9 Predictions For CM Punk's Debut At UFC 203

Of course there will be controversy after the fight. After all, there's been tons of controversy before the fight!

However, the debate after may take on a decidedly different tone. If CM Punk wins, be prepared for people to argue that he fought a can, or that the fight was a work. Some people will never let go of Punk's pro wrestling career. If he loses, well the obvious "the UFC should never have signed him" and "he's a bust" arguments will come.

However, the biggest controversy will be whether he should have been licensed in the state of Ohio at all. See, in Ohio (home to UFC 203), to debut as a pro fighter, you must have five amateur fights and a winning record. Punk has exactly zero. The Ohio Athletic Commission bent the rules to allow Punk to fight at UFC 203, saying that Brock Lesnar had similar wrestling experience to Punk and that he was allowed to fight, and that WWE athletes train at top notch facilities.

Those excuses ring a little hollow. Punk does not have Lesnar's NCAA experience, and while WWE workers do train at great facilities, they're not training for a real fight. Even worse, the commission suggested that Punk vs. Gall was a legit pairing simply because it was on the main card, not the prelims.

If Punk gets hurt in his debut, expect this to blow up.