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CM Punk Confirms He Will Fight at UFC 225 in His Hometown of Chicago

Rob Goldberg@TheRobGoldbergX.com LogoFeatured ColumnistMarch 12, 2018

CM Punk stands in the octagon after being defeated by Mickey Gall during a welterweight bout at UFC 203 on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016, in Cleveland.  (AP Photo/David Dermer)
David Dermer/Associated Press

Although CM Punk's UFC debut didn't go as planned, he is set to return to the Octagon.ย  ย  ย 

In response to a user on Twitter on Monday, the former WWE star confirmed his next match will be June 9:

Coach @CMPunk

June nine, after I win and lock eyes with my beautiful wife, embrace my coaches and shout out my entire team https://t.co/TmzRWR2kbn

As TMZ Sports noted, this is the date of UFC 225 in Chicago, which happens to be his hometown. Punk has only one career UFC fight on his resume, a first-round submission loss to Mickey Gall at UFC 203 in 2016.

Punk first raised speculation about competing in this event when the UFC announced it in February:

Coach @CMPunk

๐Ÿ‘€๐Ÿค” https://t.co/0MX3olVbpM

Ariel Helwaniย of MMA Fighting then reported he was in discussions for a matchup against Mike Jackson, although there was no final decision on the matter.

Fittingly enough, Jackson is also 0-1 in his UFC career, with his loss coming in a first-round submission to Gall at UFC Fight Night 82.

Punk is likely hoping to rehabilitate his image as a fighter, but at 39 years old, his age could be a factor as much as his inexperience in the Octagon.

The fan favorite could be enough to draw a lot of viewers to the upcoming pay-per-view, however.