CM Punk’s long awaited UFC debut faces another delay as the former pro-wrestling superstar has revealed that he’s undergoing back surgery due to a herniated disc.
“My back has always bugged me,” Punk told MMAFighting.com. “Figured it was just wrestling sh*t. Turns out it was.
“It got bad enough to the point where I couldn’t do anything the week before I went to train with the New Jersey Devils last month. One day I could manage, the next day I couldn’t. I’ve been in agony for almost a month. Chiropractor, acupuncture, massage, cryotherapy … nothing worked.”
Punk’s decision to finally get surgery to fix the issue comes just days after he learned that he would be fighting UFC newcomer Mickey Gall who defeated Mike Jackson in his debut at UFC Fight Night 82 on Saturday night.
Afterwards the two squared off in the Octagon and UFC president Dana White later told the media that they were currently targeting UFC 199 in June for Punk’s promotional debut, which will also serve as his first ever mixed martial arts bout.
He’s now expected to be facing around 4-6 weeks of post-surgery rehab, meaning he’s still on course to get his first taste of Octagon action before the end of the year.
Punk remains upbeat despite the setback, describing it as, “just a bump in the road.”
