Would Mike Dolce return to fight CM Punk? Maybe, but he'd rather help Jason Ellis do that

Is nutritionist and trainer Mike Dolce willing to make an MMA return to face former WWE superstar Phil “CM Punk” Brooks?

Well, maybe. Kind of. It’s complicated. Let us walk you through this one and you can make your own conclusions.

During a recent in-studio MMAjunkie Radio appearance, Dolce, and alum of “The Ultimate Fighter 7” and assistant coach in four separate seasons of the reality show, was asked what he would do should he get a call for a second chance like the one given to the group of veterans featured on “TUF 25: Redemption.”

The answer was far from definitive, but Dolce did admit to a lingering itch to get some cage closure.

“I was never a great fighter, nor did I position myself to be,” Dolce recalled. “But I was always (expletive) tough. I fought Delson Heleno (and) Lyman Good – two decisions. I fought Karl Amoussou over in Japan. I have some good wins also – a lot of knockout win on my record. Not the full records on Sherdog, no matter what the trolls say.

“I love to compete, so would I fight again? In my mind, I’ve still got one more good one in me, one more good run. It’s because I’m a dude, and I’ve got testosterone, and I’ve got this attitude. And I feel unfulfilled because of the day my career had ended.”

As a potential opponent for the highly hypothetical return, Dolce (5-10) then seemed to respond positively to the name of Punk (0-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) – whose own MMA career remains a mystery since a devastatingly quick UFC debut loss to Mickey Gall at UFC 203.

“CM Punk, I would love to,” Dolce said. “Phil, if you want to (expletive) throw down, homey … That’s the one I would come out for.”

While Dolce is now more than a little heavier than the 170-pound division in which he used to compete in, it’s not like he’s a stranger to weight-cutting processes.

“I could probably make 155,” Dolce said in a not-so-casual plug. “Because I am ‘The Dolce Diet,’ I can do whatever the hell I want, weight class-wise. But I’d probably like 185 more than anything.”

Dolce, however, proceeded to make the case for Punk to face an opponent who, in his eyes, makes a lot more practical sense. That would be Jason Ellis, the SiriusXM Radio show host and pro skateboarder who came out victorious in his second professional MMA bout earlier this month.

“This is not – I’m not calling out Phil, not calling out CM Punk,” Dolce said. “That’s not me. Now Jason Ellis, on the other hand, Jason Ellis vs. CM Punk, that’s the fight that we should see. Jason just won King of the Cage, and we worked with him for the fight. And I think that’s a fair fight. Those guys are equally skilled. I think those guys are equally experienced.

“That would be a true good fight and I think that we could see a three-round war. I’m betting on Jason because I know the way he trained. Punk, he trains with Duke (Roufus), with those guys, so he trains hard too.”

Dolce’s habitual cheerfulness and ever-present smile make it kind of hard to tell when he’s being serious or joking about something. So, for the record, he decided to clarify he was in no way issuing a callout.

“I say that frankly – I don’t want a fight, I’m not calling out CM Punk,” Dolce said. “So nobody write that, we’re just joking around in conversation. I would much prefer managing the weight cut and performance of the person who fought him. That’s my role. That’s where I would love to be.”

After some arm-pulling to confirm whether he was in any way serious about his desire to return, however, Dolce threw our hosts a bone.

“I do (believe I have one more in me). I always do,” Dolce said. “Every man does. And even if I ever did decide to come back, I would come back and announce it on this show. If I ever did want to fight an individual and a single person, I would call that person out on this show. Right now I have no list, I have no desire to do so. But should that ever happen, it would be here, on the MMAjunkie Radio show.”

To hear Dolce’s chat on MMAjunkie Radio, check out the video above.

And for more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.