A couple of years after CM Punk left WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), his first match inside the octagon in UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) is now closer than ever.
As his first match as a mixed martial artist nears, a documentary leading up to his first octagon experience will be aired on Fox Sports 1.
The documentary is called "UFC Presents: Evolution of Punk" and will be aired in four parts leading up to his match at the highly-anticipated UFC 203 against Mickey Gall.
The first of the four airings is scheduled Monday, Aug. 15 at 9:30 p.m. ET. It is titled "The Ground Up." The documentary will chronicle the journey of Punk, whose real name is Phil Brooks, into the world of UFC from WWE.
#BehindTheScenes #EvolutionOfPunk debuts in 2wks Aug15! @FOXSports @CMPunk @AJBrooks #UFC203 #CMPunk #FirstRowFilms pic.twitter.com/vHgfnyRXn3
— Rory Karpf (@RoryKarpf) August 1, 2016 " data-caption="null" data-credit="null">Punk immediately signed a multi-fight contract with UFC after walking away from wrestling back in 2014. However, he has yet to fight after suffering a shoulder injury in 2015 and a back injury early this year.
But this year, with a documentary helping to build up bigger hype, it looks like there's no stopping the showdown between Gall and Punk next month. Hopefully, Punk shies away from anything that could mar that.
Gall has been waiting for this moment for a couple of years now. Earlier this year, he reinforced himself as the right person for the coveted spot by beating Mike Johnson.
Speaking to MMA Fighting, the UFC star's coach Jim Miller said it is "definitely big," not only because it is Punk that Gall is taking on but it is his third pro fight.
"There's a lot of pressure. He handled that first fight fantastically. The pressure involved, coming in and having all this hype around him, he handled it great. There's going to be even more for this one," Miller said.
"Even though I think his opponent is less dangerous — he is taking a step down opponent wise — you can't let the nerves get to you. Hopefully, he can keep everything in check. He's got a good head on his shoulders. I think he will. I don't think CM stands a chance," he went on to say.
Punk and Gall will finally meet at the octagon on Sept. 10 at the Quicken Loans Arena, in Cleveland, Ohio.
