Diggin’ Deep on UFC 203: CM Punk vs. Mickey Gall main card preview

I hate to admit it, but all eyes are going to be on CM Punk. Any MMA fan will admit that it is going to be the worst fight on the card in terms of developed skills, perhaps the worst one at the UFC level in years. The only other one in recent memory that comes to mind was Gall’s UFC debut. Yikes.

It’s really a shame as the two main card fights preceding the sideshow are both quality contests in terms of competition and entertainment. Jessica Andrade and Joanne Calderwood are wild cards in terms of contending for the title in a wide open division. Even better for us, they are a hell of a lot of fun to watch.

The other contest is a case of the new guard trying to knock the old aside as Jimmie Rivera looks to add the name of Urijah Faber to his list of victims. I can’t see Faber getting yet another title shot after being easily handled by Dominick Cruz, but he can still beat the vast majority of 135ers on the roster. He isn’t ready to go quietly yet. For Rivera, a win would launch him into title talks in a division full of youngsters jockeying for the right to call out Cruz.

The main card starts at 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT.

CM Punk (0-0) vs. Mickey Gall (2-0), Middleweight

Do I really have to break this fight down? Punk is a former professional wrestler while Gall should still be making his name on the regional scene. There isn’t much information available to break down… unless you count the UFC’s documentary on Punk….

Punk was signed all the way back in December 2014. That was 21 months ago. While that isn’t nearly enough time for him to become a viable UFC competitor, it is more than enough time for someone to prepare for their professional MMA debut which is exactly what this contest will be for him. He has been training with the Roufusport team in Milwaukee, so he has been receiving championship caliber coaching as Anthony Pettis and Ben Askren both hail from there. The reports out of the camp have been that Punk has worked hard, earning the respect of those working with him. For all of the talk that Gall is going to make quick work of him, Punk has seemingly done the necessary things to avoid embarrassing himself in the cage.

Gall called out Punk after his MMA debut on the regional scene knowing Dana White was in the house. White liked his moxie and decided to bring him to the UFC with the purpose of making him “earn” the chance to fight Punk. His test: MMA journalist Mike Jackson. Gall blew threw him in less than a minute. He has the physical tools to be a quality UFC fighter, but he is far too early in his career to be winning fights against anyone other than Punk. Even the much maligned Sage Northcutt has more seasoning than Gall.

What we do know about Gall is that he is fast and aggressive. It was thought he would be looking for the takedown in the Jackson fight, but instead showed improved accuracy with his hands, flooring Jackson with the first serious punch he threw. He displayed his aggression from there by immediately jumping on his fallen foe and sinking in a choke for a tap. Gall’s submission technique still looks raw and his wrestling success in his MMA debut seemed more accredited to his enthusiasm than actual technique… but he’s facing CM Punk. Does it really matter how clean his technique is at this juncture?

Punk is a complete unknown. The footage on him for the documentary hyping his fight is selective and mostly just brief clips making it hard to know if Punk is progressing at all. It showed him winning a practice fight against a fellow teammate of unknown level in the final episode and it was clear he had become a better fighter after well over a year of training. But isn’t the documentary designed to make it look like he has a better shot than the Vegas odds would have you believe? Being somewhat familiar with his WWE work, I do believe he is a tough SOB who will leave it all out there. …

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