5 most likely finishes to CM Punk’s UFC 225 fight

While many ‘purist’ MMA fans won’t like it, CM Punk is set to step back inside the Octagon in a few weeks time when he competes against Mike Jackson at UFC 225. The event, which will take place in Punk’s hometown of Chicago, is being viewed as one of the most stacked cards of the year so far - and while you may not be tuning in just to watch him, Punk is one of the reasons for that.

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Given the nature of his first MMA scrap, there’s a good chance that he’ll wind up on the wrong end of a defeat once again on June 9th, but you can never be too sure. After all, we’ve all come to learn that you need to expect the unexpected in this sport, and what would be more unexpected than The Straight Edge Superstar having his hand raised in the octagon?

So with that being said, here are the five most likely finishes to CM Punk’s UFC 225 fight.

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#5 Punk shocks the world

Just imagine

CM Punk winning in any way, shape or form is probably going to shock some people, but we want to be a little bit more specific with this entry. From what we’ve seen of his training footage combined with how he performed against Mickey Gall, it would seem as if he doesn’t have all too much power. On top of that, we haven’t really been able to see what he’s capable of from a submission point of view.

So then, wouldn’t it be mind-blowing if he winds up getting either a TKO, KO or submission victory over Jackson? It’s not completely outside the realms of possibility, and we can just imagine how unbelievable the pop would be. Jackson would probably have to underestimate him quite badly in a similar fashion to Weidman/Silva and Rockhold/Bisping, but hey, anything is possible.

#4 Decision loss

Jackson shouldn't be taken lightly

Some people would argue that CM Punk is a winner just due to the fact that he’s able to step inside the octagon at all. While we can see the logic in that, it isn’t really true, although serving until the end of a fight could be seen as something of a moral victory for the former WWE champion. After all, we saw how quickly Gall was able to dispose of him in Cleveland, so maybe all we can really ask for is survival from Punk.

Dropping to 0-2 would clearly be a horrifying moment for him and we understand that, but there’s no shame in losing on a stage like the UFC provides. Jackson would probably execute some kind of ground and pound in order to grind out the decision victory, and while some believe that he’s going to go straight in for the finish, we doubt he’s that stupid.

#3 Jackson TKO/KO

Can he do it?

This entry isn’t one that we’d like to see as fans of CM Punk, but it’s one that is entirely possible. Mike Jackson may or may not possess great punching power, and if you’ve listened to his interview on The MMA Hour, then you’ll certainly know that he’s confident in that department.

Regardless of that, we haven’t really seen what Punk’s chin is like - so it’ll be interesting to see how he handles himself if a big shot comes in from the supposed kickboxer.

Staring up at the lights isn’t exactly an experience that Punk is a stranger to, but that loss to Gall is something that could easily play on his mind if things start to go south. We aren’t suggesting that we know all too much about his personal mentality with these kinds of things, but even the most talented guys in the UFC have struggled when trying to bounce back from defeats.

#2 Punk sneaks a win

Chicago would go wild

We’ve spoken about the pros and cons of a decision result, and while it seems unlikely, the idea of CM Punk edging a split decision is incredibly appealing. Think about it: if the fight goes the distance and Punk looks like he’s actually able to handle himself quite well, the crowd are going to be on their feet from start to finish and that’s a guarantee.

Then, when it comes to the actual decision being announced, the place will come unglued. We aren’t suggesting that there will be any kind of favoritism one way or another, but given that the fight is happening in Chicago, we’d have to imagine that the fan reaction to anything that Punk does could impact how the judges score it.

#1 Jackson submission

Careful, Punk

By no means do we have any kind of insight that tells us Mike Jackson is a submission expert - that’s not why we’re putting this entry at the top of the list. Hell, we haven’t really even seen enough tape on him to make a committed prediction one way or another.

However, we saw against Mickey that Punk struggles when it comes to avoiding submission attempts on the ground, and that could come back to haunt him in Chicago.

All Mike needs to do is get the takedown and take his time, because, over the course of three rounds, he should be able to wear Punk down.

There’s a certain level of panic that sets in when you’re in search of your first victory, especially in mixed martial arts, and if things start going south quickly, then we could be in store for yet another quick finish.