10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (June 8)

7. CM Punk Wanted Out Of The Octagon ASAP During His First Fight

"The quicker I start, the quicker it's over".

Those were CM Punk's words to MMAJunkie when analysing his first UFC fight against Mickey Gall in 2016. To Punk, it was a mistake (albeit a natural one; he'd never exactly been in a legitimate fight like this before) to have that mindset going in. It's one he doesn't want to have against Mike Jackson at UFC 225.

Punk believed that getting stuck right into Gall without first finding his bearings in the Octagon would serve him well. It led to a quick loss in his MMA debut, and the fact he didn't relax at all is something Punk thinks hurt him back then.

He's eager not to repeat the same mistakes against Jackson. At UFC 203 almost two years ago, the ex-WWE Champion just wanted out of the cage as soon as possible. There was little thought put into his positioning in the Octagon or how clearly Punk would hear advice from his coaches.