Mickey Gall ready to prove himself after CM Punk win: ‘I beat a fighter, not a great fighter’

Mickey Gall may have been an overwhelming favorite for his UFC 203 fight against CM Punk, but he also was stepping into the unknown.

With less than two years of mixed martial arts training under his belt, little was known about the skills of the former WWE superstar Punk outside of uninspiring training footage on the documentary series ‘The Evolution of Punk.’ And Gall knew he had to be wary of underestimating the UFC rookie.

“He’s an actor. He’s a phenomenal actor. It could’ve been acting,” Gall said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “I knew my kill stuff was going to be more than his kill stuff. I know two-year guys. I beat up 10-year guys. I’ve been doing it since I was a teenager, so I knew what to expect. I knew I’d be able to dominate.

“I really wanted to show [my striking] off, but he just came in hot. He came in too hot. He came in too aggressive, so I just let my training take over and I knew I’d beat him in either spot. I knew I’d be better, so I just took him down.”

Gall ultimately made easy work of Punk, shutting out the former professional wrestler en route to a first-round rear-naked choke finish.

Gall took Punk to the canvas in the opening seconds, then methodically advanced positions until finally taking the 37-year-old’s back and seizing the fight-ending submission. The win pushed Gall to a perfect 2-0 under the UFC umbrella, and afforded Gall a chance to put the bizarre first chapter of his fighting career to rest.

“This is what I want to do, man,” Gall said. “Since I was 16, every …

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