CM Punk Suffers First-Round UFC 203 Loss

The question of how CM Punk would fare in his Octagon debut has been answered, and unfortunately for the former WWE Champion, the answer wasn't pretty.

Punk was dominated by opponent Mickey Gall (2-0) from the very beginning of his UFC 203 fight on Saturday. Gall started the first round with a takedown attempt, and though Punk momentarily managed to stay on his feet, he soon fell to the mat near the cage wall. For the next two minutes, Gall dominated Punk, and though "The Straight-Edge Superstar" briefly avoided being finished, when Gall grabbed a choke, he was forced to tap out. The official decision was a submission victory for Gall in 2:14.

Still, Punk was triumphant in defeat. After the bout - and while sporting a severely swollen right ear - he delivered a heartfelt interview talking about how he was not done competing in the Octagon or trying to get better at his craft, and how everyone striving for what seems like an impossible goal should always believe in themselves, no matter how many people discourage them. Punk also called Saturday the second-best night of his life, only falling behind his 2014 wedding.

Several past and present WWE superstars were in attendance for the fight, including Luke Harper, Tyson Kidd, Matt Sydal, and Cliff "Domino" Compton.