CM Punk Thinks He's Done Fighting in UFC After Debuting in AEW

Following his highly anticipated return to professional wrestling with AEW, CM Punk does not anticipate fighting again for the UFC.

According to ESPN's Marc Raimondi, Punk said, "I think so, yeah," when asked if he is retired from competing in the Octagon.

Per Raimondi, Punk said he pulled himself out of the USADA drug-testing pool in December 2020, which ended his run as an active UFC fighter.

Punk wrestled his final WWE match in January 2014, and it wasn't long before the UFC set its sights on the five-time WWE world champion because of his popularity and name recognition.

It was well established that Punk was a huge MMA fan, and he jumped at the opportunity to sign a deal with the UFC. After a lengthy period of training and preparation, Punk made his UFC debut at UFC 203 in 2016.

Punk lost decisively to Mickey Gall by first-round submission, which immediately called his MMA future into question.

He received one more opportunity to fight at UFC 225 in his hometown of Chicago, but Punk fell to Mike Jackson by unanimous decision. That result was eventually overturned and ruled a no-contest, however, since Jackson tested positive for marijuana.

Punk has done some commentary for UFC affiliate Cage Fury Fighting Championships since then, but it was assumed his time as an active fighter was over.

As Raimondi noted, Punk still has fights remaining on his UFC contract, so if he returns, it will either have to be with the UFC or he will have to receive his release from the promotion.

For now, Punk's focus is solely on pro wrestling, as he made his long-awaited return two weeks ago on an episode of AEW Rampage in Chicago.

During his first promo with the company, Punk called out Darby Allin and challenged him to a match at AEW All Out on Sept. 5 in Chicago.

Punk will have an official match for the first time in more than seven years on Sunday, and it could headline one of the biggest cards in the young history of AEW.

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