeygall/status/687412052021915649

The former WWE superstar left on bad terms with the company, and many think this is a free pass. Some might question the move as giving CM Punk an easy way in. It does seem unfair that Punk’s opponent has to fight to face him, seeing that Punk hasn’t proven himself yet. If Gall can’t win, we would be back where we started; looking for potential fighters for CM Punk.

The fate of CM Punk’s opponent is in his own hands. If Gall can prove himself by beating Jackson, we can have an interesting moment on our hands. I am interested to see how the young combatant manages all of this attention, all the way until the fight. If he indeed wins and faces Punk, myself, along with several UFC and WWE fans, will be watching with excitement. The wait may be long, but the outcome is sure to be worth it.