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CM Punk Says 'The Door Is Open' for Potential Return to MMA After UFC Run

Rob Goldberg@TheRobGoldbergX.com LogoFeatured ColumnistSeptember 10, 2018

CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 09:  CM Punk prepares to fight Mike Jackson in their welterweight bout during the UFC 225: Whittaker v Romero 2 event at the United Center on June 9, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. Jackson won by unanimous decision.  (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Dylan Buell/Getty Images

CM Punk has lost both of his UFC matches to date, but he is apparently not completely ruling out a return to mixed martial arts.

"The door is open," he said of a possible return Monday on Ariel Helwani's MMA Show (via Chamatkar Sandhu of ESPN). "I'm taking opportunities as they come. If there's a deadline it's coming up at the end of the year."

Punk most recently lost to Mike Jackson by unanimous decision at UFC 225 in June.

He suffered a Round 1 loss by submission against Mickey Gall in his only other professional fight nearly two years earlier.

While the former WWE star appears willing to give his career another chance, UFC President Dana White wasn't too keen to schedule another bout following his loss in the summer.

"It probably should be a wrap," White said of Punk's MMA career, per Brett Okamoto of ESPN. "The guy is 39 years old. I love the guy. He's the nicest guy in the world. We gave him two shots, and he had a lot of heart tonight in this fight. And I think he should call it a wrap."

He is at least keeping himself busy in case he never earns another MMA match.

In a recent interview with Jeffrey Harris of 411Mania, Punk noted he is currently filming a horror movie as well as hosting the Netflix series Ultimate Beastmaster