Take this for what it’s worth, but UK indy promotion 5 Star Wrestling has offered former WWE Superstar CM Punk $1 million to return to the ring.

Since departing WWE, announced his plan to fight for the UFC. Multiple injuries delayed his Octagon debut, which finally took place on September 10th, 2016. It didn’t go well for Punk, who got steamrolled by Mickey Gall after just 2 minutes and 14 seconds via a rear naked choke. He hasn’t fought since and UFC has expressed uncertainty about whether or not he’ll be offered another fight, despite Punk’s desire to continue.

The $1 million offer from 5 Star Wrestling is for CM Punk to compete in their upcoming 128-man tournament,  the 5 Star Wrestling World Championships. The tournament kicks off June 10th at Liverpool’s Echo Arena.

Wrestlers who work with 5 Star include Jonny Mundo (5 Star World Champion), Rey Mysterio, Carlito, Jay Lethall, Moose, Magnus and Jimmy Havoc.

5 Star promoter Daniel Hinkles confirmed the news on Thursday. He told the UK Sun, “We’ve been trying to contact CM Punk on and off for well over a year. We wanted him on the first show we did in Edinburgh in 2015. I’ve tried going through friends in the industry, I’ve gone through his website and sent dozens of emails but the opportunity has never been this big.”

“We want to offer CM Punk $1 million dollars to come and join the 5 Star Wrestling tour starting June 10th.”

Hinkles maintains that this is a serious offer, since they know CM Punk’s return to the ring would be the biggest story of 2017.

“It’s a genuine offer. We’d love to hear back from the man himself. We want to do this with him. We are hugely ambitious. When we ask the fans who they want to see, CM Punk’s name is on everybody’s wish list and we’re willing to spend big to make it happen.”

Discussion: Do you think we’ll ever see CM Punk in the ring again? If not for 5 Star, maybe for WWE, ROH or even Billy Corgan’s National Wrestling Alliance?

Ring Of Honor (ROH) Champion Christopher Daniels recently did an interview with Ring Rust Radio ahead of his title defense against Cody (Rhodes) and Jay Lethal in New York tomorrow (Fri. May 12, 2017) at Ring of Honor’s War of the Worlds. Here are some highlights from the Fallen Angel:

Winning the ROH World Championship 15 years after his debut:

“It’s very surreal. When the three count finally went down and I realized that my journey to that goal had finally been completed, I felt a sense of relief and a sense of accomplishment. It also sort of washed over me in that moment of time. Hearing the crowd’s reaction, seeing the streamers and having my friend Frankie there to help me along. All of that is just something I will always remember and something I will always hold dear in my heart.

“As far as the reaction for my peers, literally 20 minutes of every hour of the first two days after I won the championship, I spent on Twitter or my phone responding to tweets, DMs and messages from people that I’ve worked with over the course of 24 years that were reaching out to congratulate me on my big evening. For me having worked with so many different people over the course of my career and to have them reach out on my big night, that meant the world to me.

“I was happy to know that my experience with all those guys was positive enough that they felt compelled to reach out to congratulate me when I became champion. It was very cool and it was a great feeling to know that I have the respect of so many of my peers.”

Young ROH Talent He Sees The Most Potential In:

“You talk about the guys that are coming up like Dalton Castle, Jay White and Flip Gordon. A tag team like War Machine who has only been together for a short period of time but have already been Ring of Honor tag team champions and now they’re currently IWGP champions and there is a bright future for those guys as far as a tag team dominance.

“Guys like Marty Scurll and Will Ospreay who just recently in the past year joined Ring of Honor and continue to show innovation and a creative mindset for pro wrestling that I think Ring of Honor fans are very happy to have on our roster. I think they will continue to grow and become great characters and great contributors to the history of Ring of Honor.”

His “ROH Mount Rushmore”:

“Daniel Bryan, Samoa Joe, CM Punk and Nigel McGuinness. I wasn’t going to put myself on there. As much as I’ve contributed to Ring of Honor, those guys did as much or more and certainly deserve the recognition. It’s nice to think that people think I deserve to be top four like that and that sort of sense of what they’ve done for the company, but if I found out I was number five on the list out of four, I wouldn’t be disappointed. You look at the track record of those four guys and what they contributed to the company in the time when they were

“You look at the track record of those four guys and what they contributed to the company in the time when they were champion, I don’t think my current run compares to the stuff they’ve done yet. You can try to build a title reign that stands up and when you lay it side-by-side with what Joe, Punk, Bryan or Nigel all did, that’s my goal is to try to be comparable to those guys and it’s a long road ahead of me to do that.”

You can listen to the full interview here.

CM Punk is set to star on the MTV series: Champs vs. Pros starting this May.  Punk will be on the “Pro” side and is listed as a professional UFC fighter, not a former professional wrestler. The “Champs” will be contestants who have won on previous seasons of the long-running reality show.

Other “Pros” booked for the series include Lolo Jones, Shawne Merriman, and Candice Wiggins. They will face the Champs in a series of athletic contests over the course of a 6 week run. The show will kickoff with a reunion special for the Champs on May 9th.

MTV’s official release can be read here.

CM Punk’s Next Fight?

CM Punk is said to be training for his next bout, though the UFC has given no indication as to when that will be, or even if they are interested in promoting his next fight. While Punk’s debut on PPV at UFC 203 did well for the company, his performance was so abysmal that MMA purists were left in an uproar about him competing in the company at all.

Punk has hinted that a return to pro-wrestling could be in his future however. On numerous occasions, Punk has made it clear he is a fan of the Young Bucks and others who have made a name for themselves in smaller promotions or the indies in recent years.

Former WWE Superstar turned UFC fighter CM Punk recent recently spoke with ABC 7 Chicago about his pro wrestling career, his transition to the world of MMA and more.

Despite everything that CM Punk accomplished in WWE and his record-setting 434 day WWE Championship reign, Punk says wrestling for WWE was never the ‘end goal’ for his wrestling career.

“Obviously, I watched WWF as a kid, but when I made the conscious decision – WWF was never the end goal,” he said. “I romanticized about Japanese wrestling. There was two companies in Japan, it was called All Japan and New Japan, and that was my thing. I was more about going over there and being a star over there, then coming home and just being completely – you can walk down the street and nobody knows you.

That was my style, I liked it. But I worked so long and hard at it that it became so boring, it became the last frontier was WWE. I had to go see if I could conquer that so I gave it a shot.”

Earlier this week, CM Punk commented on his next UFC fight. Punk noted on Twitter that he’s “working on it” and tTraining and dealing with a lower body thing at the moment.”

Regarding the transition from WWE to UFC, Punk told ABC 7:

“It’s all tough. I was a wrestler throwing myself to the ground 300 days a year, now I’m more focused on different disciplines and I get to sleep in my own bed every night. Isn’t that great though? To me, there’s something so romantic about that. You walk into a cage and there’s a winner and a loser.

People can make excuses but at the end of the day, there’s a winner and a loser. I think in this world, because in my opinion you only get one time around, if you’re scared of something I think it’s best to face it head on. I’m comfortable with being uncomfortable.” 

– WWE RAW General Manager Mick Foley posted a message on Facebook asking fans, “Assuming Mrs. Foley’s baby boy gets the boot sometime in 2017, who would you like to see in the GM role?”

A fan suggested 2017 WWE Hall of Fame inductee Kurt Angle, since he’s got a storied history with commissioner Stephanie McMahon. Foley replied,  “Kurt would be a great choice.”

– 205 Live star Cedric Alexander will be out of action for 3-5 months due to a knee injury, according to Pro Wrestling Sheet.

– WWE.com is running a poll asking fans about their favorite Undertaker WrestleMania match. Each option description includes the event and the opponent, except one. Conspicuously absent from the list is Taker’s WrestleMania XXIX opponent, CM Punk.

Thought it was a joke, but it's true. WWE poll listing every Undertaker opponent at WM with one name noticeably absent, and it's not Snuka. pic.twitter.com/P4Ci1zKq1Z

— Jason Solomon ?? (@solomonster) March 13, 2017

After Monday’s RAW from Los Angeles went off the air, The Rock hit the ring to film a scene for the WWE Studios movie “Fighting With My Family.” The film focuses on WWE Superstar Paige and her famous Knight wrestling family.

The Rock was met with “CM Punk” cheers and took it upon himself to call Punk in front of the live crowd. Punk didn’t answer the call because he was out walking his dog, but word got out that WWE was none to pleased about The Rock’s unscripted call.

The Rock commented on the situation earlier this morning and explained why he called Punk, despite the common knowledge (and bold understatement) that Punk is on bad terms with WWE.

I work off instinct, always listen to the people and try to give em something special. Huge positive feedback from @WWE Universe. Fun night https://t.co/4AZFOMFqPw

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) February 22, 2017

In case you missed it, you can see The Rock leaving CM Punk a voicemail below:

.@TheRock leaves @CMPunk a voicemail! #WWE pic.twitter.com/twHtDFqC5z

— NoDQ.com – WWE News (@nodqdotcom) February 21, 2017

– One of the big stories of the day NXT star Shinsuke Nakamura stating that he’s interested in facing AJ Styles at WrestleMania 33. The former WWE Champion caught wind of Nakamura’s comments and had this to say in response:

@ShinsukeN how's this? Sorry, but I do have a match at Wrestlemania. N fact, I'll be headlining Wrestlemania after tonight.

— AJ Styles (@AJStylesOrg) February 21, 2017

AJ Styles will participate in tonight’s #1 Contender’s Battle Royal on SmackDown Live.

– By now you’ve probably seen the video of The Rock calling CM Punk from the middle of the ring last night after RAW. The Rock calling Punk in front of the live crowd was completely unscripted, according to PWInsider. Fans were chanting CM Punk’s name throughout the evening and The Rock made the impromptu call.

According to sources who were backstage at the Staples Center, WWE management was none too pleased about The Rock acknowledging CM Punk in such a brash way. At one point somebody at ringside was instructed to get The Rock to end the segment. The Rock saw he was getting some pushback for the phone call and even told the crowd, “They better not turn off my mic!”

After Monday’s WWE RAW from Los Angeles went off the air, The Rock came out and led an in-ring segment that included him leaving a voicemail for CM Punk.

• Video: The Rock and Vince McMahon Appear Before RAW

The Rock and CM Punk have a history – with The Great One ending CM Punk’s record setting WWE Championship reign back at the 2013 Royal Rumble.

The Rock was at the Staples Center to film a scene for the Fighting With My Family movie about the family of WWE Superstar Paige.

Props to friend of the site Aaron Rift of NoDQ.com for this footage:

.@TheRock leaves @CMPunk a voicemail! #WWE pic.twitter.com/twHtDFqC5z

— NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW news (@nodqdotcom) February 21, 2017

CM Punk didn’t answer The Rock’s call but did leave this message on Twitter:

Thanks Los Angeles. Nice to hear from you. @STAPLESCenter

— player/coach (@CMPunk) February 21, 2017

CM Punk has been pitching dates and fighter names to UFC President Dana White in hopes of getting booked in his second UFC fight. Punk spoke with Carrlyn Bathe of FOX Sports over the weekend at the NHL All Star game and revealed that he’s training for a return to the Octagon but nothing is official. Video from the interview is above.

Punk lost his UFC debut by first round submission to Mickey Gall at UFC 203 last fall but he says he’s working “feverishly” to get another fight.

“I am working on it feverishly,” Punk said. “I’m throwing names at Dana (White), opponents, dates. I don’t know if he’s waiting for a Chicago show or what the deal is but if it doesn’t happen in the UFC, it will happen somewhere else. I’m dedicated to fighting and training. We’ll get there.”

Punk also commented on how life is treating him, mentioning how he and wife AJ Brooks have been traveling the country.

“First one’s out of the way and life couldn’t be better,” Punk said. “I still don’t have to wake up to an alarm so I really can’t complain about much.”

UFC President Dana White was recently featured in a TMZ Sports video where he talked about the futures of WWE stars turned UFC fighters CM Punk and Brock Lesnar.

On the subject of Lesnar, White said he has a great relationship with him but doubts he’ll ever see The Beast Incarnate back in a UFC octagon. White noted that he hasn’t had any talks with Lesnar specifically about another fight. Lesnar’s last fight against Mark Hunt was originally deemed a victory for the former WWE Champion, but it was overturned to a No Contest following two failed drug tests. Lesnar is serving a one-year suspension and paid a $250,000 fine for the failed tests.

“I think [Lesnar’s] career is winding down, but he’s a freak of nature, who knows, maybe he’ll give me a call and say he wants to do it again,” White said. “But I think he’s ready to ride off into the sunset.”

As far as CM Punk goes, the UFC President says he doesn’t know if Punk will get another shot in the octagon, but they’re going to talk about it and try to figure it out. White seemed to indicate that Punk, who only has one professional fight under his belt, may be better served starting off his career in another organization before returning to the UFC.

“UFC is a dangerous place, man,” White said of Punk. “It’s a tough place to come in for your first couple fights. I give him all the credit and respect in the world for coming in and giving it a shot. It’s a tough place to do it. We’ll see what happens, I love the guy.”

Back in October, White said that Punk’s UFC career was “probably over” after his first-round loss to Mickey Gall at UFC 203.

Are you interested in seeing Lesnar or Punk compete in MMA again? Sound off with your thoughts in the comments!

Stephanie McMahon is trending on social media after taking a shot at CM Punk during tonight’s RAW opening segment.

Opening the show in Punk’s hometown of Chicago, Stephanie was met with Punk chants from the crowd. She responded with the following, taking a shot at Punk for losing his MMA debut to Mickey Gall in 2:14 earlier this year:

“If you can keep that up for 2 minutes and 15 seconds, you’d last one second longer than Punk did.”

UFC star CM Punk appeared on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Hour podcast on Monday and commented on his future in mixed martial arts.

Despite losing his UFC debut in what he called “spectacular fashion” back in September, Punk has every intention on fighting again and has a timeframe in mind. Punk says he recently spoke with UFC President Dana White and told him that he understands he might get cut from the company. Punk is confident his next fight will be for UFC, but he is ready to fight for a smaller promotion if that’s what he has to do.

As for when we can expect to see Punk back in the cage, he plans to fight in January or February. He’s already “returned to the drawing board” with his training and has been working on the gaps in his game that led to his first-round defeat to Mickey Gall at UFC 203.

Punk plans to continue fighting at 170 pounds, but is open to fighting at 185 since it was difficult for him to make weight for the first fight.

Former WWE Champion and Chicago native CM Punk is getting some mainstream media coverage for some verbal shots he directed towards three-time NBA Champion Lebron James.

During a World Series victory parade for the Chicago Cubs, Punk appeared on CSN Chicago to comment on his local team’s championship win. Punk took the opportunity to voice his displeasure with Lebron James, and accused the Cleveland Cavaliers Forward of being a bandwagon fan.

“He’s a guy who was criticized because maybe six months ago he was at a [Cleveland] Indians game wearing a Yankees hat, and he’s proud of it — taking it off and showing everybody,” Punk said. “Wearing a New York Yankees hat while going to an Indians game, to me, is kind of crazy. Now all-of-a-sudden Lebron James is all ‘Cleveland against the world,’ and I think he maybe jinxed his team a little bit.”

You can listen to Punk’s comments in the clips below.

Cm Punk Throwing Shots At Bandwagon Fan Lebron James pic.twitter.com/gHSGZ2touV

— Gustavo Vega (@iamvega1982) November 4, 2016

Cm Punk Say Lebron James Jinx The Cleveland Indians For Going Hard At Warriors Losing 3-1 Lead pic.twitter.com/VXWY8hPKxV

— Gustavo Vega (@iamvega1982) November 4, 2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q33CPtWmqNw

After just one fight, it looks like CM Punk’s UFC career is over.

UFC President Dana White appeared on FS1 this week and commented on Punk’s future in the company.

“Is CM Punk going to be a guy who is going to stay in the UFC and continue to fight? Probably not, but he wanted to try it. I like the guy. I respect the guy. He wanted to fight in the UFC. He wanted to do it. He trained for two years, and he did it.”

Punk made his MMA debut back on 9/23 at UFC 203 and lost to Mickey Gall in the first round. He stated then that he was hoping to fight again.

For the latest MMA news and details on Ronda Rousey’s return to UFC on December 30th, make sure to check out our partner site, MMANews.com.

As they say in the wrestling business, “Never say never.”

While it seems unlikely that CM Punk would be willing to wrestle for WWE again, the promotion’s top star John Cena believes Vince McMahon would be willing to bury the hatchet with Punk and do what’s best for business.  TMZ cameras caught up with Cena this week and asked him about whether we could see Punk back in WWE one day. Of course both sides would have to agree to work together again, but Cena is optimistic Vince would play ball.

“If I know one thing about my boss Vince McMahon, he always does what’s good for business, if it’s good for business it will work out,” Cena said. “The name in the question doesn’t matter about that, if it’s good for business it’ll work out.”

Here’s the interview – do you think we’ll ever see CM Punk back in WWE, or in any wrestling ring?

During an interview with The Philly Voice to promote Tuesday’s SmackDown Live, Daniel Bryan spoke about CM Punk getting wrecked at UFC 203 this past weekend.

“I have the utmost respect for him trying to go do it.”

Bryan shed some light on their friendship, explaining they’ve never been best friends and he’s not even sure if he’s got Punk’s number in his phone. However he did watch the fight and he was pulling for Punk. “I was really hoping he would win,” Bryan said. “The reality is that even though he lost, he was dead on in his promo afterwards. It’s the whole thing with me and him, and guys like Sami Zayn and Neville even trying to wrestle. Right? It’s just this idea of you have this dream that everybody tells you that you can’t do, but you just keep going after it. Sometimes, you’re not successful, right? He wasn’t “successful” in the fight. But he fought a professional fight in UFC. That’s crazy! You know? It’s crazy and it’s awesome and he may have lost and he may have gotten beat up, but hey, he tried it.”

Bryan is no stranger to martial arts. He trains trains in jiu jitsu and muay thai and most of the people who he trains with would never attempt fighting professionally. At 37 years old, CM Punk was on the older side to be getting into the fight game. Bryan says that adds even more to the respectability of what Punk attempted.

“At that age, and I know at my age and how many injuries I have, just getting up out of bed every morning, you know, for the most part, I feel really good. But then to get up and go train with killers – that camp is a great camp. And so you go in there and train with great guys and getting beat up every day. It’s tough. That’s the job. The job is getting beat up every day. And right towards the fight, then you have to lose a bunch of weight. So, it’s like, ‘OK I get beat up every day, now go lose 15 pounds. Oh, just like that? Oh, OK.’”

• Video Highlights Of CM Punk’s MMA Debut At UFC 203

https://youtu.be/5sXkzaE3OG4

The Ohio Athletic Commission has released details on fighter pay for this past weekend’s UFC 203 event from Cleveland.

CM Punk earned a flat $500,000 for his MMA debut this past Saturday night at UFC 203. He was not eligible for a performance bonus. Punk’s opponent Mickey Gall, who made short-work of the former WWE Superstar, earned $15,000 to appear and a $15,000 bonus for winning.

It’s likely that CM Punk will also get a piece of the pay-per-view revenue. MMA insider Front Row Brian speculates Punk earned a rate for every PPV buy over 250,000. Under this scenario, Punk getting $2.50 on a show that did 500,000 buys would yield him an additional $625,000.

Saturday night’s Google Trends reveal that interest was high for this show. UFC 203 was the top trend for Saturday with over 1 million searches. CM Punk was not in the Top 20 search topics for the day.

UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic earned $600,000 for his successful title defense, while Alistair Overeem, who got knocked out cold by the Cleveland native, took home $800,000.

– The Fight Network caught up with UFC President Dana White backstage at UFC 203 and got some comments regarding CM Punk’s debut. Dana says he became friends with Punk, Punk wanted a shot and he got it. When asked if we will see CM Punk in the UFC Octagon again, Dana White said, “He probably shouldn’t have his next fight in the UFC.”

– UFC Featherweight champion Conor McGregor has been very outspoken about WWE Superstars in recent weeks, calling them a bunch of “messed up p*ssies” ahead of his most recent fight.

• Conor McGregor Trashes John Cena — Cena Responds

TMZ caught up with McGregor on Saturday night and asked what he thought about CM Punk’s UFC debut. Conor says CM Punk isn’t a “p*ssy” and earned his respect. Punk got in there and fought and not a lot of people have the balls to do that. He got his ass whooped, but he took it like a man.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvkCP2wdwfI

CM Punk spoke with Megan Olivi of Fox Sports 1 after his loss to Mickey Gall at UFC 203 in Cleveland, Ohio. Despite the disappointment, Punk maintains that he had the time of his life out there and does not regret the experience. When asked if there’s another fight in his future, Punk said, “Yeah, I think so” and joked that there’s a lot of food in his future after having to cut weight to fight. He plans on spending time with his wife and dog, taking a vacation from the gym. Punk thanked everybody for their support. It’s not about how many times you get beat up, it’s about how many times you come back. He is motivated to get better.

Meanwhile, the wrestling world reacted to Punk’s MMA debut with respect and support.

Want to congratulate Punk. I admire his dedication, passion & bravery 4 fulfilling his dream. Can't wait 2 see what he does in the future! N

— Nikki & Brie (@NikkiAndBrie) September 11, 2016

Stand up, dust off, onto the next one. Love you good brother.

— Samoa Joe (@SamoaJoe) September 11, 2016

Don't worry amigo @CMPunk it's all good, you'll be back stronger…
No pasa nada amigo, regresaras a lo grande #muchrespect

— Alberto El Patron (@PrideOfMexico) September 11, 2016

https://twitter.com/mauroranallo/status/774812115672690688

It's not easy to step outside your comfort zone & do something that is very challenging and very risky. In the end, we only have ONE life. ?

— Nattie (@NatbyNature) September 11, 2016

https://twitter.com/realmickfoley/status/774825620022947841

Glad to see CM PUNK tell his fans he's going to continue his UFC journey,he will learn and come back strong!! Time to fix that ear! HH

— Hulk Hogan (@HulkHogan) September 11, 2016

People hating on @CMPunk are people who don't have the guts to do what he's doing #UFC203 ?????? #Blockthehate https://t.co/R2GOLvdWbO

— nodaysoff FRED ROSSER III (@realfredrosser) September 11, 2016

Respect @CMPunk

— Melissa Santos (@ThisIsMelSantos) September 11, 2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sXkzaE3OG4

UFC welterweight Mickey Gall defeated CM Punk via first round submission at Saturday night’s UFC 203.  Punk’s 2-year journey to the Octagon culminated in tapping out to rear-naked choke just minutes into the fight. It was a dominant performance for the 24-year old Gall, a jiu-jitsu brown belt who possessed a skill set lightyears ahead of Punk’s.

In the post-fight interview, CM Punk said he lives by the mantra, “go big or go home.” He likes to take challenges and is proud he made it to the UFC. He appreciates everybody’s support, put Gall over as a great fighter and vowed to fight again. Punk said this was the most fun he’s ever had and called it the second best night of his life after his wedding to AJ Lee. He continued, saying life is all about getting back up after you’ve been knocked down. He encouraged kids to believe in themselves. You won’t always get the outcome you’re looking for, but it’s important to follow your dreams.

Despite the losing effort, Punk set out to fight for UFC, dedicated himself to that goal, sacrificed and achieved it.

"You go BIG or you go home" – @CMPunk #UFC203 https://t.co/H4LEnkXwmI

— UFC (@ufc) September 11, 2016

CM Punk went face-to-face with Mickey Gall at Friday’s UFC 203 weigh-ins and refused to shake his opponents hand. When asked what Gall said to him after the disrespectful gesture, Punk said, “I’m not here to shake anybody’s hand. I’m here to punch people in the face.”

Punk also commented on what Gall said to him during their stare down. “He was stuttering, I think he kept repeating ‘oh you don’t want to shake my hand?’ or something like that.”

Punk has been training for nearly two years for his first UFC fight and it’s almost time to put his skills to the test.

“I definitely have butterflies, but I belong under these lights,” Punk said. “You are gonna see a different me. I can flip the switch. (Gall’s) in for a challenge.”

Visit our partner site MMANews.com for complete UFC 203 Results.

CM Punk and his opponent Mickey Gall both made weight at Friday morning’s UFC 203 weigh-ins. Punk checked in at 170 even, while Gall was at 170.5 ahead of their welterweight fight on Saturday night from Cleveland, Ohio. Punk had been joking with the media that he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to make weight and said last week that he was still over 200 pounds.

A public weigh-in/media event will be held tonight at the Quicken Loans Arena. Here’s footage of Punk’s weigh-in, courtesy of MMA Fighting:

UFC 203 will be headlined by UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic vs. Alistair Overeem. Overeem showed up late to Friday’s weigh-ins and was fined $500 by the Ohio Athletic Commission.

Our partner site MMANews.com will have complete coverage of UFC 203 on Saturday night.

ESPN has published an article looking at CM Punk’s upcoming UFC debut. The feature includes quotes from several pro wrestling personalities, including Seth Rollins, Ryback, Paul Heyman and more. Here are some highlights of what they said:

Seth Rollins: “He’s a guy who led the charge for a long time. He’s one of the first indie guys in a long, long time to really shake [up] the main roster in WWE and he paved the way for Daniel Bryan, for myself, Dean Ambrose, Cesaro, and those guys…Say what you will about his attitude and his relationship with the company right now, but I wish him the best and I hope that he is successful — win, lose or draw.”

Ryback: “From a basic human being standpoint, he is showing courage doing something the majority of people on this planet will never do and that is step in a cage and fight in front of millions of people. I respect he wants to test himself and has the courage to do so. For that reason alone, while I don’t condone him saying the things he said about me, I want to him do well. Any man can beat another man on any given night, so I just hope he achieves what he is looking for in this and I will leave it at that.”

Paul Heyman: “Any conversation that I had with CM Punk dating back, even when he was still in WWE and was dreaming of getting involved in mixed martial arts, is that he was doing a switchover of careers from becoming a sports entertainer to becoming a full-time, career-oriented mixed martial artist.

Punk will face Mickey Gall (2-0) this Saturday night at UFC 203 from Cleveland, Ohio.

Both men were at Thursday’s UFC 203 media event from Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Here’s footage of their first official stare down:

CM Punk in his first official face off with Mickey Gall #UFC203 pic.twitter.com/sgY4EfrbL7

— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) September 8, 2016

A lot of people on social media have been commenting on Punk’s appearance. The weight cut has not been very forgiving to Punk and Gall looks a lot healthier at this weight than the former WWE Champion. The weigh-ins take place tomorrow from the Quicken Loans Arena.

https://twitter.com/jesnowden/status/773974258263261184

Yikes. Weight cut has not been kind to Punk. At least if he loses, he can join the cruiserweight division on 9/19. pic.twitter.com/pPosX3034I

— Jason Solomon ?? (@solomonster) September 8, 2016

In his latest blog entry on jrsbarbq.com, Jim Ross offers his thoughts on recent rumors regarding Alberto Del Rio and Paige’s relationship, CM Punk’s debut fight this Saturday at UFC 203, the WWE Network, and more. Highlights are as follows:

CM Punk’s UFC debut this Saturday against Mickey Gall:

Doing a great deal of MMA related media the past few days to discuss the upcoming UFC debut of former WWE star CM Punk this Saturday on PPV. Punk has an uphill struggle considering that he;s never fought in this environment before but I’d never count him out especially when one factors in the 4 ounce glove element. To create a buzz, perhaps Punk should actually embrace his pro wrestling legacy this week, instead of knocking it as some perceive, as many MMA fans will buy the PPV to see Punk get hammered Saturday night while Punk’s wrestling fans will buy to hopefully see Punk win.

UFC was strategic in signing Punk as his presence will enhance what appears to otherwise be a not so special PPV event. I’m certainly going to buy the show.

Bottom line is that Punk’s WWE created celebrity and the curiosity element will likely lead to a decent number of PPV buys Saturday night in Cleveland.

Recent rumors regarding Alberto Del Rio and Paige:

Personal relationships within the pro wrestling business are daunting. I’ve said that for years. Most ‘pro wrestling romances’ aren’t successful over the long haul but the point is that no company will ever have any success in legislating such. I’m not sure that any companies are attempting to intervene, namely WWE and the Alberto Del Rio/Paige relationship. I’m not a believer of every internet rumor that I read nor do I think that WWE would condone such interactions with staff and talents.

It’s impossible to dictate personal relationships in any business especially when those in question are independent contractors. If Paige is totally committed in her personal life with ADR, and which she has the right to pursue, I’d be surprised if she returns to WWE any time soon.

Hope I’m wrong as it relates to the apparent, troubled careers of both talents.

You can check out his entry here.

• Has Paige Lost Weight? – See This Recent Photo Of Her With Alberto Del Rio

CM Punk is on Friday night’s episode of Inside MMA on AXS TV, and he briefly discusses WWE doctor Chris Amman’s lawsuit again him. In a promotional clip from the show uploaded on Thursday night, Punk alleges that Vince McMahon is helping pay the legal bills for the lawsuit.

• Update On WWE Physician Dr. Amann’s Lawsuit Against CM Punk & Colt Cabana

When asked, Punk said that McMahon had not reached out to him with any words of encouragement for his upcoming MMA debut at UFC 203. Punk explained, “He’s currently bankrolling a lawsuit against me, so I don’t think he’s going to be reaching out.”

Punk did his best McMahon impersonation, saying “Hey pal, how are you doing? I’m suing you, LOL.”

The lawsuit against punk is not from WWE, but rather Dr. Chris Amman. The case is expensive and doesn’t g to trial until mid-2018, and Punk seems to feel that the WWE Chairman is footing the legal bill for Dr. Amman. Amman is suing Punk for more than $1 million over claims he made on the Colt Cabana podcast in 2014. This is the lawsuit that Punk feels Cabana hurt his defense against by taking pictures backstage at a WWE event, leading to their falling out.

• CM Punk & Colt Cabana Reportedly No Longer Friends Over Backstage WWE Visit