7 Things We Learned From CM Punk's UFC Debut Loss
5. The Bad Weight Cut Talk Might Have Been A Mind Game
Just a few days before weigh-ins, which took place Friday Morning in Cleveland, word starting making the rounds that CM Punk was having difficulty making weight. Punk, who wrestled just North of 200lbs in his WWE career, was fighting at welterweight (170lbs) at UFC 203.
Now, early on in his MMA transition, there was talk of him doing a test weight cut, but in speaking to Ariel Helwani in an interview released earlier this week, he said no test weight cut had happened. He also hinted to Helwani that the cut was not easy, which lined up with the earlier rumours.
Suddenly, there was concern that CM Punk would miss weight (which could lead to 20% of his purse being forfeited to opponent Mickey Gall, or the fight even being called off if Gall refused a catchweight).
Well, none of that happened. Punk made weight, looked healthy doing it contrary to early reports, and weight in right at the 170lb limit - what's known as championship weight. Gall, for his part, weight 170.5 - which is allowed as in non-championship fights, combatants have a 1lb allowance.