CM Punk officially retires from MMA and leaves UFC for AEW

CM Punk officially retires from MMA as he re-enters the world of professional wrestling. Punk, real name Phil Brooks, is hanging up the gloves as he has maneuvered over to All Elite Wrestling.

Officials with the Ultimate Fighting Championship initially confirmed the news of Punk’s mixed martial arts exit to MMA Fighting.

The CM Punk/ UFC experiment began with an announcement from Brooks on the UFC 181 pay-per-view broadcast in December 2014.

Brooks’ MMA record is 0-1 with one no-contest after a pair of bouts at UFC 203 and UFC 225, respectively.

Punk’s first fighting foray saw the former ROH champion taste defeat to Mickey Gall via first-round rear-naked choke in September 2016.

Punk’s sophomore Octagon effort saw him go the distance.

An initial loss to Mike Jackson via unanimous decision. One that was switched to a no-contest after a failed test for marijuana.

CM Punk officially retires from MMA

Subsequent to the Mike Jackson bout, Punk has been doing commentary work over at CFFC. He has been offering up his insights over the last several Cage Fury Fighting Championships events on UFC Fight Pass.

UFC had still been testing Punk in their USADA pool despite not having competed since June 2018. Brooks was tested half a dozen times in 202o. But has not taken part in a single test this calendar year as he became AEW bound.

CM Punk returned to pro wrestling after almost a decade away to one of the most raucous reactions of the last two decades in that medium.

AEW is having Punk working a regular schedule. One which so far has had him working their television shows (AEW Dynamite and AEW Rampage) with his PPV debut only days away.

In a few days’ time, CM Punk takes on former TNT champion Darby Allin at AEW All Out in a pay-per-view attraction for Punk’s ballyhooed in-ring return.

What do you think about CM Punk’s UFC tenure and return to the world of professional wrestling?

.@CMPunk returns to the ring after 7 years to go one-on-one with @DarbyAllin in one of the Most Anticipated Matches of the Year!#AEWAllOut THIS SUNDAY, September 5 LIVE on PPV at 8e/5p – Available on all major providers, @BleacherReport & @FiteTV (Internationally) pic.twitter.com/mmkl6LNViy

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) August 30, 2021

Dylan Bowker

I've been enamored with combat sports for as long as I can remember. I've hosted MMA talk shows Lights Out and Pure Fight Radio with featured guests like Jens Pulver, Roy Nelson, Miesha Tate, Mark Coleman, and more. I've been an MMA broadcaster for XFFC as well as BTC and have done play by play commentary on live pay per view on GFL as well as FITE TV. I've provided written, audio, and video content covering some of the biggest MMA promotions like Rumble in the Cage, Unified MMA, and King of the Cage. I've worked as a sports entertainment personality for over five years and given play-by-play or featured promotions of KSW, ONE Championship, TKO, and Invicta FC. My work can be found in the USA Today Sports affiliate MMA Torch, Cageside Press, MMA Sucka, and Liberty Multimedia.

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