Rumors that former WWE superstar CM Punk would make his return at UFC 225 circulated for a while, and now it’s official. He will face MMA journalist Michael Jackson in Chicago.
The UFC 225 bout was officially announced by the promotion earlier today.
CM Punk saw plenty of fanfare surround his MMA debut at UFC 203. The former wrestler wanted to challenge himself in an area where results are not coordinated. The plan backfired though, as local New Jersey product Mickey Gall beat him down and eventually submitted Punk. Mickey Gall already had a win in the Octagon when he fought Punk, and it was over Michael Jackson, who CM Punk will face in his hometown of Chicago.
CM Punk, whose real name is Phillip Brooks, trains at Roufusport Academy under kickboxing great Duke Roufus and alongside training partners like Anthony Pettis, Tyron Woodley, Ben Askren and more. It has been one and a half years since Punk made his debut, and his willingness to step into the cage again is respectable.
Michael Jackson is a reporter who runs the website www.mikethetruth.com. Prior to joining the UFC, he had some professional striking experience, but his MMA record was a blank 0-0. Jackson was knocked down by Gall in the first round of their contest and subsequently choked out. “The Truth” actually went on to ask questions at the post-fight press conference later that night.
UFC 225 takes place inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on June 9. The card is headlined by a middleweight title fight between Robert Whittaker and Yoel Romero. Also on the highly anticipated event, Holly Holm will welcome Invicta FC featherweight champion Megan Anderson to the Octagon, and Mirsad Bektic will receive a step up in competition against perennial top-five featherweight Ricardo Lamas. Rafael dos Anjos and Colby Covington will battle for the interim welterweight strap, and Allistair Overeem looks to stop the rise of Curtis Blaydes.
