Fans may not like it, but CM Punk doesn't feel like he's done in the UFC quite yet.
The accomplished pro wrestler turned not-so-accomplished mixed martial artist discussed his future with Ariel Helwani on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour, and if he has his way, his next fight is going to be in the Octagon.
"I don't want to speak for [Dana White], but I think if he wants to kill it, he would have killed it right then," Punk said (h/t MMA Fighting's Marc Raimondi). "Until anything is official, I don't want to say either way what he's thinking or what he's thinking. But yeah, I'm pretty confident that it'll be in the UFC."
Punk famously joined the UFC in 2014 after suddenly walking away from WWE, but the buzz surrounding his signing eventually wore off and was replaced with frustration over his repeatedly delayed debut. When the fight finally went down at UFC 203, however, it turned out every question and concern fans had was legitimate.
Facing a 2-0 fighter in Mickey Gall, Punk was grounded, pounded and tapped in two minutes after landing zero significant strikes, completing zero takedowns and attempting zero submissions.
While few would have blamed him if he had decided to call it a career following such a rough outing, Punk says he is still pouring his entire being into MMA.
"We're back at it. We're back to the drawing board," he said. "... I felt like I was in the best shape of my life still, so I just kept after it. I think that's the best thing you can do after you lose."
Where his next fight takes place is no certainty, however. White told Fight Network's John Pollock (h/t MMA Fighting's Jed Meshew) after UFC 203 that Punk "probably shouldn't have his next fight in the UFC," but with Punk committed to returning and his number on speed dial with other promotions, the UFC may be put into a position where it is forced to keep him around.
"This is what I do now," Punk said he told the UFC boss. "This is what I'm going to do now. If I can do it for you, awesome. If not, I'll still bug you for tickets to your show."
Either way, fans ought to buckle up for Punk's return. Hopefully, there aren't many speed bumps between then and now.
