Former WWE champion CM Punk officially retires from UFC and the sport of MMA ahead of his debut at AEW: All Out.
CM Punk is officially a retired mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) alum.
Punk made a thunderous return to the world of professional wrestling (watch highlights) as a debutant in All Elite Wrestling (AEW). It marks his first time signing with a pro wrestling organization since his messy divorce from WWE in 2014. With his full-time AEW signing now comes the news that Punk, 42, has officially retired from MMA.
UFC officials confirmed Punk’s retirement to MMA Fighting on Tuesday. Punk fought twice in MMA, both times under the UFC banner. He lost his debut via first-round rear-naked choke submission to Mickey Gall at UFC 203 on Sept. 10, 2016. He subsequently fought Mike Jackson at UFC 225 on June 9, 2018, losing a unanimous decision. The Jackson fight was later overturned to a no-contest after Jackson tested positive for marijuana.
Despite not having fought since 2018, Punk (0-1, 1 NC) remained a part of the UFC’s anti-doping program through 2020. He was tested six times in 2020 by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).
Punk remains an MMA enthusiast and is expected to continue his commentary role with East coast-based promotion Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC) which airs on UFC Fight Pass. The former three-time WWE World Heavyweight champion, two-time WWE champion and one-time Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) champion will wrestle Darby Allin at AEW’s marquee All Out pay-per-view (PPV), taking place inside the Now Aren in Hoffman Estates, Illinois on Sun., Sept. 5.
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