Earlier this month, on the main card of UFC 203, former WWE star CM Punk made his long-awaited first steps into the Octagon. Unfortunately, those steps would not go as he planned, as he was put away by Mickey Gall in the first frame.
Despite this emphatic loss, however, Punk seems hellbent on getting back on the horse and taking another fight – whether that fight is inside the UFC’s Octagon, or in the cage of another promotion like Bellator. In fact, the pro wrestling star is already training to that end, sharpening his tools alongside monsters like former lightweight champ Anthony Pettis and current UFC welterweight champ Tyron Woodley at Duke Roufus’ Milwaukee gym.
In a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Woodley discussed the possibility of Punk’s getting a second fight in the UFC. The champ says he’s all for this possibility, and even has an opponent in mind for the pro wrestler’s sophomore effort.
“He was in the gym the other day,” Woodley told Ariel Helwani on the show. “I was there. I saw his car outside, and I came in, I was going to say what’s up to him. And then I guess he was in the shower when I was changing, so I missed him, but yeah he’s back in the gym training.”
“I want to see him fight the dude that that Belal Muhammad just [fought], the dude with the red mohawk,” Woodley said, referring to Mexican welterweight Augusto “Dodger” Montano. “I think he’s a dude from a TUF show, a TUF show guy. I think Mickey Gall was pretty good. That was a big cup of coffee for [Punk].”
This is certainly an interesting thought from Woodley. Though Montano was soundly defeated in his last bout, his 15-3 overall record makes him amply more experienced than Gall, who is just 3-0.
Montano is also a venomous finisher, having secured 10 of his 15 wins by knockout, and the other 5 by submission. This, needless to say, would probably result a rough night for the inexperienced Punk – arguably an even rougher night than the one he experienced against Gall.
How do you think CM Punk would fare against the dangerous Augusto Montano? Is Woodley setting his training partner up for disaster? Sound off, PENN nation!