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Bellator is the second largest American MMA promotion and the home of many former UFC superstars such as Frank Mir, Tito Ortiz and Chael Sonnen. Could CM Punk be soon added to that list despite his less than impressive run thus far as an MMA fighter?
WWE legend CM Punk shocked the world with the announcement on December 6, 2014 that he had signed a lucrative deal with the UFC to fight with the promotion.
Most applauded Punk for trying something new but many observers questioned whether at the age of 36 and with no legitimate fighting experience if he could make a success competing against competitors 10-15 years younger than him who had been training in MMA their whole lives.
Punk's debut performance proved the doubters right. The former WWE Champion was humbled by Mickey Gall who dismantled Punk in two minutes making a right mess of his face in the process.
Somewhat surprisingly, UFC President Dana White gave Punk one more chance at UFC 225 earlier this year on June 9, 2018, from Punk's hometown of Chicago, Illinois. This time Punk went the full three-round distance but was outboxed and outwrestled by his inexperienced opponent, Mike Jackson, who seemed to delight in mocking the former WWE superstar throughout the bout.
Jackson, despite his UFC experience was a more seasoned fighter and more crucially was much, much younger than Punk.
With his UFC dream over and his WWE bridges burned, Punk was expected to play some part in Cody Rhodes's independent "All In" wrestling show which also hailed from Punk's home state of Illinois.
It seemed too perfect of an opportunity for Punk to miss, particularly with Rhodes's employers, Ring of Honor having also booked WWE's hallowed arena, Madison Square Garden on Wrestlemania weekend, having previously not promoted a non-WWE event in over 50 years.
Make no mistake, this was an act of war against the WWE powerhouse. Surely, Punk whose split with the company was massively acrimonious, would delight in sticking it to his former employers by making sure the "All In" and Madison Square Garden shows were unadulterated successes.
If Punk harbors visions of doing such a thing, it didn't begin at "All In". The event came and went with no mention of Punk despite the fact he was present at an autograph signing nearby the day before.
However, there have been no reports on that area of employment for Punk in recent times either.
If Punk were to appear in MMA again, his most likely destination would surely be Bellator who along with their impressive roster of youngsters have also shown willing to book long past their prime fighters such as Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie on their cards as they know these names will draw buys.
Punk, despite his MMA losses, is still a money drawing name and perhaps Bellator could pair him with a fighter similar in age and experience so Punk would have a more realistic chance of winning. The pressure may be less too.
Punk has stated he has no interest in returning to wrestling and despite a few TV appearances, has nothing too significant on the horizon. Punk is a born competitor and needs to scratch that itch. If he won't compete in wrestling anymore what else is there for him other than MMA.
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