Has CM Punk's UFC 225 opponent been determined? Mike Jackson got 'wink-wink' from matchmaker

MMA journalist and part-time fighter Mike Jackson has been texting his UFC contacts a lot these days. One is matchmaker Mick Maynard.

When Phil “CM Punk” Brooks (0-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) announced his comeback for UFC 225, Jackson (0-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) saw an opening to get the fight he’s long coveted and got his thumbs working.

Jackson didn’t get a yes on the answer to his prayer. But he didn’t get a no, either.

“Without giving too much away, (Maynard) gives me the wink-wink and says, ‘Be patient. We’ll see what happens,'” Jackson told MMAjunkie Radio.

Almost from the second Mickey Gall submitted Punk in a disastrous 2016 octagon debut at UFC 203, Jackson has called for the promotion to put him in the cage with the former WWE champion, taking umbrage with an interview Punk gave in which he called Jackson a can.

To Jackson, the argument for making the fight is simple. He and Punk share the same record, or lack of one. They have a grudge of sorts. And the UFC can still make money off Punk.

When he stumped for the fight earlier, Jackson wanted the UFC to promote it in his home state of Texas. But if he can get it on Punk’s home turf of Chicago, which hosts the June 9 pay-per-view event at United Center, he won’t complain.

“There’s no need to negotiate, because I really just want to hit this dude so bad for calling me a can,” Jackson said. “I was so offended by that. So now I have to go put him in his own safe space.”

Punk’s return to MMA came as a surprise to many fans, but Jackson said his would-be opponent’s drawing power is obviously strong enough that the UFC needs him back.

Whether Punk will be able to fight any better than the first time, Jackson is unsurprisingly skeptical.

“What I don’t think a lot of people factor in is that (Punk has) never been some phenomenal athlete,” Jackson said. “He’s never been a (Dwayne) ‘Rock’ (Johnson) type character. He’s just one of these guys that’s just a tough guy.

“Then you factor in the mileage that the pro wrestling career put on his body. He’s closing in on 40 years old. And another thing that people don’t grasp is that striking is far harder to learn and master than jiu-jitsu. These are facts.

“Now, obviously, you have anomalies like B.J. Penn, who can just look at something and immediately soak it up. (Punk’s) not that guy. So I don’t see him progressing and evolving as a fighter in two years.”

If Punk was to have any kind of staying power in the UFC, his work with the Roufusport Academy in Milwaukee was widely considered a positive step in that direction. Punk took his lumps over two years before signing on to face Gall in his octagon debut.

Jackson claimed friends called him to report savage beatings of the ex-pro wrestler in the gym.

“MMA training is going to be different than professional wrestling training,” he said. “Not to say they don’t correlate with one another, but it’s different. I just don’t see him picking up the skills needed to defeat me come June 9 at UFC 225.”

Jackson hasn’t gotten the thumbs-up text to confirm that booking, mind you. At this point, he’s still just pushing for the fight. But that could change very soon.

For more on UFC 225, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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